A crucial part of any car shot is the appropriate rig. Sometimes a job will afford a process trailer, making for an awesome day of rigging and the ability to shoot and light from all kinds of angles, support the camera from vibrations with airbags, and run generators. More often, however, we are being asked to rig directly to the vehicle and capture shots on a car that is actually driving. There are a bunch of ways to do this, but one of the most common is the hood mount.
Hood mount kits are comprised of a few pieces. The leg supports, rails, and camera mount are the basic parts. The adjustable supports can raise the height of your camera. The rails can be built in different lengths depending on where you need to mount and the size of your vehicle. The mounting plate can be customized to hard mount your camera directly, accommodate a tripod head or gimbal, and hold many other pieces of hardware to supplement your car rig including lighting and vibration isolation. It can accommodate multiple camera angles and help supplement other rigging positions.
As with any rigging, it is important to hire an experienced grip to ensure both the safety of the people involved in the shoot, as well as the vehicle and equipment. Working on car rigs requires extreme diligence to be sure all equipment is secure for driving, and that the vehicle is not damaged in the process. A great crew and a realistic schedule will ensure that your car rigging day is a success.
Contact Expressway Cinema Rentals at 267-239-5686 or [email protected] for a quote for your car rig!
All photos provided by key grip Mike Fares ([email protected])
