DIY Overhead Tripod Tutorial
When I first started recording my process, it was really difficult to get that perfect overhead shot. My previous overhead video “setup” involved placing two tripod legs on top of several orange Home Depot buckets and delicately leaning the tripod against the work table to get that overhead shot. Let’s just say this was about as stable as standing on a ladder in a bucket of Jell-O and was a resin-y mess waiting to happen. So when I decided it was time to upgrade, I knew I wanted something that:
Wouldn’t break the bank
Could support the weight of my DSLR
Wouldn’t show the tripod legs in the shot
Could center perfectly over my workspace without any wonky angles
After googling unsuccessfully for a new affordable tripod, I decided perhaps building a DIY tripod for that perfect birds-eye-view would be the way to go. And lo and behold, it had already been done! Dana Fox from Wonder Forest has a lovely tutorial on her YouTube channel describing how to build your own DIY tripod.
I followed her instructions step-by-step and within two days, my new overhead tripod was complete! The total cost came in right around $50 and it completely meets all of my requirements. Here are the supplies you’ll need and her video tutorial is below!
Needed Supplies:
Pipe Clamp for Camera from Amazon
2 pieces of scrap wood (2x4)
2 x 1/2″ by 24″ pipes
1 x 1/2″ by 36″ pipe (you can use a shorter one for smaller tables)
2 x 1/2″ floor flanges
8 x 1″ screws
Drill or screwdriver
If you’re just looking for an easy way to do overhead filming with your phone and not a DSLR, I recommend this gooseneck mount. And maybe one day we’ll all have that magical studio where our remote controlled camera is mounted from the ceiling…but until then, this will work just fine!
If you make this, let me know how it goes!