We've gotten requests on how to do "First-Person" shots, and specifically how to build your own Helmet-Cam, so this week I decided to tackle it. The Helmet-Cam is similar to the Snorri-Cam, in that it is a camera support that is built to be attached to your actor.

A support like this would, like I said before, be useful for any kind of "First-Person" shots, like point of view shots, or a shaky shot following your actors point of view while they are running.

I started out with a hardhat that I obtained at the local hardware store for dollars, you could easily substitute a bike helmet, for this build, but I found the hardhat to be my cheapest solution.

Next I got a piece of wood, 2 inches wide, and cut a 6 1/2 inch long segment out. I measured it according to the size of my little miniDV cam, leaving some ley-way on both sides for the braces that will be used to attach it to the helmet.

Then I took some of these corner braces that I got today as well.

And I pushed the wood flat against the side of the helmet, and angled the braces so they pushed firmly against the helmet, and drew guide holes, and drilled them in.

I angled them this way, so it would fit firmly against the curved surface of the helmet, like so.

I drew another guide hole for the 1/4 bolt for my camera, I balanced my camera on the support, where I couldn't see any of the helmet in the frame of my camera, then drew the hole where the indent for the bolt was. Then I predrilled it and screwed it in.

Next, for the inside of the helmet where the screws come through the plastic, even though the helmet sits high on the head, if you are running around and bouncing the helmet around a lot, its still a safety concern, so I put some corks over the end of the screws.

And there you go, you've got your very own helmet-cam. Great for all of your first-person shot needs!

For additional support, you could easily tape the camera to the helmet. But how it is now, I tested it, shook it around a lot, and it's stayed firm even while running, and the controls, battery and tape section is all easily accessible.

Hope this was helpful too you and you get some great shots with it!