Decide how you need to shoot. Are you shooting with the camera outside the car? Do you need to film a high-speed chase? Then you will need a stronger, more professional mounting device. Are you shooting dialogue inside the car? You may be able to get away with an inexpensive consumer-grade mounting device, possibly for as little as $10.
Know the weight and tripod connection for your camera. Also important in choosing your mounting device is the weight of your camera and the type of screw it takes in the tripod mount. Most cameras, even consumer ones, have a tripod mount screw hole located on the bottom of the camera. This is the most secure place to mount your camera, and the screw sizes are fairly standard for a large number of common cameras.
Determine your budget. Professional car mounts for cameras are easy to rent, relatively simple to install, and give you the most options for shooting in a car; however, they are the most expensive option. There are affordable consumer products that can be used for many shooting options, depending on your shooting needs. You can also buy used car mounts online for fairly low prices.
Research and choose your camera mount. There are dozens of types of mounts and you will need to find what fits your needs and budget.
A few choices are:
- Professional car mounts, which use suction cups, straps, and small tripods to hold the camera onto the car in nearly any position.
- Window mounts, which clamp onto an open window with a tripod handle.
- Tiny mounts like the Flip Action mount, which is a screw on a slider plate with two pieces of Velcro.
- Surfboard racks, which are soft and can be mounted on the top of the car and support a camera attached to them for rooftop shooting.
- Small sandbags, used on the inside of the car to brace the camera. If you use a sandbag you will need to tape or strap the camera to it very securely so that it does not move.
Get your mounting device early. Purchase or rent your mounting device at least a few days before your shoot. Do not assume it will work perfectly the first time, or that it will install in minutes. Do a test run of some of the key shots you want to get.
It will be very useful to have gaffer's tape to supplement the mounting device so the camera does not move. Gaffer's tape is film production tape that holds very firmly, but leaves no adhesive on cameras or other equipment.
Watch the footage from your test run on a TV. Common problems with footage from car mounts are shake and instability in the image. You need to see your footage on a TV to make sure it looks satisfactory. Keep careful notes about camera angles and details that need improvement so you can fix them when you shoot.
Install your camera and shoot. Use your notes from your test run to make any fixes in installing your car mount.