Cinematographer and YouTuber Caleb Pike, of DSLR Video Shooter, has a whole collection of videos wherein he shows off how to create turnkey solutions for filmmaking. For his latest episode, Caleb shows how he turned a Pelican case, a few camera bits and a little elbow grease into the ultimate all-in-one studio case that’s simple enough to set up and start shooting in under a minute.
In the nine-minute video, Caleb breaks down how he modified a Pelican 1510 carry-on travel case into the ultimate on-the-go studio. We’ll leave it to Caleb to do the explaining, but at its simplest, the kit uses three dual flash mounts attached to the built-in screw holes to hold in place a video monitor, a camera attached to an articulating tripod head and a microphone.
Caleb has compiled a full list of the pieces he used to make the setup, including a few alternative options if you want to keep the cost down, in the video’s description. Not taking into account the camera, monitor and microphone setup, Pike says the kit came out to ‘about $380,’ which isn’t too bad considering the flexibility it offers, especially if you plan to use it for paid work.
These kinds of all-in-one video kits have become popular throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with TV productions due to their convenience. The ability to close the entire studio up in a case that’s not only protective but ships easily to clients and talent makes it possible to record professional-looking footage almost anywhere without needing to go into a studio.
Regardless of how you use it though, Caleb’s video is a great guide on how to get one up and running. Of course, there’s plenty of room for customizing it further to fit your exact needs. You can keep tabs on Caleb’s latest videos on his YouTube channel DSLR Video Shooter.