Glide Gear DEV 4 – a poor manDana Dolly for less?

[mcgeedigital]

My fluid head has a 75 mm half bowl, but I think I could use a locked-down stills ball-head, because I still don’t know why I’d need to pan or tilt during a move. Examples of that?

Panning and tilting with or against the subject while you are trucking is one of the oldest movements in cinema.

[Run&Gun]

My fluid head has a 75 mm half bowl, but I think I could use a locked-down stills ball-head, because I still don’t know why I’d need to pan or tilt during a move. Examples of that?

To keep your subject/object in the proper place in frame as the camera is moving. Example: One of the biggest (overused)uses for dollies is to add movement (usually left-to-right & right-to-left) during interviews usually of a profile two shot of the subject and reporter/interviewer. The camera tracks back and forth (L-R/R-L) and at the same time pans in the opposite direction to keep the subjects within the frame. Otherwise if the camera is static(not panning) while still moving laterally(L-R/R-L), you are going to end up with them being out of frame at some point on either end and it’s just going to look like someone sliding a picture from side-side. Also, look up parallax motion.

[morgan_moore]

I still don’t know why I’d need to pan or tilt during a move. Examples of that?

This vid is testing my slider in auto mode (its a test not perfect) you will see that Im counter panning all of the time to keep the 'subjeect' central.

[Samuel Dilworth]

This vid is testing my slider in auto mode (its a test not perfect) you will see that Im counter panning all of the time to keep the 'subjeect' central.

Thanks. Okay, I’ve seen that effect but always assumed gimbals or Steadicams were to blame. Does look useful for limited circumstances. Whether I’d be able to pull off moving the dolly, moving myself to keep up, counter-panning smoothly in synch with the slide, pulling focus, and timing the whole thing with a live subject … that’s another matter. Seems unlikely without more automation than I’m currently considering.

[morgan_moore]

'limited circumstances'

Well if you are filming one thing then counter pan is 'standard'

Of course the A->B move is also legit .. sliding out from behind the rubber plant and revealing the room.

[Run&Gun]

Thanks. Okay, I’ve seen that effect but always assumed gimbals or Steadicams were to blame. Does look useful for limited circumstances. Whether I’d be able to pull off moving the dolly, moving myself to keep up, counter-panning smoothly in synch with the slide, pulling focus, and timing the whole thing with a live subject … that’s another matter. Seems unlikely without more automation than I’m currently considering.

Of course you can do moves without panning or tilting in certain instances(like a reveal), but those are really 'the limited circumstances'. The VAST majority of the time you will be panning and/or tilting while sliding. And it's not as hard as it sounds. You just have to do it and get used to it. Then it becomes second nature and you don't really consciously think about it when you actually do it. Just like when you're shooting on a tripod or handheld and you're doing some type of pan and tilt at the same time, but maybe/maybe not at the same speed on each axis to keep whatever framed properly while zooming in or out and focusing. Sounds like a lot, but it becomes something you "just do".

[morgan_moore]

Imo it is pretty hard! Well like most operating once you go above s35 50 it’s hard - on an 18 less so.

An item like a Dana has enough mass and inertia to work in the mild telephoto zone - no chance on a glide track sized linear slider

[Run&Gun]

Imo it is pretty hard! Well like most operating once you go above s35 50 it’s hard - on an 18 less so.

An item like a Dana has enough mass and inertia to work in the mild telephoto zone - no chance on a glide track sized linear slider

Hard in what aspect?

[morgan_moore]

Mainly not to wobble. Generally to be perfect in terms of acceleration focus et al.

[Run&Gun]

Mainly not to wobble. Generally to be perfect in terms of acceleration focus et al.

Gotcha. Focus at longer focal lengths is probably the hardest of those(or doing a dolly in/out on an object/subject). Wobble, acceleration, movement can largely be taken care of(managing those aspects becomes easier) with proper equipment. Of course there is the skill/talent/practice part, but a rig with a lot of mass and a good head will make your life easier and make you look like you know what you're doing. And also, much like a gimbal, shooting in slow-mo, if you're in a situation that you can, helps to smooth off the rough edges, too.