Achieving dolly or tracking out shot on a budget

E

eco_bach

Well-known member
I own a 3 ft slider but the shot I am trying to achieve requires a dolly out of about twice that amount.

Has anyone reading this tried to create a similar shot on a budget?

What are some options?

2 things I thought of
Use hand held stabilizer then extra stabilization in post?

Somehow put wheels on my tripod?
 
For no money your best bet is the wheelchair, skateboard, office chair, rolling stool, etc. The bigger and softer the wheels, the better. Post stabilization can help significantly as well.

Seriously though, you live in a major production city and a doorway dolly and track is one of the least expensive rental items. You should be able to get 8' of track for $10/day, and a serviceable dolly for $25/day. Bear in mind that most rental houses will charge you for 1 day if you pick up on Friday and drop off on Monday morning. Whatever time and energy you spend doing something to earn $35 will surely be less than that spent in frustration trying to do a job without a purpose-driven tool. You can certainly do it with a wheelchair or something, but in the long run it isn't the easy or less-expensive way, nor will it give you the same final product.
 
I always recommend track to make it smooth, especially on rough or uneven terrain. So I'd start with two 10 foot 3/4" electrical pipes for $10 each (or PVC if you prefer plastic) then build a small platform out of wood with wheels that can ride on the track. You can attach a tripod head to the top of your platform quite easily with the right screw from underneath. If you do use pipes, then obviously you will need wheels at 90 degrees to each other under your platform to ride the track....

I went with 16 wheels total (4 on each corner) but there's no reason this wouldn't work for you:

image by Richard Crowley DVXuser member
Dolly_CU_Wheels.JPG


Also check out the DIY thread for more details:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?199273-DIY-dolly-track-WHEELS
 
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