Camera crane

A method of operating a camera crane unit having a camera crane on a mobile base, comprising:

• operating the mobile base to move the camera crane unit to a filming location with the camera crane in a first position on a deck of the mobile base;
• with the mobile base stationary, moving the camera crane linearly to a second position spaced apart from the first position and behind the first position on the mobile base;
• operating the camera crane by tilting a crane arm of the camera crane so that a back end of the crane arm is below the deck;
• and
• operating a camera supported on at a front end of the crane arm.

A mobile camera crane unit, comprising:

• a mobile base having wheels mounted on front and rears axles on a chassis having a wheelbase DD;
• a camera crane including a crane arm pivotally mounted on a U-shaped upright by a pivot axle to allow the crane arm to tilt up and down, and the U-shaped upright is rotatably mounted on a column to allow the crane arm to pan horizontally, further comprising a remotely-operated camera head or a camera platform pivotally attached to a front end of the crane arm;
• the column mounted on a plate movable longitudinally on rails on a deck of the chassis;
• levelling rods attached to the plate and to the column;
• a drive system configured to move the column linearly on the chassis, the drive system including a motor configured to move the column longitudinally on the rails from a first position at least 0.4 DD in front of the rear axle to a second position within 0.1 DD of the rear axle, a back end of the crane arm pivotable to a position below the deck when the column is in the second position;
• and
• a computer controller electrically connected to the drive system and configured to control longitudinal movement the column, and an encoder electrically connected to the computer controller, the encoder configured to measure a longitudinal position of the column on the rails.