Hack 16. Roll Your Own Dolly

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A pair of wheels, and a way to roll around on them, can make a great dolly .

When attempting to capture a scene where your subjects are separated from the background, the camera needs to be moving. If you have ever tried to record footage while walking, you have probably noticed you get a very shaky shot. Your footage is probably the equivalent of step-shake-step-shake…

Most digital video cameras come with a feature to help stabilize your footage, which is especially useful for when you are standing in one place and holding the camera. When walking, however, you usually do not wind up with the shot you envisioned even with the stabilization feature turned on.

Many professional camerapeople use a dolly to capture footage when they need to be moving. A dolly is basically a small, wheeled cart on which a cameraperson can sit while rolling along a given path. A variety of sporting goods, or even a wheelchair, can easily be substituted for the real thing.

1.17.1. Dusting Off Your Rollerblades

Many of us do not have the luxury of having a dolly, but we can make do with a pair of rollerblades and a trustworthy friend. Strapping on a pair of rollerblades and hitting the Record button on your video camera might seem like a simple feat, but there are a few caveats of which you should be aware.

Peter Smokler, an Emmy Award winning cameraman, is known to throw on a pair of rollerblades, instead of using a dolly, to film some of his moving shots.


1.17.1.1. Trusting your friends.

If you plan on skating and shooting, think long and hard about where you will be concentrating. Looking through the eyepiece of your camera will greatly restrict your vision. Even looking at an LCD monitor will probably distract you from noticing any obstacles in your path. Figure 1-29 shows a cameraperson on rollerblades being pulled backward by an assistant.

Figure 1-29. Rollerblades serving as a great dolly


Skateboards, especially longboards, are good for low-angle shots. You can sit, lay, or simply attach the camera to one, in order to obtain the shot you want.


To be blunt, find a friend you can trust, and have her push, pull, and steer you around while you concentrate on the scene you are recording. Doing so will result in far fewer bruises, scraped knees, and broken bones. Whether you have a friend help you along, or you go it alone, make sure you use a broom and sweep the path you intend to take. A very small rock can cause a very big fall.

1.17.1.2. Moving backward

If your subjects are walking toward you, you will need to be skating away from them in order to keep them in frame and in focus. Because you will want to capture your subjects' faces, more often than not, you will be required to skate backward. Even though you will have your trusty friend pulling you from behind (you did read the previous paragraph, right?), you should be comfortable moving backward on skates.

1.17.2. Borrowing a Wheelchair

A wheelchair also makes a great dolly, because it is comfortable, stable, and requires no assembly. The use of a wheelchair as a dolly does not require much explanation: sit, point, shoot, and roll. As with rollerblades, it is best if you have someone push or pull you as you are shooting your scene.

You should avoid the temptation of a motorized wheelchair, because the motor's noise will most likely end up mixed in with your audio.


You will also find a wheelchair works especially well on more difficult surfaces, such as carpet, grass, and dirt.

1.17.3. Stealing from a Baby

If you have a child in the family, you more than likely also have a baby stroller. Depending on the type of stroller, you can alter it to hold your camera while you push the stroller along, recording your footage. Since each type and model of stroller is different, you will need to evaluate the situation to determine the best method to attach your camera. I have found jogging strollers to be the most versatile and easiest to work with. Figure 1-30 shows a Canon XL1 camera attached to a jogging stroller.

Figure 1-30. Using a jogging stroller as a dolly


There are a great number of other possibilities for creating your own dolly. Some people go so far as to create tracks out of PVC pipe to guide their dollies along a given path. Whatever your solution, you and your audience will appreciate the look a dolly shot provides.

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    Digital Video Hacks
    Digital Video Hacks: Tips & Tools for Shooting, Editing, and Sharing (OReillys Hacks Series)
    ISBN: 0596009461
    EAN: 2147483647
    Year: 2005
    Pages: 158
    Authors: Joshua Paul

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