user679: I would like to make some short movie clips explaining how algorithms work. To do so, I would like to film how I write / scribble on the paper.
Are there tripods which support filming what is directly below the camera or should I tinker such a tripod myself? In case you recommend building it myself: How is this standard "mount" at the bottom of each digital camera called? (So that I can buy something to fixate the camera.)
(I have a Lumix DMC TZ41 digital camera. Do movie cameras have other "mounts" for tripods than digital cameras?)
Some online courses (Udacity, Coursera) make something similar / exactly what I would like to do. See Programming - CS101 - Udacity for example:


user2836: Another option that is ideally suited for this is a digital enlarger mount or a digital overhead mount.  Both of these are effectively the same thing and are designed to hold both a camera and lighting in an ideal manner for capturing a document placed on a flat surface.  We used a setup like this for capturing note writing for distance education at my college when I worked in the distance education program.

user10931: There are a number of photo tripods that allow you to invert the center column.  When inverted, the camera sits between all the legs and can be pointed down.  Another tripod design has a center column that can also be shifted to a horizontal position.  This allows greater flexibility in terms of distance from the subject (and it also means you only have to shoot between the front two legs, rather than inside all three).

679: <p>I would like to make some short movie clips explaining how algorithms work. To do so, I would like to film how I write / scribble on the paper.</p>

<p>Are there tripods which support filming what is directly below the camera or should I tinker such a tripod myself? In case you recommend building it myself: How is this standard "mount" at the bottom of each digital camera called? (So that I can buy something to fixate the camera.)</p>

<p>(I have a Lumix DMC TZ41 digital camera. Do movie cameras have other "mounts" for tripods than digital cameras?)</p>

<p>Some online courses (Udacity, Coursera) make something similar / exactly what I would like to do. See <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBtIs_AVueY" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Programming - CS101 - Udacity</a> for example:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/vLrye.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/vLrye.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
 2836: <p>Another option that is ideally suited for this is a digital enlarger mount or a digital overhead mount.  Both of these are effectively the same thing and are designed to hold both a camera and lighting in an ideal manner for capturing a document placed on a flat surface.  We used a setup like this for capturing note writing for distance education at my college when I worked in the distance education program.</p>
 10931: <p>There are a number of photo tripods that allow you to invert the center column.  When inverted, the camera sits between all the legs and can be pointed down.  <a href="https://www.manfrotto.com/190-aluminium-4-section-tripod-with-horizontal-column" rel="nofollow">Another tripod design</a> has a center column that can also be shifted to a horizontal position.  This allows greater flexibility in terms of distance from the subject (and it also means you only have to shoot between the front two legs, rather than inside all three).</p>
