Thursday, July 09, 2009

Maximum Exposure: Rigging a Motorcycle with FilmTools



Whether its a track day, an off-road ride or a cross country trip, motorcyclists seem to want to record their latest adventures. Mounting a camera to a vehicle provides the most versatility, and to learn more about how to do it, we spoke to Cinematographer, Stan McClain.

Stan has been a director of photography and he's worked on over 50 motion pictures, mostly in aerial units. He was the aerial camera operator for one of my favorite TV shows, Magnum PI. Let's put it this way, Stan knows how to handle a camera, and rig just about any vehicle imaginable.

Stan has built a whole business around supplying trick bits to the Hollywood film industry, drawing from his unique work experience. We met Stan at FilmTools in May, where he tuaght us how to rig a motorcycle and setup creative camera angles. And we captured the whole experience on tape. The reulting video contains simple, clearly explained instructions for how to rig, where to get the tools, and how the new HD mini cameras are opening up new possibilities.