As no-budget/independent filmmakers, achieving the look of high production value and not spending a ton of money are always at the forefront of our mind, and finding the optimal point at which those two things meet is our main concern. Often, that means a DIY solution. Chung Dha shares with us his process of constructing an inexpensive DIY jib with a remote tilt, which will give you more versatility and control over your film's aesthetics, while not causing you to break the bank while doing it. Continue on for his tutorial.
The great thing about Chung Dha's design, other than the price tag, is that it has a pretty simple setup. Aside from drilling some holes through the plastic pulleys, you're not going to need any big machinery or a bunch of tools, which is excellent news for the not-so-handy individuals.
There are several relatively inexpensive jibs arms out there (I use one from CobraCrane that I bought for less than $400 -- great starter jib), but if your budget is really tight, you can build this jib for $60 -- $70. He uses a few camera accessories that you can purchase online, including a monopod, tilt head, and a boom arm adapter, and an assortment of inexpensive hardware to create the jib.
Check out the tutorial below as well as the list of parts you'll need to follow along:
Parts list
- 2x 10cm Rope Pulley wheels KBS100K10v (Since the company is based in Rotterdam, everything's in Dutch, so you might need to bust out a translator.)
- 1x Dual-L Bracket Falcon Eyes TMB-16T -- alternatives on eBay
- 1x Boom arm grip adapter from eBay
- 1x Manfrotto 234rc
- 1x M8 40mm Bolt
- 1x M8 90mm Bolt
- 6x M8 Nuts
- 4x M5 30mm Bolt
- 12x M5 Nuts
- 4x M5 bolt caps
- 4x Rubber bands
- A few meters of washing line cable (Think double the length of your monopod/boom arm, and you're golden.)
- Either a sturdy monopod or a boom arm. (Chung Dha says that buying a boom arm might decrease the cost, so long as you get it in a set with grip and weights.)
And there you have it. Though it's not a perfect design, it's inexpensive and can help you get the crane shots that will increase the production value of your film. Be sure to visit Chung Dha's website for more DIY tutorials.
What do you think? In your opinion, is this design a good solution for an inexpensive, DIY jib? Let us know in the comments.
