Eye3-dslr-helicopter-224x103I've always thought Kickstarter, IndieGoGo, and other crowdfunding platforms are actually "best" suited for gadgets and technology products where you pre-buy something out of self-interest (as opposed to helping someone make something, as you did with me). Despite this, on Kickstarter Film & Video was the largest category in 2011, which is a testament to the generosity and connectivity of the filmmaking community. Here are a couple of filmmaking-friendly products for DSLRs on Kickstarter, both of which are looking to lower the price point for follow focuses and remote-control helicopters:

$50 Follow Focus

eye3 Aerial Photography Helicopter

UPDATE: the helicopter project has been canceled by Kickstarter. The creators aren't sure why; strange. Turns out the Helicopter was a photoshop of an already-existing $699 Xaircraft. Thanks Sebastian. Thankfully, the project was cancelled by Kickstarter before any money changed hands.


With the latter, just be careful not to do this:

All it cost to get that shot was one Sony FS100! (It was insured, but this is the peril of hiring a pilot whose qualifications might not check out).

Check out both products below if interested -- as you can see both of them have already made their goal, but with products a "goal" is more like a "preorder minimum."

[via The Verge]