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high-speed dollying – suggestions?
I’m planning a music video to be shot in a roller rink. The video revolves around the band’s lead singer (amongst extras) singing into the camera while roller skating. This requires the camera to move backward at high speed, and it needs to be able to turn as well.
I’ve rollerbladed very fast with a camera before, but going backward is too dangerous for this. Does anyone else know a sturdy, safe way to move a camera (planning on using a minimally-dressed RED One/RPP set) around this fast?
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12 Replies
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Winn,
You need a real “pro” dolly grip. He’ll lay tack and use a platform with “boogy-wheels” and push you fast. I wouldn’t recommend curved track though, keep it straight and let the actor exit the frame. Also remember that when the actor is large in the frame (you’re close) the speed will be exaggerated so you need not go as fast as you might think.
JS
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You could “DoggyCam” it… either with a real DoggyCam rig, or a homemade version. We built one that held a pretty darn heavy 35mm camera out several feet… worked like a charm, with probably less than a couple hundred dollars worth of parts in it. I’ve seen DoggieCam shots done in a couple of distant-past music videos. Your lead singer would wear the rig himself as he skates (if he is a really good skater, and your insurance on the RED is paid up)…
That would probably give you a bit of a different perspective than what you have in mind, but might be cool.
I’d also suggest that you rent or buy a copy of the movie “Blades of Glory.” In the DVD extras is a fair bit of behind-the-scenes footage, and I remember seeing a number of the different skating camera rigs that made me say “Wow, that’s cool,” and “Oh, that’s how they did that.” Some neat stuff. Of course, that was ice skating, but there may be some rigs that could be applicable to roller skating as well.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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DoggyCam… hadn’t thought of that one. Not really the effect I’m going for, but a good suggestion.
How about a single track down the middle of the rink, with the camera mounted on a jib? As the singer moves clockwise around the rink, the dolly moves back and forth with the jib swinging clockwise to follow him around the curves. Would require some heavy gear and talented operators, as you said earlier, but this may be the simplest way to do it.
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I think that’d work in theory…. but yeah you’d have to have some good equipment and some GREAT operators.
My biggest concern would be that you’d probably want to pile as much weight on the dolly as possible, to keep the thing from tipping, and to give you smooth dolly moves. But that would give you tremendous inertia at the end of the dolly moves that would have to be braked smoothly and suddenly. Might be possible, hard to say. You’d have to have a really talented operator for the remote head, too.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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You said you could skate well going forwards… could you just aim the camera backwards over your shoulder, and maybe have just a small handheld LCD on your arm to help aim? Or those TV glasses?
I think I would just use a 2-person bicycle with a rear-facing camerman and fat beach type tires, and pedal along ahead of the skater with that. Your cameraman can keep the framing steady, the guy pedaling will maintain the speed.
You get extra points if the crowd on the sideliens starts chanting
Jo-na-THAN,Jo-na-THAN, Jo-na-THAN, Jo-na-THAN, …🙂
(Can’t believe i was the first one to think of this bike thing)
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Mark wins the thread.
Love the bicycle idea. I’m stealing it, of course, just in case I ever need anything like that.
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Did I win for the idea, or the “Rollerball” reference? 🙂
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A bit of both, Mark.
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Cycling coverage uses motorcycles with cameraperson riding on back.
I don’t think a two-person bicycle is going to work — too tilty. But a cool idea.
Or there’s this Hadron collider that’s doing nothing but theoretical physics (Pshaw!) and apparently you can go REALLY fast, around and around….
Bob C
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To develop the bike idea one click further….
Is the rink big enough to accommodate getting an electric golf cart in there? (and is there a wide enough door?)
The cart could be driven in front of the skater, with a Steadicam operator on the back. That configuration has been used a number of times… although I’ll admit I’ve never seen it done indoors.Or…. don’t suppose you have a Segway with Steadicam mount?…
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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