Best way to mount camera on a vehicle (limited budget)?

[FilmOwl]

I'm writing an original screenplay where I will need several potentially hazardous shots of characters driving down a street. Is there a safe and economical way for me to achieve that "hoodtop" angle without investing big $$$ in a professional-grade mount?

 

[sfoster]

I've done it with a camera guy in a truck bed driving in front of the other car

 

[Chris Tempel]

GoPro

 

[SkyCopeland]

ratchet strap.

Take a mount plate, for the mounting screw, make a hole in the ratchet strap, put the screw through the ratchet strap and into the mount plate.

Then you can put the camera onto the plate, and tighten the shit out of it onto the hood.

 

[Morris]

Camera suction mounts and maybe straps for extra security.

 

[FilmOwl]

Thanks for the input & suggestions. I may use both the plate/ratchet technique and the truck bed technique in the end. We'll see how it works out for the environment I'm filming in.

 

[HU_Nathan7]

Hopefully you're using a fairly light camera! If you'll be doing anything too DIY

 

[FilmOwl]

I'm using the Nikon D5300, so that's a very compact and portable camera. I'm equipped with a Takstar interview mic as well. Got a tripod, filter set, 70-300 SLR AND 18-55mm lens... Pretty much the whole works (Except for a good dolly system. I'm working on that).

 

[SkyCopeland]

ratchet strap.

Hopefully you're using a fairly light camera! If you'll be doing anything too DIY

Yes... my ratchet strap suggestion is extremely DIY and risky. However... I feel you get what you pay for in this kind of situation.

If you want to pay little (I assume he owns a mounting plate and ratchets are cheap), you're taking an obvious risk. I wouldn't assume someone would put a RED on this rig, but I would assume someone with a rig, would rent/buy a sure-fire car rig.

(Btw, I don't see the need for the actual expensive car rigs, I've rigged to cars using grip gear. Don't buy car rigs )

Light camera will be fine If you have a shell body (or whatever they are called) I'd put that on the camera as well just in case.

Thanks for the input & suggestions. I may use both the plate/ratchet technique and the truck bed technique in the end. We'll see how it works out for the environment I'm filming in.

The truck bed is a really cool technique, although coordinating drivers safely isn't a risk I'd take in anything but driving down a road casually. Especially when shooting a video, the drivers might be nervous already. (Worry more for them & their cars than the camera.)