Projector Positioning Background

During the first season of Pyramid Pyro Theaters and our backyard movies, projector placement was pretty simple.  The outdoor home theater setup started with a patio-oriented position to grass/lawn-oriented on the strip along our row of town homes.  The original stand was an old oak cabinet that worked nicely on the concrete patio surface, but wasn't so hot on grass.  It was also very heavy and hard to store so it was replaced by a basic card table which got us through the rest of the first season.

The card table, along with everything else, moved to the next viewing area in the adjacent alley.  The alley was much more stable and level, but had an odd slant (probably for drainage) that was hard to correct with the projectors adjustable foot on the back corner.  It was also difficult to dial in the proper height adjustments because there was no soft ground to sing the legs into (probably not a good idea anyway).  True to the ways of the backyard theater owner, it was time to upgrade.

Projector Stand Ingredients

A quick trip to the hardware store and a few bucks later, everything needed was in-hand to make the improvements to our outdoor movies.  The ingredients for this outdoor movie stand consisted of...

• Tripod (pictured - top left):  this could be considered an inexpensive, medium-weight tripod.
• Insert Nut (pictured - top center):  this is similar to a part you might find in unassembled furniture.  You simply drill a pilot hole in your wood and use a hammer to bash this baby in snug.  The center of the nut accommodates the tripod bolt that normally goes into a camera.
• Drawer Lining and Glue (pictured - top right):  you DON'T want your projector to slide off your stand.  The drawer lining provides a non-slip surface that is glued to the wood.  Cut it larger than your source and let it dry overnight with some weight on it.  The next day, use a razor to trim the excess for a clean and tidy look.  Does the hole in the center of the image look about the size of a roll of duct tape?  That cut was used for the bottom side so the tripod has something to sink into for added stability and a snug fit.
• Wood (pictured - bottom):  MDF or some strong particle board does nicely.  After you cut it to be slightly larger than your projector's footprint and sink the insert nut, slap that baby with a few coats of paint.  The drawer lining goes last.
• Cost: if you don't factor in the tripod, you can get away with all this for about $20-$30.  That cost will most likely allow you to have enough material to make about 4 projector stands.  You can give the extras to friends for Christmas, or buy 3 more projectors to place on them.

The Finished Projector Stand

The finished product is a fully adjustable projector stand for your backyard theater.  The legs of the tripod easily accommodate height and all axis adjustments.  Additionally, the tilt makes for easy height correction that the legs didn't zero in on.  A medium weight tripod or better is recommended for stability, not so much for height.  Generally, most tripods will meet your height needs but you want the beefier design for stability the higher you go.  DO NOT crank up the tripod neck for added height; use the legs instead.

This particular tripod made use of a quick-release plate that can be permanently attached to the wood plate.  This makes for easy on and off, and doesn't compromise stability.  What does compromise stability is the side tilt, but it's not a deal killer.

It's a simple design and most anyone can pull it off.  Just be creative and have fun when designing and building your backyard theater projector stand.  Outdoor movie night is closer than you think...