How to Make a Homemade Boom

Film production equipment can be expensive.

Boom poles are used to position microphones near the subject during a video or film shoot. If you purchase a new boom from the store, your cost would be much more than the cost of building a pole from scratch using items found at your local hardware store. A boom pole must extend far enough for the operator to be out of frame when holding it and provide a mount for a shotgun microphone. Once you duplicate the two main functions of a professional boom pole there is no reason to spend large amounts of money on overpriced production equipment.

Things You'll Need

• Telescoping painter's pole with plastic-threaded end
• 2 3/8 inch hexagonal nuts
• 1 3/8 inch by 2-inch hanger bolt
• Drill

Instructions

1. Drill a 5/16-inch hole in the center of the plastic threaded end of the painter's pole. The hole should be drilled into the top of the threaded end, making it hollow. The hole is slightly smaller than the hanger bolt to compensate for the malleable nature of the plastic.

2. Screw both hex nuts onto the tightly threaded end of the hanger bolt. The nuts will not be able to go farther than the center of the hanger bolt where the threading becomes wide.

3. Insert the entire hanger bolt and hex nuts assembly into the hole you drilled in the threading of the painter's pole. Tighten until the nuts meet the plastic threading.

Tips & Warnings

• Add foam to the pole for hand-holds to reduce noise.

• Do not over-tighten the bolt when inserting it into the plastic threading.

References

• Indy Mogul: How to Make a Boom Pole