Van Neistat's Overhead Camera Rig
Published June 16, 2025 · 2:21 · 18,355 views
About This Video
Van's overhead camera rig: 2x2s, angle brackets, a 1/4-inch hole tapped into metal and wood, a channel cut from a handicapped-parking sign with a jigsaw. VHB tape for stiffness, clamped on, months of use, no give. The overhead shot traces back through Wes Anderson's Royal Tenenbaums to Agnes Varda's Cleo from 5 to 7. Van uses it for everything because next to the face, the hands are the most interesting thing humans do. Cheaper to buy store-bought. Probably better. But the satisfaction.
Transcript
So, this is the overhead shooting rig. It's 2 by twos and then angle brackets to make it all stiff. And I did something a little advanced in one of my
angle brackets. I drilled out like a/4 in hole. Um, enough to tap 1/4 in
threads into the angle bracket. And I tapped the wood cuz why not? And so I keep this is the screw for the camera.
This is from a sign. This is from a somebody gave me as a haha van accessible sign. So, it's like 332 or a
16th inch gauge uh aluminum that I took a jigsaw and just cut the channel for
this to slide. And then for stiffness, I used VHB. And I didn't have two of the same size um mending plates. I would
have done two like this, but I was in a rush. I cleaned the metal really really well with acetone and then VHBD and
clamped these guys on. And I've been using it for months and it's stiff enough and the VHB doesn't doesn't give
way. And then these screws are for safety because I was carrying it once with a heavy camera and
it like nearly cut my finger not off but nearly nicked my my pinky finger. I keep it there so I don't lose it. And then
this is a specialty item. you won't find it, but 1/4in thread. There's a T-nut in the back of here with the teeth in it that digs in. Okay, so this goes up and
down depending on how wide of a shot I want. And so yeah, the overhead shot, Wes Anderson used it uh in the opening,
one of the opening shots of the Royal Tenon Bombs when the book goes in and it gets stamped and uh but I think before that it came from Agnes Varda in Cleo
from 5 to 7. But I use it for everything because next to the face, I think the hands and what hands do is like the most interesting thing that humans do. Okay.
Cheaper to buy buy them store-bought, easier to buy them store-bought, probably better. They'll probably last longer, but
I don't know the satisfaction. They won't look as nice. They won't be the perfect, you know, size for your setup. And that's why that's why I do it. That's why I build them. [Music]
Products & Tools Mentioned
- VHB tape recommends
People Referenced
Wes Anderson, Agnes Varda