DIY Russian Arm on a Budget - My C70 Experience

For a recent indie feature, we needed to get an overhead, tracking shot of a character running through a dense forest path, mimicking the feel of a Russian Arm without the associated budget. I decided to rig a C70 with a Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS on a custom-built crane arm mounted to a modified dolly. What worked surprisingly well was using a combination of PVC pipes for the arm's extension, reinforced with aluminum bars for stability, and a bicycle brake lever system for surprisingly precise pan/tilt control from the dolly. We attached a small monitor to the dolly's handlebars for the operator to see the shot live. The C70's internal stabilization actually helped smooth out some minor judders from the handmade rig. What didn't work so well was the initial attempt to use fishing line for the tilt; it vibrated too much. We switched to thinner, braided steel cable which was much more stable. The real challenge was ensuring the arm cleared overhead branches while keeping the camera at a consistent height relative to our talent. We definitely built in a lot of contingency time for balancing and re-rigging. Has anyone else attempted something similar for high-angle tracking shots without a significant crane budget?