Glidecams are agitatingly expensive but equally sweet. They’re the mechanical heroes of independent film, giving amateurs access to the gorgeous motion shots of pro cinema. Despite their cost, they look like they'd be relatively easy to make...

After a couple of days in the shop with an equal number of brothers, I can say the commercial versions are probably worth every penny of the ~$500 price-tag. But at the same time, so is ours — and it only cost us about $5.

I humbly present our (almost) pro grade DIY Glidecam, affectionately dubbed The WobbleCam.

It's made from four sets of scooter bearings (with the wheels still attached), PVC pipe, a scooter headstock, aluminium pipe, aluminium plate, and various nuts and bolts. It's calibrated to balance our Pentax DSLRs right now, but the modular counter-weights and extendible lower arm mean you can adjust it for many different types of camera.