I just reached completion on a camera boom i have been slaving over the last few weeks, before this I had made a simple camera dolly and a heavy duty tripod from hardwood & aluminium which turned out fabulously (if I do say so
Now what I am wondering is, has anyone else here ever built (or attempted to build) their own support equipment such as dollies, cranes, stabilizers etc and if so, what kind of results you have had, success or failures...
It would also be interesting to hear what kind of inventive means you have used to achieve a desired shot (for instance: precariously balancing a see-saw on a go cart for that glorious tracking crane shot).
If you have never attempted this kind of thing before, with a few tools and a bit of ingenuity I recommend having a go at it. Most of the materials can be picked up quite cheaply (or for free if you ask the right people) and the construction, while time consuming I have found not overly difficult for most pieces.
At the end of it all, you will (all going to plan) have created something that will help add a professional touch to your productions and you can be proud of because you built it yourself.