Suspending Objects
Fishing line is a really great way to create special effects in your shots. There are lots of different ways to do this, but I will spend some time explaining the basics of suspending objects for photo and video.
Hanging the Line
When suspending objects in shots, it sometimes helps to use chicken wire overhead so that you have a large area available to work with. Using a C-stand will also work well. You want to try as hard as possible to blend your fishing line organically into a shot because it is a lot harder to edit those lines out of video. When you start to use your fishing wire, you are going to want to tie a nice, tight fishing knot around the object you are hanging. Make sure that this knot is tight enough to hold up your object. Once your knot is tied and tightened, you can cut off the excess line and prepare to tie your second knot.
Anchoring Fishing Line with Glue
The second knot on this pitcher is a little more complicated and we are going to have to use glue to anchor the fishing line in place. You can do this with a hot glue gun. Apply the glue to the pitcher and then lay the fishing line through it. In order to help your glue dry faster, you can spray it with an air duster can which will dry it almost instantly. You can also use specialty gap filling glue to anchor your line and then spray it with an actuator which will have a similar effect.
Next we need to suspend the pitcher to the C-stand. I have found that you don’t need to tie the line to the C-stand, but instead wrap it around the pole about 3-4 times and then use some gaff tape to hold it down. This will make adjusting the pitcher much easier when the time comes.
When it comes to deciding how much fishing line to use in suspending objects, I have found it is better to overdue it than to use too little. In this instance I used four, four pound lines to anchor the pitcher in the air.
Choosing the Right Line
When choosing which line to use, you need to factor in the background of your shot. Choose between brown, clear, or camouflage colored- whatever blends into your background best. If I were to assemble a fishing line, I would suggest finding four pound brown, four pound clear, and four pound camouflage. You can go for a little bit heavier, like an eight or sixteen pound, but if you get too heavy your line ends up looking like rope and will not blend into your shot at all.
Let us know how you use fishing wire to suspend objects and come find us on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter
Keep those cameras rollin’ and keep on clickin’!
– Jay P.