Frugal Camera Crane / Jib 2.0

Here are some improvements over my original camera crane / jib video from a couple of years ago.
Stuff I use: www.amazon.com/shop/thefrugal...
Original "Camera / Jib for $30"
• How to Make a Camera C...
Pegasus 7" Portable TV
rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-532...
Garage Door Pulley w/bearing
tinyurl.com/88f74yv
Tie Angle / Joist
tinyurl.com/6raunll
Vinyl coated clothesline
tinyurl.com/6o5p5ct
Blog: www.thefrugalfilmmaker.com
Facebook Group: / thefrugalfilmmaker
Twitter Feed: / frugalfilmmaker

[@Tricknologyinc]

Re: Stabilizing Tilt... Forget pulley ratios and friction! One to One rotation gives perfect reference to camera angle and you can add a protractor and stops to calibrate shot points. LOSE one sided PVC CRANK! Install long metal pipe centered on pulley's center. Length and mass along with ability to adjust grip to the center of rotation will give all the leverage you want or don't on the fly! This is a brilliant design! You killed a ton of over priced professional jib sales. I love you!

[@AboveAndBeyondProduc]

Ok, so I'm in Home Depot today getting pvc for my frugal filmmaker light stand and I see a young guy with items for a frugal filmmaker jib, great joB frugal filmmaker! I think your DIY's are the best! Thank you for sharing you knowledge and clear instructions.

[@wesleycurryii3341]

I am now a subscriber to this person. Excellent teacher, good videos, easy to understand teaching, and extremely expensive camera equipment price gougers are a thing of the past.

[@francisbailey3831]

Many thanks for this DIY project that you have shared with us. I am now inspired to build/construct my own crane camera/jib. What I like is the modifications you have made to the camera crane. All I have to do now is to obtain the parts required for the project and get to work.

[@francisbailey3831]

Camera Crane/Jib is my next video project.

[@StudioBonn]

Hello from Bonn, Germany. Your Video was the first that I've seen 5 month before, and it inspired me to build an own crane. Now I'm ready and I have introduced it on youtube now for other enthusiasts in building own things. I have to thank you, it was a great time for me to create the crane and to get a positive result for myself.

[@marsmediapro]

OK... I have watched both of your jib/crane videos multiple times, and finally many years later, I am ready to finally make a similar version, though it will cost considerably more than $50... I plan to make a video showing how it's assembled, and will link your video as my inspiration! Thanks for sharing!

[@enigma1331e]

I Found that the "L" brackets from your "cage" tutorial work well for this bracket. Its already painted and the shape you needed. Also has the non skip mat where the camera mounts. So no need for cutting any metal for me! Also used skateboard wheel bearing instead of just the nuts for spacers for the pulleys. Thanks.for your great DIYs

[@pierdolio]

I've copied your techniques pretty much to the letter so far. I finally made the pulleys from 1/4"Masonite and mounted the arm bearing the camera with its pivot located at the center of the pulley rather than the outside edge. This eliminated the touchiness of the camera movement. Thank you for all the great ideas. It's not making me a great filmmaker but it is providing me with ideas to tinker with.

[@jamesjason8471]

i watch your videos to the end to see what new cut scenes you have posted and i love them!!!

[@Domin117]

I've assembled the arm with pulley system already since the end of last year, but never got around to finishing the head mount. thanks for updating, i would've been SOL with my DSLR!

[@cratedigger89]

Excellent improvements, sir!

[@lindamuvic8110]

Love this design, it seems to be the easiest of the cranes that I reviewed. I will try the larger diameter wheel on the upper part of the jib as you recommended in your suggested improvements. Thanks again second project of yours I'm doing this week.

[@101AOK]

Great presentation of a gear project. No wasted blab. Good views of the materials. Thanks.

[@schweinhund227]

Great and simple improvements... Awesome ! Keep up the good work !

[@RambotEs]

Incredible invention, as everything you do. You are an inspiration for people with a small budget. I made the stabilizer and I try to do the "frugal crane 2.0". Thanks for the inspiration.

[@ObscuraFilms]

Thanks for the great plan! I made mine today. It seems to me that if the tilt handle is longer it will lengthen the arc of travel and so reduce the sensitivity issue without trying to fit a larger drive pulley.

[@FrancoAversa]

Great ! I built - the camera table dolly for 18 euro came very well, I use it with my reflex. I hope to build even this camera crane, your projects are very beautiful and also simple to build enough for me that I have no manual dexterity !

[@aumicomfa3]

I would like to thank you for posting this video. It was a great help I've finished building my crane it works perfectly. I shoot with the A Canon 7D and a Nikon D 7000 And the weight of those cameras were no problem

[@mohalidinsuga9492]

The nice thing about this tutorial is, I will never junk my old mini dv tape camcorder, I will use it as a monitor. Thank you so mcuh for this amazing idea you've shared. I will make one.

[@frugalfilmmaker]

+Mohalidin Suga Good luck!

[@rankinstudio]

This is some great stuff man, going to build this soon.

[@JeramieCurtice]

just built one with a few changes. I used an aluminum pool pole and clamped it on a dedicated tripod with c mounts used for conduit. this allows for me to slide the handle back for instant weight balancing adjustments. it's so much lighter than the chain link fence pole as well. the second pulley was installed right into my tripod very easily once I took the swivel adjustment knob off and simply bolted in my pulley with no drilling for that. although I have to practice more, the jib works great.

[@Mulletmanalive]

If you check the original designs in frugalcrane 1.0, you'll find that it's made from two nested parts, so it's reasonably easy to transport in most vehicles [I know from experience you can fit 6'3" of pipe into a mini]. The point of this is that something is better than nothing, rather than anyone actually expecting it to serve in place of pro-gear.

[@torqdoff]

Nice upgrade. I made a smaller version that I can break down to fit in a backpack so I can take it on my motorcycle during motovlogs. Will do a vid on it when the weather breaks. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@SoccerReels]

This is the best jib DiY I've seen. Your attendtion to detail and practical parts makes this a great solution. I wonder if version 3 willl incorporate another garage bearing into the mount for the jib's up/down motion. Thank you for your excellent video.

[@pacificrigger]

I'm just getting into filming and these are really helpful. Thanks

[@thecultofyar6702]

WOW! this is so much better! Wish i could find these materials easily here in Philippines.

[@brett-westgrove-country-music]

Fantastic build/update!! I know this is old but, to fix the "touchy" problem you could first try shrinking the lever handle down. For example, if you cut the length of the handle from the end (or where ever you hold it) to the centerline of the bearing you'll cut the torque being applied in half! (Y)

[@jagr298]

Amazing. I can't believe you can make this thing for such little money. Thank you for sharing your videos.

[@JohnathanAulabaugh]

This is a really slick idea

[@CharlesHenrySanson]

Great upgrade video.

[@TheaterGeek2007]

I recently finished my frugal crane 2.0, and am very happy with it despite my less than ideal tri-pod. I also added a permanent platform for A monitor. I plan on getting a better tri-pod soon, and then it'll be perfect.

[@TheTSFChannel]

I don't think he had any equipment we didn't see in the footage. The jib was max elevated, top of the jib oriented away from the tree, but the camera was mounted to look at the tree, essentially, backwards. When he rotated the jib clockwise, it looked like a pan because the camera was rotating on almost the same axis as the tripod head below. In effect, he rotated the cam into the tree as the jib arm pivoted. It closed the distance between the cam & tree while turning the view to the right.

[@jcorpus209]

i love it when you put in one of your bad takes in the end.. it's funny. LOVE IT SCOTT!!!

[@GenesisMoss]

Love it! This is going to be my next DIY!

[@frugalfilmmaker]

It's a Raynox 6600, a great wide angle lens with little distortion.

[@sgtstudio2588]

@thefrugalfilmmaker I added a foam disc to the bolts between the pulley and the boom to create the desired friction to make the tilt handle and pulleys less touchy. The effect is amazing. It also allows you to mount a front or rear heavy camera and not have to hold it to keep it from flopping forwards or backwards. Also, I have added a clamp and wing-bolt to the lower pulley to enable an angle lockdown. If you want I can post a video or pictures...

[@jimwatson5690]

Dude, this kicks ass!

[@sethyjp]

Very nice!!! I have been looking for a pulley just like this one. By the way the 3 RCA cables are not all necessary, all you need is the yellow one, the other ones are for sound, so I guess you could take them out, making life easier.

[@frugalfilmmaker]

Adding a larger pulley to the front would do this. I'm looking for one myself, that should appear in a future upgrade episode.

[@Aviation101]

this is IDENTICAL the the Jib i built after you're original design :) YAAAY ENGINEERING!

[@frugalfilmmaker]

I haven't as of yet, been pretty busy (family, school, projects), but you could try to add some kind of friction that would slow things down. That bearing is nice, but very touchy.

[@SupakitSaksaringkan]

Thanks for the idea and implementation flaws. Get updates crane. They are given to test it out. Thank you again.

[@frugalfilmmaker]

Yes. I've tested it with a Canon 60D.

[@frugalfilmmaker]

Worked on it today, actually. If my super-simple gimbal idea works out, it could be ready this month. I'm guessing it won't, however, which will set me back a month or two.

[@leoncillus]

Oh, you're a king, thanks for the input. The take advantage because the video and photography are my passion. (Excuse my bad English)

[@ashuntboy]

You sir, are a GENIUS!!!!

[@frugalfilmmaker]

Yes you can!

[@vinvin1715]

another EXCELLENT video. Now i just have to get around to making the damn thing

[@yancy92]

Thanks again man! Going to 'the Depot' to get my materials for my dslr jib! I'll let you know how it goes!

[@DanielRize]

Hey Frug, Nice jib design and, as always, excellent, helpful video. To deal with the “over-sensitivity” issue that you mentioned, you might want to consider any a several ways to induce some adjustable drag/friction on either of your garage pulleys. One way would be to drill holes through you main beam/fence pole, and insert a nylon bolt through the holes, so that is could be adjusted to rub on the inside of your pulley. Probably the best way to do that would be to use a thread tap, to thread the holes in the beam so that they would engage the nylon bolt, making it adjustable. But you would have to buy the tap, if you don’t have one. So that may violate your standards on either cost or simplicity. But there are probably at least 5 other ways to induce drag on those pulleys to slow them down/stiffen them up/control them. Another may be just wrapping some foam on the fence pole, between the pole and the pulley, to create some soft friction. Anyway - - - Thanks for an very nice design. I am probably going to try it. Dan L.

[@frugalfilmmaker]

Thanks for the tips, Dan! I've been working on a redesign for awhile and your ideas are solid. I'll see what I can do to implement them.

[@narutokiller9]

Just bought my 600D, and I'm ready to make this sucker in a few days. Wish me luck.

[@muleskinnerpro]

You could use a top pulley with no center bearing and mount it on your bolt shaft with washers an coil springs to adjust the tension. This will create the friction you need to reduce the 'touchy' problem. You could also put a swivel handle on the bottom pulley so it is operated like a fishing pole and smooth to rotate.

[@StevenSchellinger]

Good question. You bring down audio because if you do have sound in any crane shots you want then you can sync up the clap noise you make at the beginning of your take, so that the words or noises from both audio clips match the video when editing. Then you can delete the audio recorded on crane if its no good. But sometimes even audio from your camera is good. I used audio from my 60D when I threw up in a film and the sound was raw. I layered it slightly off my other audio and it worked well.

[@puttputtbutt17]

that was awesome. maybe a spring between the turn buckle and the clothesline would lessen sensitivity. like a shock absorber. love the stepdown pully idea though.

[@TheThesalesandbuyers]

Dude! I really enjoy your videos. Thank you.

[@SARA00151]

Excellent HeLP thanks for the BIG CLUE

[@puiselo]

I love my HFS100! it is a couple of years old now, but the video quality is still amazing compared to the new cameras

[@frugalfilmmaker]

I don't, I just shoot wide. If you need to, you'll need some kind of remote control for your camera so one person can operate the arms, while the other pulls focus.

[@sundaysoulfood]

Will be making this tomorrow!!

[@khristianmabilog6673]

he's pretty amazing!!! Genius!!!

[@chocomo2185]

Rather than cutting the truss bracket off, drill the hole big enough to go entirely over the axle bolt of the wheel (about 5/8"). Then use a smaller hole above, and a smaller hole below, the axle to anchor the bracket. Stronger connection this way, and more importantly, puts the center of the Camera closer to "on-line" with the wheel axle which makes a much better balanced load for the wheel/winch to manage. (Shorter "arm" if you are familiar with weight & balance jargon).

[@hiawatha100]

@thefrugalfilmmaker very nicely done. If I owuldnt have bought an 8ft advanced digital for 200.00, But I may still have to make this for the thrill.

[@cottonburnstv]

built this one its woks fairly well... thinking of adding a hole at the top rail coupler on a 90deg. and drilling another hole on the handle and adding a bolt with smaller pvc for a 360 effect.....thanks for the build.. will send video soon... also painted it all flat black to have a more professional look if a client ever comes into play...

[@BuildITWithBrian]

I like the design. I agree a larger pulley up top would help. Also how about adding a 5# barbell weight to the pulley with the arm on it to act as a flywheel to help smooth out the rotation. It would also act as a smooth start stop helper when tilting. Nice job overall!

[@frugalfilmmaker]

Sure, let's see it!

[@RaymondHamby]

awesome video, this is a much better version now i can make one for my dslr camera. thanks scott

[@marcelo.vargas]

wow the previous one was awesome, now its just epic

[@fadetounforgiven]

I might be wrong, but I think it's quite easy. Look at 10:14 where the camera is pointing "backwards" towards the crane. Now, instead of exactly that, point the camera horizontally instead of looking downwards, and change the movement from counter-clockwise to clockwise, about 180º or a bit less. I think that's it, and it shows how easy ideas can get good results.

[@frugalfilmmaker]

You're welcome!

[@frugalfilmmaker]

Good luck! :)

[@zeromkifle]

Hay, I just finished building my own DIY crane, incorporating your Idea of the garage door opener system. I did put a ref and credit to your channel too. I hope you okay about that. your channel ref is located at 18:23 of my "How to Make a Homemade Camera Crane - DIY Part-2" video. Thanks for all you do. Love your work.

[@RSpudieD]

Cool. Think ought have to make one

[@cinemaniatv]

Coolie! Now make an aditional episode and demonstrate it in action. Those few shots from this video were aweinspiring! Could you concoct a primitive gear system of some sorts so you avoid use of bigger wheel under the lever for 3.0? That would give you aditional control and gear variation for a smoother control. Great episode!

[@frugalfilmmaker]

Excellent tip! Do those pulleys have bearings?

[@PCOldskool]

In addition to adding friction, try using a larger pulley up front, and a small pulley in the rear. A reduced ratio will allow smoother adjustments, but you may need to add a revolving handle to your adjuster arm, much like a bicycle pedal.

[@kmillard81]

this is excellent. thank you for sharing

[@funnydean265]

your so amazing because u respond to your coments and u make it cheap fun and easy for my friends to make movies thank you so much this is one of the best diy channles out the your as good as or better than indy mogle used to be(because its over)and film riot dont stop makeing videos

[@blondegaijin]

GREAT MOTION!!!! This thang (that's ethnic) is getting better and better..!! Peace out..! (this makes me more hip-hop-esque)

[@NINJAWHITETIGER]

I was watching this video and it was getting closer to the end and i was hoping you would mention the wire cable and you did. I screamed like a little schoolgirl because of this. LoL

[@TheTSFChannel]

of course it is. I figured it out. the jib must have been almost vertical as it rotated, because there's barely any lateral arch

[@Humshkin]

Thanks again for ur vid Scott, I've now built my own too :)

[@ANigerianPrince]

Oh sweet... how did I miss this video!?

[@Bend2BreakFilms]

That's what I did. I used aircraft cable, 1/16 in. It works great!

[@BryceMousseau]

I KNEW IT, i'm currently using the HFM500, its amazing

[@sickJLSrecords]

The only issue I could see with having one pulley bigger than the other, is the rig would tilt on it's own as you move the crane up and down. You would have to compensate to keep it level. But you could do two large pulleys, equal size, for the main cable. And then somehow rig a smaller pulley to the large back pulley as a means for slower tilting, but the large wheel could also be used for more rapid tilting and keeping the camera platform level as you boom up and down.

[@Cosme422]

Yes it does look shaky on the tilt. Add a side bar to lock the rear pulley so you can go up and down and it stays level. You cannot change the size of the pulley to make a different ratio because then your going up won't stay level.

[@Andy001z]

Really good clear vid, really want to have a go at one of these DIY projects. +1 Subscribed.

[@CamillaKS]

Oh ok, Thank you for your answer

[@JeramieCurtice]

one other change I will make in mine is an optional free hanging steady can mount to keep my shots more level from heavy swings. it will only provide level shots, but that's why it will connect optionally. check out my last video for my first try with the jib. see half way through the rett syndrome story video.

[@AshsArtwork]

Version 2.1 - Spray paint it all black for that professional appearance.

[@frugalfilmmaker]

Nice!

[@Sprenklefish]

I built your crane and you're right about that back pulley! Have you found a resource for a larger pulley? I have not. I used an extra stage light stand that I have for my base and the crane is bolted the top pole. Works great!

[@frugalfilmmaker]

I agree, I just hate dangling cables.

[@TitvsCaivs]

You could easily attach a weight to the lower pully's arm, so it's always pointed down, so, you would get a continuous leveling stabilisation for the camera. I mean you could do an up/down/up shot whitout having the problem of manually trying to hold the camera at a given angle.

[@frugalfilmmaker]

The monitor is plugged into an extension cord. The internal battery died pretty fast. I have to get an aftermarket battery if I want to power it remotely.

[@Doitology]

Awesome! Thanks for the video! I've spent a lot of time trying to make a Jib out of two 2x4's. Way too heavy. This should work better! Although I want it longer, so I might need to make a support cable above the boom.

[@stevar4505]

Just so you know from an engineering standpoint the "depth" of the structural element is the most important. Round and square tubing will never be as strong in bending as oval or rectangular (with the same surface and wall thickness dimensions). However, round is probably cheaper. For instance by equation a 2x3 is 5x stronger than a 2x2 in bending (which is the most critical for a jib design). A possible alternative would be to screw 2 pieces of 3-5/8" metal stud framing track together.

[@YouNes-pc7ns]

super,thank you very much again

[@frugalfilmmaker]

If you can drill a horizontal hole near the top, you should be able to mount it there. I think.

[@frugalfilmmaker]

It does, but it quickly died. I have to plug it into the wall, or get an external battery (which I plan to).