DIY Overhead STUDIO RIG! Under $300, Hang Cameras, Lights & Cords from the ceiling of your studio

[@Bo_Hazem]

Impressive work! You really let no room for questions as it's very extensive and clear. Hope the best for you, mate.

[@danienelphoto]

The first DIY project for rails that makes sense to me. Still Inspired by it... yet to execute!

[@moodychaplin]

That fall in the beginning is so epic! I love it. Thank you for sharing your expertise.

[@JantzerStudios]

Ha! Thanks. My one and only credit as a stunt man 😁.

[@DaxMcDonald]

I started working a bit from home and needed a solution to space in a one bedroom apartment. Not able to attach anything to the floors, walls and ceilings, I found your video to help with a solution. I floor supported an approximate 12'x14' grid like yours and suspended it over the Living Room making my space able to be lived in while flexible to do virtual events and and trainings. I am so appreciative of your idea and detail as well as the shots showing as much as possible. If I can share a picture somewhere I will, but this has helped keep the floor clear, give me the ability to still live in a small space, hide cabling in the strut and give flexibility as to where items slide or hang. Also, using online market places and such, I did not spent $500 for anything. Great idea and help. Thanks.

[@JantzerStudios]

I'm so glad it was helpful. I honestly never thought this video would help so many people. I would love to see a picture you can DM me on Instagram or Facebook. Just look for the Jantzer Studios page

[@CodyEngel]

Love this idea, going to adapt it for my home studio to mount sound blankets and lights from it.

[@didgeproject]

so cool! i would love to see some things you have produced in this room since building the overhead rig

[@RisingCreekCustomHomes]

You could get vinyl rollers to quiet the video roller

[@heatherinde]

Fantastic! More than I need in my studio but you gave me some great ideas. The beginning when you tripped…that’s me….every time I film. haha

[@JantzerStudios]

So glad it helped. Good luck and keep your feet on the ground 😁

[@triumphantlifetv1825]

You are a genius this has solved so many issues for me when I'm limited on space in my studio!!! Oustanding!!!

[@jessecoonen7881]

You also could have done a 3/8” Sammy screw into your stud and then just taken threaded Rod up to the ceiling and hung the strut bracket from that. 😊

[@JantzerStudios]

I've actually never heard of those before but I just looked it up. Pretty cool! Thanks for the suggestion. 😊

[@amaedesign]

Great system you built! Thanks for sharing not only how you did it, but also the journey including missteps along the way!

[@JantzerStudios]

So glad you enjoyed it. It was fun telling it like a story. 😊

[@Fotozones]

Very nice! I have been thinking about making something similar for my small studio but have ended up using wall mount boom arms instead. It makes a huge difference not having light stands on the floor in my small space.

[@VelvetVolcano]

This was so helpful, I've been thinking about building something similar myself but I've been struggling to find much info online, until now! Thank you ^_^

[@JantzerStudios]

So glad I could help. Good luck on your project. Tag us on Instagram so we can see the progress. 🙂

[@charleyl264]

I did this almost 5 years ago but without the sliding tracks. I did have the idea of using Unistrut, but decided to go with a lighter and closer to the ceiling method. My studio ceiling is only 8' so not much room available to hang anything without things becoming head-bumps. So I just went for a fixed grid system using ten ft long 3/4 X 3/4 X 1/4" steel angles suspended 4" below the ceiling. These were spaced about 4 ft apart and parallel with the backdrops. Then five ft long pieces of the same angle are used to bridge between any two of the 10 ft angles to provide hanging points anywhere within the ceiling grid. I used pairs of Electrician's Beam Clamps bolted together to join the 5' long angles to the 10' long angles. Electric power is provided by Wiremold Outlet Strips attached to the ceiling and running past the ends of the 10' long angles. Each has an electric outlet every 6" along the strips, so there is power within 5' of anywhere I place a light within the ceiling grid. To hang lights, I use one of the Electrician's Beam Clamps to attach to the angle. Then I've modified some light stands by adding a 1/4-20 male stud to the bottom of the center posts, adding a 2" length of round dowel inside the end of the center post of the light stand with epoxy to bond it in place. A 1/4-20 by 2" hanger bolt (lag screw threads one end and machine screw threads on the other) was screwed into the end of this dowel and it becomes a way to attach the tripod upside down to the 1/4-20 threaded hole in the Electricians Beam Clamp. The Beam Clamps become the universal way to attach or assemble anything to the ceiling light grid. I had worked in the Theater, so "hanging lighting" was in my blood. One thing that we always did in the theater was to put "safety chains or cable loops" around the support structure and then a secure piece of the light, using D-Rings or Snap Hooks to join the ends of this safety loop. You can't trust a "Spigot" and the light hanging thumb screw to keep lights from falling. If you don't use any of my ideas, that's OK, but please come up with a "Safety Loop" method that works for you and always use one for every hanging light and fixture. If one falls it will destroy the light, but it might also injure your model and likely result in a law suit. I don't have a website, but will freely discuss this system with you if you contact me. Charley

[@JantzerStudios]

Sounds pretty awesome. What material did you use?

[@charleyl264]

@@JantzerStudios The dimensions of the steel parts were provided. The electric outlet strips are made by Wiremold. I have the ones with an outlet every 6" along the length. The hardware used to attach the 5' angle to the 10' are Electrician's Beam Clamps, available from Electrical Supply Houses. Two of these were bolted together using the existing 1/4-20 threaded holes in these clamps and a half inch long 1/4-20 round head bolt. The same beam clamps are used singly for attaching the modified tripods upside down for hanging/adjusting lights at lower levels, as well as other items. The beam clamps are the universal attachment used in many ways with my ceiling lighting support grid. There are no cables and usually no light stands on my studio floor, except for the occasional touch of the tether cable, which is also routed along the ceiling grid to just above the usual camera location, where it hangs with sufficient loop to allow me to move the camera almost anywhere in the camera half of my shooting room, which is 19 X 26 X 8' high. I have 6 motorized 10' wide backdrops, and also remotely controlled from the camera location. Changing backdrops only takes me about a minute. I have two camera stands, which are a 6'6" vertical steel column on a heavy three leg base with locking casters. These take up much less room than a tripod, and allow easy camera height adjustment from about 6" to 6'. It is counterweighted, so the camera is easy to move vertically and will almost remain at any height, even with the lock released. I'm NE of Charlotte, NC. Are you anywhere near me? I can send photos if you can contact me with an email address or cell # Charley

[@JantzerStudios]

Wow, that sounds pretty professional! But also a little outside of my budget, LOL. I definitely need to add safety tethered, though. It's always been part of my plan but haven't gotten around to it yet.

[@charleyl264]

@@JantzerStudios I sent a message to your website.

[@charleyl264]

@@JantzerStudios It was likely less than you spent. 20' of 3/4 steel angle was $23 and I used five of them. The Wiremold was given to me, so I don't know the cost. The Electricians Beam Clamps were about $1 each. I'm a licensed electrician and EE, so the electric part was all done by me. I have BN-Link wireless control modules plugged into each used Wiremold Outlet to control power to each light from a wireless remote, so can turn on the strobes, LED panels, UV panels, or continuous spot lights, all separately in groups. Then the strobes are controlled from the on camera transmitter. The LED panels can each be controlled by a cell phone App, if that is necessary. I sent a note to your website. Charley

[@FineLine-Media]

This is really good, some great tips in there!

[@joelhenry4643]

Incredible job. Serious skillset. Thanks, I can use this information. I was wondering how I could build a slider and you figured it out.

[@JantzerStudios]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks and happy holidays.

[@Scorpion_007]

Loved the intro.... Quite innovative

[@bryang949]

Amazing!! Hugely useful, so thanks!!! Was looking for something like this and you nailed the sweet spot :)

[@JantzerStudios]

So glad it's helpful. If you end up building something like it and post pictures on Instagram or Facebook, please tag me @JantzerStudios. I'd love to see what you come up with.

[@jsmdllc]

Thanks for the inspiration!! Will be building something similar soon cheers!

[@StefanFischerFacilitation]

Could use Polyamide wheels to quiet the thing down. Great project after all.

[@JantzerStudios]

That would be cool! Let us know if you find something specific that works.

[@JTBuckets99]

You could put scotch tape on the metal rails so when you use the rollers to reduce noise

[@Itcornerbg]

Nice, love it

[@michaelmcphee2930]

Liking this mate. Thinking i can build similar around the Tilta door components in my garage. Experiencing some trouble sourcing some of the materials. Two 6 metre lengths of channel for $260 AUD about $160 US alone.

[@JantzerStudios]

Wow! That's a lot! Maybe there is something different but will get you a similar result in Australia... good luck to you.

[@yahmanml]

Well done! Thanks for sharing this.

[@miguelangelaguilar5566]

Good Job.

[@tacrewgirl]

I like this design. Thanks.

[@kellypeterson2625]

brilliant!

[@pradipmalde]

Thanks for the extremely clear guide and helpful materials list! Let me know if I can reciprocate your generosity! Cheers.

[@JantzerStudios]

Happy to help. Pay it forward!

[@deyvigranadosmandarachi3264]

muy buen video que buscado mucho. Gracias por compartir tu inslación. Estoy seguro que me ayudará bastante

[@talbotfilms8156]

nice job!

[@ottawafro]

wish i had your skills !

[@ricrob2]

Supper Amazing 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 i did something to 1/10 your scale. I’m def looking into your system. Thanks for this vid.

[@DroseMr]

Intro halarious. Thank You

[@lannyplans]

Helpful and interesting! Thank you.

[@Ddura7]

Super interesante y de mucha ayuda! Enhorabuena!! Un abrazo!

[@necrogtrader1]

You are a hero

[@JantzerStudios]

Thanks, glad it is helpful 😊

[@luissalazar2021]

Nice job team, what size is your studio Thank you for sharing

[@JantzerStudios]

Thanks! It's about 24 x 30 feet. But that includes the stairs and some areas with low ceilings that are basically just storage.

[@jerrybromenshenk1971]

Rather than a uni strut trolly, just cut a strip of poly to fit as a slide inside the uni strut. Slides easy and quietly, stays in place where you put it.

[@JantzerStudios]

Nice! Thanks for the tip. If you post any pictures on Instagram please tag @jantzerstudios I am always curious to see what people come up with.

[@lys19931030]

Amazing!

[@pinchingstars]

Brilliant, have been planning to do something very similar and am super grateful you shared your process! Will definitely help inform my build, thank you so much for taking the time to film and post!

[@JohnSmith-zv8km]

Really useful thanks.

[@PPSVSTUDIOVIDEO]

what about the light that you used? what kind

[@JantzerStudios]

I use a variety of light. I think the one in the video was a fairly inexpensive studio light.

[@BrianHallmond]

Hey mate. Im not engineer, But what if someone mounted a foldable boom arm to the roof that was on a swivel point? That way we could bend and rotate the light into place for photography? I dont have a super high roof, so it would be cool to just raise and lower my lights as needed. Surprised there doesn't seem to be anything like it.

[@JantzerStudios]

Seems like that could work. Sometimes the only way to find out is try it. Then figure out what's working and what's not then get the problem solving. Best of luck let us know how it goes.

[@withinjapan2024]

Interesting... Great job but to confirm it's real can you fly over to my house and install it for me lol

[@JantzerStudios]

HA! 😁 maybe of it's an all expenses paid trip!

[@withinjapan2024]

@@JantzerStudios lol ummmm wasn't the plan I had there hehe

[@DomInicDeniro]

Good job but this not diy 😂

[@JantzerStudios]

True. I do have a lot of tools the average person does not. But it could be done with basic tools as well.

[@elimelart]

You are handy. I don't have tools you have

[@TheBootstrappedFounder]

Love this. Thanks for doing all the experiments to figure out what works and what doesn't. I guess those $1000-$4000 pre-built sets exist because not every studio owner has a shed full of power tools :D I'll likely try such a build myself. Thanks for being an inspiration!

[@JantzerStudios]

I'm so glad you find it useful. I would love to see what you come up with. Hit me up on Instagram and send me some pics when you're finished.

[@TFaminu]

Jesus loves you bro! Thank you!!

[@honesty8082]

Allah loves Jesus and didn't let him get crucified. ❤️

[@mrkingid]

Skookum!

[@stayreadyto3dprint]

If you add a thin layer of rubber to the wheels on your camera roller it should kill the noise you get when rolling it.

[@CreativeThinking52]

Awesome setup. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful weekend. Fully view video. 👍545 likes.

[@wbuttry1]

I did my studio a little different I mounted my stuff straight to the ceiling and added all ball heads to my strobe lights I got a 360 degree left right and 180 up and down wich is perfect for me. And I still use a c stand to do my product photos with and my camera on a ball head also got 360 degree movement and 360 up and down

[@robinm3003]

Careful not to drill in to building wiring. The building codes say wires can be 1.25 inches from the edge of a stud, so add 1/2 inch for drywall and that gives you a maximum screw depth of 1 3/4 inches.

[@talk2shwetapavan]

wow thats really super 😍😍😍

[@alilcanete]

Geniooiooo!!! Porfi podrías venir a argentina y me ayudas a hacer lo mismo? Me reí mucho con tío presentación pedir yo estoy casi igual en mi estudio. Buscaba ideas para dar una solución y encontré tu video. Me encantó 💯❤️‍🔥🧉

[@darksinge]

Under $300* (plus a couple thousand extra for power tools and other equipment)

[@iSpike]

Man this is GREAT 👍🏻, looking into doing the same to clear the floor space in my Studio. New subscriber here. Cheers from Western Australia 🇦🇺

[@JantzerStudios]

So glad it helped. Share before and after pics with me on Instagram!

[@quirkworks4076]

Great video! Plan on doing this very thing next spring in my barn. And I bet nylon rollers would quiet things down. Thanks!

[@JantzerStudios]

That's a great idea! If you find a product that works well let me know and I will add it to the list for others to try out.

[@Jaynicephotos]

Nice work! I’m truly impressed.

[@ConCorDesign]

Love it!

[@JantzerStudios]

Thanks

[@mattmalyan6524]

Awesome work. Inspired me with some ideas for my own studio with similar space issues 👍👍😎

[@JantzerStudios]

Awesome so glad it's helpful.

[@gnoetv]

Instant like for the intro

[@JantzerStudios]

Thanks 😁

[@shouteryproductions9146]

Hey! This is great! I'm using your tips to get a similar thing for a my new studio build. Its frustrating with cables, stands and more stands and cables on the floor. This would indeed help! Is there anything that you'd like to change now a few months after the build? Anything you've added that has been a big lift in flow and productions? :) /Björn, Swedish film producer..

[@JantzerStudios]

Great question! The main thing I would change is, I would not use electrical conduit. I ended up making a third rail that was longer with black pipe. But even for the 10-ft rails I think it would be worth it to spend the extra money for black pipe it's just much more rigid. Hope this helps. Good luck with your build. If you post pictures of it on Instagram tag me @janntzstudios I'd love to see what you come up with.

[@shouteryproductions9146]

What is the electrical conduit? I tried translating, but didn’t get what that was.. :) And the black pipes.. how were they different, stiffer? Other material?

[@jkashj1994]

@@shouteryproductions9146 In the U.S., it's lightweight metal tubing that we run electrical wire through to meet specific building codes. Imagine you're having to add electrical wire to the outside of a wall. The conduit seals it off safely when it's not run inside the wall. The black pipe he's using comes in a longer length as it is thicker and stiffer. The electrical conduit probably wouldn't hold it's shape, with that much weight, over a 14ft span.

[@jkashj1994]

Great work! I was brainstorming about this about a year ago and here you've figured it out completely! Have you added to this since it's inception? I know the commercial rigs for studios have two layers of pipes, with swivels at the point of the carriage so they can swing into odd angles. I've been a portrait photographer for 28 years and there was a time when a studio supply house would send a rep out and measure your space for a custom system that would set you back $20K or more.

[@JantzerStudios]

I have added a little but I would say the biggest thing I would change is, I would use all black pipe instead of conduit. The conduit just has a little bit too much Flex. I'm hoping to do an update on this eventually now that I've been using it for a bit. I just don't have as much time to make videos these days.

[@jkashj1994]

@@JantzerStudios No worries...If this is the only video you produce with this, it's already enough good info for me. Thanks!

[@tysonhofsommer411]

@@JantzerStudios this was my thought too, I'm going to use black pipe. It too is 3/4" right? I would think there is a little sturdier mount other than the conduit mounts too?

[@danielrivera5112]

👍

[@vorontsov_ss]

Wow! Really great job 👍🏼

[@JantzerStudios]

😊 thanks

[@adejumokojo]

This is the nicest solution I have seen so far. You should post more solutions. Nice job

[@BenDroz]

Awesome job with this, the studio looks great!

[@danienelphoto]

Great project. I have moved my studio home and have taken over the garage, so this is a great idea!

[@rjwije4874]

really nice work.

[@JantzerStudios]

Thanks

[@KristianPage]

Outstanding! Thank you!

[@tvglut]

This is inspiring! One question - any kind of trolley brake or lock needed? I know things need to be level, and I guess that should prevent things rolling on their own, but I would imagine a trolley lock or brake would be useful. Or is there some way to keep the friction high enough that things don't roll on their own? Or is this a non-issue that I am imagining? 🙂

[@JantzerStudios]

I have had to use a spring clamp to keep things from moving when rigging up my camera but for the most part they stay put. Let us all know if you come up with something better.

[@art_by_adrian2913]

Sir you are absolutely incredible I think my lights are way too heavy for this lol but man your mind to come up with this is amazing

[@JantzerStudios]

Wow that is a big compliment, thanks. I set up like this really probably is best for lightweight home studio type lights. Wish I would have clarified that in the video.

[@callumgillies9611]

If I see a youtuber commits to a good pratfall, I subscribe. Information is also helpful. Bonus.

[@JantzerStudios]

Thanks! I I have another video coming out soon. Glad you found it helpful and a little entertaining 😀.

[@RickNuthman]

What size are the conduit clamps? Are they 3/4" or bigger? You said that are slightly loose.

[@JantzerStudios]

The metal ones are 3/4" conduit clamps. The plastic ones I believe are also 3/4" But there for plastic conduit which has a thicker wall so they fit loose for the slider. Hope that answers your question.

[@RickNuthman]

@@JantzerStudios Thanks for your fast response! I am in the middle of putting all of this stuff together right now. I was referring to the plastic ones, thanks! I will go ahead and order those 3/4" ones. At the moment I am also trying to figure out a clever way to hang a computer monitor as well. I am with you, so sick of cables everywhere.

[@JantzerStudios]

Awesome! If you post any pics of videos I would love to see them. Tag me @JANTZERSTUDIOS on Instagram or FB. Or just DM me with a link. Good luck.

[@RickNuthman]

@@JantzerStudios will do, thanks!

[@RickNuthman]

@@JantzerStudios Hey, out of curiosity, did you do anything to stabilize the rails so that they roll straight? It isn't a big deal, I was just wondering how you have been getting along with it. I just got mine built. Will post pics once I clean up and tweak some things.

[@ramakrishnagudivada2666]

Great idea

[@beckypetersen2680]

Thanks!

[@joaovitormelloquintian8738]

Great, I'm lucky, it works great for me without errors

[@JantzerStudios]

That's awesome! Post some pics on Instagram and tag me @jantzerstudios I would love to see it.

[@mickeyreyes3189]

That was genius, nice work!

[@JantzerStudios]

Thanks 😊 glad you found it useful.

[@1tzelG_]

Mmmm okay but you had to make it smart home rail