Background

As iPhone apps tend to be loaded with graphics and animated transitions, recording video of them in action is invaluable for marketing purposes. Applications like Screenflow are really useful even though they only capture an app running in the iPhone simulator. Whilst this limitation isn’t usually too much of a problem this approach won’t work at all for our latest augmented reality based app, Streetmuseum.

[Streetmuseum was developed in collaboration with Gavin Buttimore on behalf of the Museum of London and their agency Brothers and Sisters Creative.]

Since AR apps are fundamentally dependent upon the device’s accelerometer and camera feeds, they need to be seen on the device to convey the end-user’s experience. So how do you go about filming a moving phone displaying it’s own camera feed?

A Solution

The solution is to mount the iPhone in a fixed position in front of the camera so that you can record a first-person view of the app. Since the camera moves in step with the phone it conveys the user experience perfectly.

So inspired by a similar project by @2ne1 I built a custom camera rig for my trusty Panasonic LX3 camera using an old Griffin Clarifi case, some angled aluminium strip and some odds and ends from my local hardware shop.

Camera Rig

Construction

Constructing the camera rig was fairly straight-forward. The only critical issue was to ensure the iPhone lines up centrally with the camera lens and the camera can focus on the display at such a close distance. As a result the rig is pretty much custom made for the camera. Anyone constructing their own will need to figure out the correct measurements for their own particular camera.

The few bits I did need to buy for this were purchased at Mackays in Cambridge. It’s the sort of hardware shop that when you ask for a bolt for a camera tripod they know from memory what gauge you need and will happily sell one individually!

Parts list:

  • 300mm x 20mm x 10mm aluminium angle
  • 1/4 inch x 3/4 inch tripod bolt (20 threads per inch)
  • 2 x 3mm bolts, nuts & spring washers.
  • 3mm wood screw (not counter-sunk)
  • MDF for camera support: 40mm x 30mm x 12mm
  • plastic sheet for iPhone mount: 95mm x 50mm
  • self-adhesive velcro
  • No more nails adhesive strip (for glueing the plastic to the aluminium strip)

Preparing The Frame

The camera rig frame is composed of two sections of aluminium strip bolted at 90′. To begin with you need to prepare its constituent parts:

  • Cut the aluminium strip into two lengths to provide the frame for the rig.
  • Cut a small block MDF to act as the base for your camera.
  • Drill the holes indicated, ensuring the smaller pairs of holes line up so the short section can be bolted at a right-angle to the longer section of strip.
  • Remove any sharp edges with a file.
  • Don’t bolt anything together just yet as you’ll assemble it after the iPhone mount is made.

iPhone Mount

We’ll mount the iPhone on a section of stiff plastic sheet, as follows:

  • Cut a piece of plastic just slightly smaller than the iPhone.

  • Affix the plastic to the outside of the 10mm edge of the short aluminium strip using No More Nails double-sided tape.

  • Cut two lengths of sticky-backed velcro to fit the width of the plastic sheet.

  • Fix the velcro strip to the iPhone mount and to the iClarifi case making sure the correct sides of the velcro match up.
  • Now bolt the completed iPhone mount to the longer aluminium strip so that the velcro faces forwards.

Camera Mount

The MDF block provides a secure base for the camera to rest on:

  • Screw the MDF block into the other end of the aluminium strip ensuring the 1/4″ holes line up.

  • The completed camera mount should then look like this.

16.jpg

And.. Action!

After all that what do you get? Here’s Tweakersoft’s popular AroundMe app filmed using the rig.