Best way to shoot pedeconferencing

totallymorgan

totallymorgan

Member
Most commonly seen in shows like The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and House. It's a very fluid camera shot of people "walking and talking" with what I could only assume is a dolly. Is this just a doorway dolly they use? I'm thinking about renting something for a couple of days to do a short in this style, what do you suggest? How do I make sure I stay in a straight line? I'd be shooting outdoors, on the sidewalk, so space isn't really an issue.

Thanks in advance,

Morgan
 
While Charlie is definitely right that what you are seeing is steadicam shots if all you are doing is going in a straight line down a smooth sidewalk a doorway dolly could make a cheap substitute most likely. Steadicam isnt something you just go rent and use - years of practice and some pricey rigs are making those shots what they are. You might be able to find a beginner op in your area willing to work for cheap though.

My only worry with the dolly might be the cracks or any irregularities in the sidewalk. How much of a bump will show up in the camera I'm not sure. As for keeping it straight just push/pull it straight :) And on the chance that you could get a steadicam operator to come work for you, they can add alot more than straight walk and talks to the shot. Really can make the visuals interesting. www.steadishots.org has some great examples.

Thats my 2 pennies...
 
there is a deference between the best that can be done, and what you get from a tv show or studio movie,

a Steadicam can be a faster and cheaper choice, considering time constraints, and the time it takes to set up a dolly system, sometimes space constraints too.

on the other hand, some kinds of dolly systems would give you more options and you can freely do what ever you want while moving or turning the camera that can't be done using a Steadicam, it's always a trade off, would it make a difference if you take the time to set up the dolly?,

at the end you can use a software to track and stabilize the shot, maybe shoot 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, or 60(that's only 1/3sec accurate)fps on 24fps, to make it more stable on less motion blurry, and to make it easier in post.
 
In the shows you picked, they are usually using a wide lens and you can see the floor, so you can tell it's not a track-mounted dolly, but you could still use anything with wheels.

If you use a wide enough lens, a shoulder-mounted camera, a good op, and a few takes, you might be happy with handheld work, too.


Nifty House Fact:
In House, watch the walking shots into the elevator. You can tell the elevator doesn't work because they always cut before the elevator exit!
 
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