The cameraman who shoots many of the amazing scenes you see on "Shark Week" shares the DIY equipment he uses in the field.
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1
Rover Cam
Media Platforms Design Team
Built on the chassis of a Traxxas 4x4 (about $400), this rig uses its fat, nobby tires to crawl over rough terrain to get closeups of lions, hyenas, and other predators feasting on a kill. One of three cameras sits in a takeout sushi box covered in camo duct tape and reinforced with bungee cords. "It's not really much of an invention, if you ask me," Casagrande says. "But it gets the job done!"
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2
Bite Cam
Media Platforms Design Team
Protected by a high-density foam body, cameras shoot out of the top and bottom of a waterproof housing made of PVC pipe and plexiglass to get shots just inches from a shark's gaping jaws.
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3
Fin Cam
Media Platforms Design Team
Casagrande had his aha moment for the fin cam when he picked up a pair of barbecue tongs. The $11 item is the backbone for what eventually became a very high-tech piece of handiwork. It includes a $1500 satellite tag, a $250 VHF pinger, and buoyant foam for retrieval. For Shark Week this year Casagrande slipped the assembly over a tiger shark's dorsal fin, camera facing forward, to get "the ultimate hunting POV footage," he says. Fasteners dissolve in salt water to release the fin cam, which floats to the surface. "Kinda expensive, since you might [expletive deleted] lose it!" he adds.
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4
Tow Cam
Media Platforms Design Team
Made with hardware-store materials including aluminum sheet metal and stainless-steel tubing and fasteners, this rig moves steadily through the water with the help of plastic fins. Casagrande has used it to film great whites, mako sharks, dolphins, seals, and whales.
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5
360 Water Spy
Media Platforms Design Team
It's an off-the-shelf remote-control boat loaded with eight GoPro cameras, including six in a spherical array for 360-degree filming. The rig has captured footage of crocodiles, alligators, and sea birds.
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6
Quad Copter
Media Platforms Design Team
No MacGyvering necessary here: The DJI Phantom quad is ready to fly right out of the box. Casagrande says the "awesome tool for filming aerials" has enabled him to get hovering shots of lions, sharks, cheetahs, hyenas, and more.
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7
Glider
Media Platforms Design Team
Well, it's free to Casagrande, anyway. "It's a RiteWing
glider personally owned by Nick Woodman, CEO of GoPro,"
Casagrande says. "He just sent it to me to play with." Must be nice to have friends in high places!