Need to video from OVERHEAD...i.e. a Piano.

[Gromit137]

I need to take video from overhead...from directly above a piano...down onto the keys...to create visual aids for learning. Can't seem to find out what I need... a boom with a rotating camera mount??? Is there something reasonable out there?? Or only pro movie maker thingys for thousands of dollars??

I mounted my camcorder on a microphone boom and put in behind the piano ...but the image was 'upside down'.

HELP!!!

Thanks.

[Cornucopia]

If you can mount a camera on a mike boom anyway, why didn't you just place the boom stand behind the pianist and crane it over and in front of their head?

Of course, you can just as easily leave the camera placement as-is and just "FLIP" the image in the computer. AVISynth, Virtualdub and thousands others of NLEs and Encoders can do a flip.

But, yes there are more "appropriate" Professional camera jibs and cranes for doing what you're thinking, or you could also mount with a bracket onto a ceiling beam and just zoom in.

...Lots of options...

Scott

[mikel]

How about using a mirror?
It shouldn't be too hard to find one as wide as a keyboard.
It would make it a lot easier to do zooms and closeups.

[zoobie]

yep...they use smoke and mirrors just like cooking shows
fog machine is optional

[Cornucopia]

MAKE SURE IT'S A FRONT-SURFACE MIRROR.
(You don't want ddoouubbllee imagesimages)

Scott

[zoobie]

...and make sure it's a quality (thick) mirror.
cheapos (thin) distort the reflected image.