Camera Dolly Project

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Camera Dolly Project
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flag SpikeX
Posted: Nov 9, 2009 at 1:06 Quote
Some of you may remember my Cable Cam Project thread a while back - although I'm working on a new cable cam, I also decided to take the time to build a dolly. I've been busy with my filming company OverDrive Media Group, and to prepare for next season I thought a dolly would be a good idea to build, to step things up a notch. It will not automatically make your shots better; a dolly is merely a tool you can use to get your point of view across more effectively.

The principle is simple - a wooden platform on which you can put your tripod and camera, sliding on two rails using a total of 8 skateboard / rollerblade wheels. The construction is very simple - the hardest part is figuring out the measurements you need. I decided to make mine 70 x 70cm, which allowed me to fit my tripod in its smallest state with some room to spare. I also needed to be able to carry the thing up and down mountains so it couldn't be too big or too heavy (yes, a huge rig with a chair would have been awesome). Therefore, I won't be giving precise measurements of everything as everyone's needs are different, but I can help you choose the dimensions you need. The parts list is simple:

- Wooden board (wood of your choice depending on needs)
- Angle aluminium
- 8 Skateboard / rollerblade wheels + bearings
- PVC piping (I bought 6m of 1" piping - total of 3m per side)
- 4 long threaded screws (size depending on needs, for securing angle aluminium to platform)
- 8 short threaded screws (size depending on needs, for securing wheels to angle aluminium)
- 20 nuts (to match screws, two nuts per wheel plus 4 nuts for platform)
- Washers (to space the wheels - I ended up using 8x 1mm washers per wheel, for a total of 64)


You can see the basic construction from the pictures below, and if you have any questions just ask (note in those pictures you can see the screws sticking out from the platform - that was when I hadnÄt cut them down yet).

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I also decided to make a short ttest video to see how the final product performed;

Dolly Test

by SpikeX
Views: 2,361    Faves: 13    Comments: 19


So feel free to ask questions and discuss about camera dollies in general!
flag joram-adams
Posted: Nov 10, 2009 at 17:57 Quote
That works great man! I'm currently building one at the oment altough i'm using skateboard wheels and have designed the frame a bit differently. When making vids with it you might want to consider cutting the shots so they don't shom the start and finish of the dolly.
flag MorialtaMatt
O+
Posted: Nov 11, 2009 at 21:06 Quote
Dollies are super!
Nice construction work.

And The Strokes just topped it all off.

Best Dolly Test video ever!
flag joram-adams
Posted: Nov 11, 2009 at 21:42 Quote
Just got mine built up today, with some help from my dad.
photo
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tup Salute
flag AMBikerJJ8
Posted: Nov 13, 2009 at 18:04 Quote
Hey, so does anyone know: what's the standard way of filming with a dolly? Stand on it and have a friend do the pushing/pulling so you can work the camera? Walk alongside it? Have never figured this out...

I think however that if I build one I would build it so I could stand/lie down on it. Some panning/zooming dolly shots would be sick! Or even some...*censored proprietary idea* Razz
flag joram-adams
Posted: Nov 14, 2009 at 10:57 Quote
(Password protected)
Views: 513    Faves: 0    Comments: 6
This video is password protected.
flag AMBikerJJ8
Posted: Nov 14, 2009 at 11:06 Quote
joram-adams wrote:
(Password protected)
Views: 513    Faves: 0    Comments: 6
This video is password protected.

Sick. Totally making a dolly. Love the riding style on the little clunker, too.

P.S. Last day of filming today for Shasta Outdoor Media! Expect trailer within a week!
flag konadona
Posted: Nov 15, 2009 at 7:21 Quote
hey nice dollys, where did you buy the pipe from? im looking to build one in the near future.
flag joram-adams
Posted: Nov 15, 2009 at 11:15 Quote
konadona wrote:
hey nice dollys, where did you buy the pipe from? im looking to build one in the near future.
Local harware store
flag SpikeX
Posted: Nov 21, 2009 at 17:26 Quote
joram-adams wrote:
When making vids with it you might want to consider cutting the shots so they don't shom the start and finish of the dolly.

Yeah sorry about that. Had little time to film that day so I kinda rushed. The pics of your dolly look good!

For those of you thinking of making a dolly - do it. It's so simple to make and it gives you the opportunity to create shots you couldn't have thought about before.
flag steezymcgee
Posted: Nov 22, 2009 at 18:37 Quote
hey, I really like the look of the dolly shots. I am concidering building a dolly a couple times before, but each time i built a jib arm or a cablecam instead, because I would use it to film downhill videos, which would mean laying the tracks down on a tilted and bumpy surface. This wouldn't give the shot that I am looking for. I have seen perfectly stable looking shots filmed in the forests, but I can't figure out how to make it myself. I am wondering if anyone has used theirs to film downhill, and if they have how they made it stable.
Thanks
flag SpikeX
Posted: Nov 24, 2009 at 0:22 Quote
steezymcgee wrote:
hey, I really like the look of the dolly shots. I am concidering building a dolly a couple times before, but each time i built a jib arm or a cablecam instead, because I would use it to film downhill videos, which would mean laying the tracks down on a tilted and bumpy surface. This wouldn't give the shot that I am looking for. I have seen perfectly stable looking shots filmed in the forests, but I can't figure out how to make it myself. I am wondering if anyone has used theirs to film downhill, and if they have how they made it stable.
Thanks

I will also almost entirely be filming Downhill / Freeride with it in the mountains. I haven't tried it there yet, but there are always flatter spots you can use to set everything up and you could use rocks etc. to make it more stable and smoother.
flag ShastaOutdoorMedia
Posted: Nov 24, 2009 at 0:37 Quote
SpikeX wrote:
steezymcgee wrote:
hey, I really like the look of the dolly shots. I am concidering building a dolly a couple times before, but each time i built a jib arm or a cablecam instead, because I would use it to film downhill videos, which would mean laying the tracks down on a tilted and bumpy surface. This wouldn't give the shot that I am looking for. I have seen perfectly stable looking shots filmed in the forests, but I can't figure out how to make it myself. I am wondering if anyone has used theirs to film downhill, and if they have how they made it stable.
Thanks

I will also almost entirely be filming Downhill / Freeride with it in the mountains. I haven't tried it there yet, but there are always flatter spots you can use to set everything up and you could use rocks etc. to make it more stable and smoother.

I'm thinking for my design I'll try a semi-rigid rail system with an adjustable support system at the end of each rail so I can level it on semi-rough ground. Shouldn't be too hard, but in this config I wouldn't be able to stand on the setup...this is gonna take some planning before I pull of this project Jailbreak
flag SpikeX
Posted: Nov 25, 2009 at 3:24 Quote
ShastaOutdoorMedia wrote:
SpikeX wrote:
steezymcgee wrote:
hey, I really like the look of the dolly shots. I am concidering building a dolly a couple times before, but each time i built a jib arm or a cablecam instead, because I would use it to film downhill videos, which would mean laying the tracks down on a tilted and bumpy surface. This wouldn't give the shot that I am looking for. I have seen perfectly stable looking shots filmed in the forests, but I can't figure out how to make it myself. I am wondering if anyone has used theirs to film downhill, and if they have how they made it stable.
Thanks

I will also almost entirely be filming Downhill / Freeride with it in the mountains. I haven't tried it there yet, but there are always flatter spots you can use to set everything up and you could use rocks etc. to make it more stable and smoother.

I'm thinking for my design I'll try a semi-rigid rail system with an adjustable support system at the end of each rail so I can level it on semi-rough ground. Shouldn't be too hard, but in this config I wouldn't be able to stand on the setup...this is gonna take some planning before I pull of this project Jailbreak

Cool idea, but try not to make it too complicated. I am very much like you in the sense that I love to make complicated things that would work perfectly in theory (although not saying this wouldn't work). But out in the field, anything that can go wrong will, and it's harder to fix the more complicated it gets. Also heavier to lug around. I'll be interested to see what you come up with though.
flag ShastaOutdoorMedia
Posted: Nov 25, 2009 at 9:09 Quote
SpikeX wrote:
ShastaOutdoorMedia wrote:
SpikeX wrote:


I will also almost entirely be filming Downhill / Freeride with it in the mountains. I haven't tried it there yet, but there are always flatter spots you can use to set everything up and you could use rocks etc. to make it more stable and smoother.

I'm thinking for my design I'll try a semi-rigid rail system with an adjustable support system at the end of each rail so I can level it on semi-rough ground. Shouldn't be too hard, but in this config I wouldn't be able to stand on the setup...this is gonna take some planning before I pull of this project Jailbreak

Cool idea, but try not to make it too complicated. I am very much like you in the sense that I love to make complicated things that would work perfectly in theory (although not saying this wouldn't work). But out in the field, anything that can go wrong will, and it's harder to fix the more complicated it gets. Also heavier to lug around. I'll be interested to see what you come up with though.

You know me too well. That's why this is going to take forever to plan out! :Cool :
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