Have you been jonesing for arcing vertical and horizontal camera moves?  Perhaps you simply want an easy way to elevate your camera without having to climb a fence or set your tripod ontop of a chair.  Well, you're in luck.  Here are two DIY jib projects that will let you do those things for less than $30 and a bit of your time.  The first is a small jib arm courtesy of Olivia Tech, the second is a slightly larger jib project from The Frugal Filmmaker, check out these videos to see them in action:

This first jib arm from Olivia Tech looks like a pretty nice tool for folks wanting something light and portable, and it's small enough that you could reasonably keep an eye on the camera's screen without needing a monitor.  Judging from the sample video it also looks pretty smooth:

For instructions and build details, go here.

If you're looking for a larger jib that also lets you tilt the camera, then this second project from Scott Eggleston, aka the Frugal Filmmaker, may be more to your liking:

With a jib this large it will be more likely that you'll need a monitor, and with that in mind Eggleston shows his own set up.  This is actually the second version of a design Eggleston had previously constructed, so check out both videos for a full instructional.  You can find the first version along with a full parts list here, and the updated version featured in the video here.

You might think, "well, when am I really going to need those swooping vertical/horizontal moves?"  You never know, and luckily, both of these projects can be pulled off for relatively cheap, so they may make for a good weekend project.

Have you tried building your own jib?  How were the results?  When's the last time you used a jib?

[via CheesyCam and The Frugal Filmmaker]

diyjibcranediyproject
Producing