Makeshift Dolly?

R

RicGrayMovies

Hey guys, i'm thinking of using a few camera tracks in my next film and I need a smooth dolly, but I don't particularly have the financial resources to purchase one. I've used a computer chair for a dolly before, but was wondering if there is any better way of doing it. The computer chair tends to shake the camera little too much, are there other ways of making a dolly?

Thanks for any advice guys!
 
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Cheapest dolly I've ever seen. Someone on here posted it before, but I couldn't find the thread.
It's not the smoothest thing ever, but it's much better than an office chair. And you can't beat the price!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml2jAUsYyyw

EDIT: Oh, and if your camera isn't as big as the one in this video, putting some weights with it will make it more smooth.
 
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This worked for me for several years, A few 2x4's and some plywood.
Later on we replaced the hard wheels with balloon tires and added a
handle so the operator could stand up when pushing.

dolly.jpg
 
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Thanks a lot for the advice guys - dreadylocks, that is a SWEET find, the result from it looks very good, i'll strongly consider using that technique. I'll take a look at the DIY PVC dolly Cracker, thanks for suggesting it.

Your suggestion would give me more directional freedom than using the guttering technique dreadylocks suggests, and it looks like the materials are also pretty cheap.

Thanks very much for the suggestions guys - this stuff really helps. If anyone else has a few more ideas, i'd love to hear them.
 
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Awesome pic Rik, is that a Canon Super 8?

Ric, you could use a wheelchair, a wagon, a skateboard, a roller skate, a hand truck (Two wheeler dolly), a car in neutral being pushed, a lawn mower.

If it has wheels, it’s worth a shot on the ground, the floor, a table, between saw horses, on tracks or rails.

You can try just bearings, garage door rollers, pocket door or desk drawer slider rails (While the drawer is still in the desk! lol), or any number of ways to just push or pull it across something smooth and flat with no wheels in the mix at all.

If it slides or rolls, give it a shot. The office chair casters are kind of a let down, but the chairs do usually have a nice "pan" abilty.

-Thanks-
 
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wheatgrinder said:
Hey thats a great photo.. is that you and your family?
Click to expand...
Yep.

The guy behind the camera is the guy I shot with for
many years - we really started together making films
as kids. He became an accomplished photographer of
the California rock scene, shooting concerts, back stage,
portraits and album covers. The guy behind him is now
an excellent cinematographer and occasional director; and
still my family. That's me (the director) pushing the dolly.
Who says directors don't work on a set?


Buddy Greenfield said:
Awesome pic Rik, is that a Canon Super 8?
Click to expand...
Nikon R10. Used it to shoot a dozen shorts and three features.

Ric, you could use a wheelchair, a wagon, a skateboard, a roller skate, a hand truck (Two wheeler dolly), a car in neutral being pushed, a lawn mower.
Click to expand...
Used a wheelchair all the time, tried a wagon and a skateboard but never a roller-skate or a lawn mower.

A car? As a dolly? Okay, but in neutral being pushed?
Pshaw! That's for amateurs.....
chasescene.jpg


And when you want that really dramatic shot...
carStunt.jpg


I miss my super 8 days.
 
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Yep, nothing says professional like hanging off the hood of a Pinto with a camera taped to your hand. :lol:

I love old pics like that. I can't blame you for missing the Super 8 days, it's great to see how S8 in it's
prime really empowered people with film making. I've said it before, and it just never gets easier, killing off sound striped film (Especially Super 8 -like through a 1014 xls) is nothing but tragic to me. :no:

-Thanks-
 
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I think BADASS is exactly the right word! Even the production photos are nice looking.. that gold van, gold grass and that oak\olive green tree.. beautiful.

love to see the footage from some of those shots..
 
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wheatgrinder said:
I think BADASS is exactly the right word! Even the production photos are nice looking.. that gold van, gold grass and that oak\olive green tree.. beautiful.

love to see the footage from some of those shots..
Click to expand...

We were shooting on Kodachrome 40. The best reversal
stock I have ever worked with. Nothing like it today. and
I really didn't appreciate it until much later. It was a slow,
very tight grain stock that needed a lot of light. In those
days we just didn't always have the light needed or the
experience to use light well. But using that stock forced
me to learn about lighting and in hindsight the colors are
so beautiful and vivid I should have never complained.

Many years ago I did a very nice Rank transfer of three of
the film we made. It was expensive. Then I had a hard drive
crash and the original digital tapes go missing. So one of these
days I'm going to have to pull out the films and do another
transfer.
 
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I don't know which I find scarier, Rik.

Being the guy on the hood of the car, or being
the guy lying on the pavement 1 foot away from
a moving vehicle. :scared:

I feel your pain about that hard drive crash. That's the pitts.
 
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I've not got one with me and i'm not at home 'til sunday to take one. Its very simple however!

It's just a piece of right angled steel which i drilled in to and attached the wheels with 'Partially Threaded hex bolts' a few washers, home made spacers made from some plastic tubing and away you go. The only thing i'd advise is that you put the wheels as close to each end as possible otherwise the unit can lose some stability and rock forward or backwards when on slight de/inclines. Having the wheels close to the ends totally solves this problem.

I'll get a photo up as soon as i get home.
 
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Ahh okay, good old angle iron. I was just wondering (Hoping) you had a different way that I haven't seen yet, but cool thanks.

What are you making your shoulder mount from BTW? That I would like to see a pic or drawing of if you have one. I haven't tried a shoulder mount set up yet.

-Thanks-
 
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