- If you make videos with any sort of regularity,
at one time or another,
you've probably wanted to film a top-down shot.
But, if you've ever actually tried to film
a top-down shot, you probably know that
it's actually pretty frustrating, to get right.
Last year, I found a really cool piece of equipment
that I've been using for my overhead shots,
but before we get to that, let's start out with something
that most of us already have, a tripod.
The simplest way to film an overhead angle with the tripod
is to just put the tripod over your subject
and tilt the camera down.
The tricky part, however,
is to not get the tripod's legs in the shot,
while still being able to achieve
the framing that you're going for.
Depending on the size of your tripod
and your filming surface,
you might be able to just place the tripod
directly on the surface itself.
So, with many more basic tripods,
you can usually get a good result,
it just sometimes takes a lot more effort to get there.
And more advanced tripods,
like this Manfrotto one that I've had for years,
actually have the option to extend and reposition
the center column horizontally,
specifically, for an overhead shot.
It's worth noting that doing this
actually makes the tripod much easier to tip over,
since all of the weight is at the front,
so, it's a good idea to add some weight
to the back of the tripod,
or, at least, position both of the tripod's legs
up against your filming surface,
so that it will prevent it from tipping forward,
and breaking all your really expensive stuff.
It's actually also usually easiest to position the tripod
on the opposite side of the table from you,
which just means that you're gonna have to flip
the footage in your editing software,
since you'll be filming upside-down.
And, depending on your specific set-up,
you might actually be able to position
two of the tripod's legs on your table, directly,
with the third leg on the floor, for additional support.
This is pretty ideal, because it makes it easier
to position the camera exactly where you want it,
and get the framing exactly how you want it to be.
If you're like me, and you film a lot of overhead shots,
I think it's actually worth investing a bit of money
in a piece of gear specifically designed
to get the job done.
Last year, I found this Glide Gear Overhead rig,
on B&H photo, for $200.
Now, this is in no way a sponsored video.
I just found this piece of equipment.
I've been using it, I really like it,
and I haven't really seen a lot of people talking about it.
So, I just wanted to share it,
because it's such a really cool, useful, tool.
This overhead rig lets you mount your camera
directly above what you're filming,
and gets all the other mess out of the way.
It's super-sturdy.
The entire thing is made with metal construction,
and the base has holes in it,
which allow you to permanently attach it,
directly, to your filming surface.
But, I found that it's pretty sturdy on its own,
and I like the freedom to move it
to a different location, if I need to.
So, mine actually just hangs out in the corner,
when I'm not using it.
And, then I just move it in when I need it.
Now, for this video, I've been using my Sony RX100,
as a prop camera, to just show how the rig works.
But, I usually use my Canon 6D Mark II,
when filming at this stand.
And, it's never had any issues supporting the weight
of a full-sized DSLR and lens.
In fact, sometimes I actually film
with the camera's battery grip attached,
which makes it way bigger, and way heavier,
and still haven't had any issues
with the rig being able to support the camera.
Now, of course, you could attach a ball head,
or some other kind of mount,
to make the rig even more versatile,
in how it lets you position your camera,
but I'm just using these super-simple 1/4 20 mounts,
that came with the stand, when I bought it.
And, aside from the fact that it works like a dream,
the biggest benefit to this rig, specifically,
is its insane versatility.
There are 1/4 20 mounts everywhere on this thing,
on both of the side supports,
and all across the main top piece.
So, these give you a ton of options to mount,
not only your camera, but also lights,
monitors, audio, and more.
Basically, it makes it really easy to set up
and get exactly the style you're going for,
when filming a top-down overhead shot.
So, all-in-all, if you only film
top-down angles once in a while,
then chances are the tripod that you probably already have,
is good enough to get the job done.
But, if you incorporate a lot of overhead shots
into your work, then I think
it's definitely worth investing a little bit of money,
to get a dedicated piece of equipment,
like this Glide Gear Overhead rig.
I'm telling you about this stand, specifically,
because I've had such a good experience with it,
but also because I haven't really seen
anything else quite like this.
It seems to be a pretty unique, one-of-a-kind, product.
And, even though it costs $200,
which is a decent chunk of money,
I think that if you film a lot of these shots,
the time and the headaches that it will save you,
are more than worth the price that you're paying to get it.
So, again, I hope this is helpful.
I see a lot of people using overhead rigs in their videos,
and I'm always super curious
about how they set up those shots,
because I know how challenging they can be.
So, for me, this is the sturdiest,
the most hassle-free, easy, way to get a nice overhead shot.
But if you have any specific methods, or techniques,
or tools that you use, I would definitely love
to hear about 'em in the comments down below.
(cheerful calliope music)