Project Overview

Design and manufacture a camera crane for smartphones and lightweight video cameras. The Boombandit allows videographers to get crane shots into their video production cheaply and easily. Made from telescopic aluminium legs and injection molded parts the Boombandit is based on a parallelogram, like traditional camera cranes, but it utilises the parallelogram like no other camera crane in that the vertical members are not locked in position, they are allowed to tilt, therefore allowing the camera to tilt up and down whilst the arms are being raised and lowered. No other camera crane does this.

Organisation

Boombandit

Team

Marcus McLeod
Ray Rabanin

Project Brief

I worked constructing geodesic domes and plastic membrane structures around Australia during the seventies. During the eighties I worked as a freelance grip and in the late nineties I started an Apple Mac sales and maintenance business which is still in existence fifteen years later.

Two years ago I bought together these three unrelated work experiences and conceived of the idea for the Boombandit camera crane. Taking a two dimensional shape, the parallelogram, and making it into a lightweight camera crane for today's lightweight cameras.

I imported telescopic tripod legs from China and handles from Italy and I had made two ABS plastic injection molding dies. The dies were designed by Ray Rabanin and me and provide the large and small end mounting points along with the camera mounting parts. I assemble these parts at home and sell the Boombandit online.

Project Need

I do not have any competitors. The Boombandit is unique and is a new genre of product. Much like the iPod and iPad the Boombandit has not existed in any form before.

The people who I've worked with to create the Boombandit have all worked for free because they believe in the product and can see it's potential. The 3D designers worked for free and even the tool makers have made the injection molds without charging for their time, I have only paid for the actual material costs.

Once a person sees the Boombandit in action they are all enthused by its potential and can see a world wide appeal for it. I believe the Boombandit will one day sell in the millions around the world.

Design Challenge

All the parts that make up the Boombandit are recyclable. The ABS plastic can be reused as can the aluminium legs and the bolts, nuts and pins that make up the Boombandit.