How to DIY an Overhead Video Shoot with your phone - Inexpensive Hack
Make professional looking videos with overhead shoots with this easy DIY hack. Many tripod mounds also take up space and can get in the way. With this overhead set up nothing sits on your workspace. Instead it is suspended from above and can be moved up or down as needed.
For this project you will need the following items:
A hanging Drying Rack - I purchased mine from Daiso, but you can also find a similar one via Amazon
1 hook
1 outdoor clothesline with clips - I purchased mine from Daiso, but you can find a similar one via Amazon
Pliers
String
Glue
3 Wooden Coffee Stirrers ( you can cut cardboard to size as well)
Directions
- Optional step - if you want the nicer part to show when looking up you can carefully remove the chains, turn the frame upside down and reattach the hook. I show how this is done in the video.
- Place your phone in the center and see how well it sits in the opening and glue the wood sticks over the opening away from the camera view finder for additional support.
- Now attach the hook of the outdoor clothesline (bunji chord) to the hook that you will screw into the ceiling.
- Hold both in place to eye about where to hang the clothes rack so that it is centered with your work space
- Once the hook is attached use the movable knobs and divide them so that you can center the hook of the large hanging rack.
- Adjust the length based on your needs and fold the Bunji cord back up
- Use pliers to close the hook more so that it will stay on
- Use string or elastic band to thread one end through one of the empty holes and the other through one of the clothes pins to stabilize the hanging rack
I have an iPhone 12 Pro Max and my phone fits perfectly in the center opening. I also tried it with a smaller phone and although the opening is too large adding the coffee stirrers will stabilize the phone. Since the entire set up hangs from the ceiling it tends to sit a bit off center. To remedy this, adding the string or thin elastic band and attaching it to the clothes pin is a good way to keep the phone in place.
What I like about this DIY project is that it is super cheap and very versatile. I can move the phone up or down as much as needed. When not in use it is easy to store and out of the way. I can even move my phone manually if I want to quickly show another angle. The only drawback is that when you move it it will wiggle a bit until you gently coax it to hold still.
I tend to edit my videos so I usually cut away the wiggly parts at the very beginning. Let me know if this set up works for you and if you even have a better idea how to stabilize it further.
