For A Small Fee

I purchased a crane for the camera online. It's a cantilever device that attaches to a tripod and extends outward about five feet. Another lever holds the camera at a constant angle, as it ascends and descends, and the whole thing is counterbalanced by a weight.

All in all, it can go from ground level up to about 11 feet or so, in a smooth arc. This should allow us to film shots that were impossible before, and add a lot to our "production value".