Hack 8. Build Your Own Apple Box

Apple boxes simple wooden boxes, commonly found around television and film sets can be used for a variety of purposes on any shoot. They're also easy to build .

Some common items you might find lying around your home can become indispensable tools when shooting your video. Items such as clothespins [Hack #25] are not only cheap, but highly functional as well. The same holds true for scrap pieces of wood.

Apple boxes are wood boxes that are used for everything from propping up cameras to being used as stepstools, and they are practical workhorses on any shoot. Using some scrap wood, or wood bought from a lumberyard, you can build your own. If you don't want to build your own apple boxes, they can be purchased from places such as FilmTools (http://www.filmtools.com; $31.00) or B&H (http://www.bhphotovideo.com; $34.95).

1.9.1. Gathering the Supplies

The supplies necessary to build an apple box are pretty limited. If you have some scrap wood lying around, use it. Otherwise, purchase the required wood at a local home improvement store or lumberyard. The price of the wood will vary depending on the type of wood and current market conditions. However you go about getting your wood, you will need six pieces per apple box, two pieces in each of the following dimensions:

• 1/2" x 7" x 11"

• 1/2" x 7" x 20"

• 1/2" x 12" x 20"

The resulting full apple box should measure 8 inches high, 12 inches wide, and 20 inches long. You could also build smaller half (4 inches high), quarter (2 inches high), and eighth apple (1 inch high) sizes. Figure 1-9 shows pieces of scrap wood, cut to size for a full apple box and placed together to check the dimensions.

Figure 1-9. Checking the pieces to ensure a proper fit

In addition to the wood, you will also need some nails or screws, along with a hammer or screwdriver. If you have access to other woodshop tools, and are comfortable using them, you can use them as you see fit.

Although it's not necessary, having a drill will help you to create handles in the sides of the box. To create a handle, drill two holes in the center of the 7" x 11" pieces, with the holes about 3 inches apart. Then saw across, from one hole to another, and punch out the bridge. Figure 1-10 shows a hole being drilled in one of the 7" x 11" pieces in order to create a handle.

Figure 1-10. Drilling handles

If you plan on using the boxes heavily and after needing one once, you'll probably never want to be without them I recommend you use higher-quality wood.

1.9.2. Building the Apple Box

After you've gathered your supplies, you need to assemble your box. You might want to use some wood glue on the edges of your pieces. The glue will help keep the pieces in place, prior to nailing or screwing them together.

To assemble the box, place a 12" x 20" piece as the base. Then, place the 7" x 20" pieces on each side, so that the 20-inch lengths line up, and the 7" x 11" pieces on the ends. Finally, place the second 12" x 20" piece on top and nail or screw the pieces together, to ensure the box doesn't fall apart. Figure 1-11 shows a completed full apple box.

Figure 1-11. One full apple box, ready for duty

When you are finished, file down any sharp edges and clean off the remnants of any glue, if necessary.

1.9.3. Using the Apple Box

There are no rules to how you should use apple boxes, so how you use them is up to you. You can stand on them, use them to prop up items, use them as small tables or chairs, and even staple or nail items to them. I've seen people run cable through the handles, and even place green fabric over one stood on end to make items "float" in front of a green screen [Hack #22].

Ultimately, you should abuse them for whatever purpose you need.