Video recording help

[Marcus Telcontar]

I need some help recording video

I want to take some footage from two cameras - one mounted under the front bumper and one in car. Except I have no real idea what to use. I was thinking of a small recording unit, switch box and two smallish cams of resonable quality. Has to run off batteries or 12V.

The interior cam has to be able to maintain a steady image, despite the heat and vibration. The outside cam probably wont survive what it's got coming, but it should be able to last about 20 minutes and cope with a few rock strikes before it's inevitable destruction.

The other part we'll need is some help editing footage and putting together into two packages - one long "storytelling" type video and a highlights 3 min vid. Both packages will be released to the Internet and credit given.

Any help or suggestions would be most appreciated. No prizes for what we're recording.

[Syren Wyssholt]

Just a small suggestion ... I don't know if they have this where you're at Marcus (though I don't see why they wouldn't) but NASCAR (among other racing leagues) installs small cameras into some of the drivers cars. Maybe you could search local racing supply stores in your neck of the woods to see they might have something you could use? Or, maybe they could suggest places for you to check out.

[Shawn]

I've never done anything like this, but I think you may be best off making something at home. I'm thinking you should create a casing for the camera out of sheet metal with a piece of heavy gauge plexiglass in front.

[Mu Satach]

For the interior I'd just go with an off the shelf hand held cam corder, with an auto stabitlity turned on, set the focus and what not, hit record and go. It's battery operated, could mount it pretty fast, everything in one neet package. even easy to rig up some sort of case so it could survive a crash if needed.

If your intended distribution is the web you don't have to worry too much about quality of the video, something consumer grade from a local shop would be small enough and cheap enough to get what you need without much trouble.

Exterior front bumper... hmmm... I'll have to think about that a bit. I'll ask around the film dept. here and see what creative ideas we can scheme up that wouldn't be a hassle or break the bank.

Editing wise, I like Final Cut Pro and used for some things I did over the summer. I've tried a few other editors out there but Final Cut Pro is just fast and easy to do a ton of fun things with...

[Aiden Xaar]

Cheap, with a big-<smallfont color=#8BDEFE>-Read the FAQ!!-</smallfont> protective cover on it. As its been said, quality isn't of paramount importance, and its gonna get smashed anyway...pay as little for it as you possibly can.

Or, you could train a small monkey to sit there with a handheld, and then climb out of the way when it needed to...that would involve some modifications to the chassis to make a little safety cave for it of course, and a very small hard hat...

[Morgan Evanar]

Please be making more clever things instead of not clever words.

Thankoooo.

[Jared Mriad]

If size is a problem, you could check those 'Spy Cameras' that are floating about the 'Net; wouldn't have to build much of a protective casing around one of those gagets...

However, I hear some cost a bundle. :\

[Marcus Telcontar]

Originally posted by Aiden Xaar

Or, you could train a small monkey to sit there with a handheld, and then climb out of the way when it needed to...that would involve some modifications to the chassis to make a little safety cave for it of course, and a very small hard hat...

Go. Away.


Just a small suggestion ... I don't know if they have this where you're at Marcus (though I don't see why they wouldn't) but NASCAR (among other racing leagues) installs small cameras into some of the drivers cars. Maybe you could search local racing supply stores in your neck of the woods to see they might have something you could use? Or, maybe they could suggest places for you to check out.

Race cam was in fact invented by Channel 7 in Australia, specifically for the Mt Panorama 1000. There are kits availible, but we are talking more than the value of the car. While the lits are good, I'm still recovering from a few financial hits and my brother's wedding - cheap is the key here unfortunantly.


For the interior I'd just go with an off the shelf hand held cam corder, with an auto stabitlity turned on, set the focus and what not, hit record and go. It's battery operated, could mount it pretty fast, everything in one neet package. even easy to rig up some sort of case so it could survive a crash if needed.

We've had a think about that. Say weldng a mount on the roll cage. The biggest problem is vibration and dust. Two things most cams dont cope with well. we could seal the cam up with tape, but the vibration is still going to cause problems.


Exterior front bumper... hmmm... I'll have to think about that a bit. I'll ask around the film dept. here and see what creative ideas we can scheme up that wouldn't be a hassle or break the bank.

My initial thought was a security cam, or even a web cam / X10 (!). a lipstick cam would be neat, but I dont think they are cheap enough. The front cam we have to factor in it's most likely goign to be destroyed.


If size is a problem, you could check those 'Spy Cameras' that are floating about the 'Net; wouldn't have to build much of a protective casing around one of those gagets...

That could be an idea.

[Zachariah Darmok]

Advice given :)