Dolly speed

[Tadeusz Kieniewicz]

Hi there! I was thinking about controling the speed in dolly. Does anyone has an idea how to make the same speed in every shoot? In few weeks i will shot a music video and i'd like to achive the same speed of each doly move. It's quite important cuz i will shot in slomotion about 60fps and wondering is it possible to make every ride similar to each other:)

 

thanks for your time.:)

 

Ted.

[Tom Jensen]

Hi there! I was thinking about controling the speed in dolly. Does anyone has an idea how to make the same speed in every shoot? In few weeks i will shot a music video and i'd like to achive the same speed of each doly move. It's quite important cuz i will shot in slomotion about 60fps and wondering is it possible to make every ride similar to each other:)

 

thanks for your time.:)

 

Ted.

 

Get a good dolly grip.

[Hal Smith]

Place marks along the track or floor at regular intervals and then time your total move in seconds. Divide the total time in seconds by the number of segments (not marks) and then run a rehearsal with someone calling out the numbers of the marks at whatever is the seconds per segment is that you got with the division step. If your shooting a music video you're probably not recording live sound but if you are, use a wireless intercom system back to the dolly grip wearing headphones so you don't have to shout out the numbers.

 

Even a relatively inexperienced dolly grip can pace the move and reproduce it reasonably well with marks and a count. But as Tom said: If you've got the budget, hire a pro dolly grip.

[Tadeusz Kieniewicz]

Place marks along the track or floor at regular intervals and then time your total move in seconds. Divide the total time in seconds by the number of segments (not marks) and then run a rehearsal with someone calling out the numbers of the marks at whatever is the seconds per segment is that you got with the division step. If your shooting a music video you're probably not recording live sound but if you are, use a wireless intercom system back to the dolly grip wearing headphones so you don't have to shout out the numbers.

 

Even a relatively inexperienced dolly grip can pace the move and reproduce it reasonably well with marks and a count. But as Tom said: If you've got the budget, hire a pro dolly grip.

 

 

 

 

Great Man. Thanks a lot! I probably place marks and give answer how it warks for me.

Ted.

[David Rakoczy]

A good Dolly Grip won't need to do all that.. (he) will maintain the same speed (as humanly possible)... take after take.

[Dan Salzmann]

A good Dolly Grip won't need to do all that.. (he) will maintain the same speed (as humanly possible)... take after take.

 

I'll second the "get a good dolly grip". I've seen speed things done with little pocket metronomes instead of someone calling out the marks.

[Nick Hemphill]

Have the dolly grip start the push with the heals of their hands and letting then roll on the handle till they are pushing with the center of their palms. After that its all on the person to keep the speed constant. But it is that little beginning that makes all the difference.

[John Sprung]

Since you have a few weeks to prepare, and a student budget, do some practice. Borrow a shopping cart and fill it with something for weight to match the feel of the dolly. Find a place where you can do a fairly long run over and over, and time yourself. Write your times down, and you'll know how accurate you can be. Get some of your fellow students to come along, and make it a game. Winner gets to be dolly grip, loser pays for the pizza.... ;-)

 

The next step up from a good dolly grip is to use a motion control system. They've been around for 30+ years, but are still rather expensive. Back before CGI, they were used to match moves frame accurately for composites.

 

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.