Dolly Focus Tips?

mentatDUKE

mentatDUKE

Veteran
Hi guys. I'm the proud owner of a homemade skater dolly and a 35mm adapter. I have some questions regarding the logistics of usage during a shoot. How do you guys manage to pull focus when dollying toward a subject?

Do you stand on the side of the track and rack focus while someone does the dolly push? That seems a bit clumsy and would no doubt cause shake. Do you use a follow focus?

I think the fact that most homemade dollies do not support the cameraman's weight is part of the problem. We need to operate the camera/focus, and doing this without being right on the camera is proving tricky. I would love to hear your perspectives on this.

Thanks!
 
Build a dolly that you can stand on while someone pushed and the best way to keep control of your focus is by using a follow focus.
 
I've posted several times on this same subject, but here's a brief rundown...
The above note about the follow focus is true. You should also set marks out along the length of the track that correspon to markings you've made on your follow focus, i.e. You first focus mark on the lens is at 20ft. so when you're at 20ft from the subject along the track, you make a mark. You next mark on the lens is at 10ft, so you go down the track and make a mark at 10ft. That way, you have some guage for how quickly you need to pull focus between marks. You can set the marks a lot more often than 10ft, especially if you are working with a shallow depth of field.

In terms of limiting shake... pile a crap load of sandbags on the tripod spreader. Use the heaviest tripod you can find. The heavier the load, the tighter the skate wheels are pressed to the ground, the less they bump and shake. It's harder for your Dolly grip, but then again, that's their job, right?

One thing that can be helpful for the above mentioned focus trick is using focus bags. These are like little sandbags that are used for setting marks on uneven terrain where you can't put down tape marks. You can get them at www.filmtools.com
 
I thought about this when building mine. Which is why I built it with a large handle on the back and enough room for a tripod and a chair so I can operate the camera while another pushes/pulls. Doubled the plywood to make it more sturdy. haven't tested yet because the track isn't done, but I think it'll work out nicely.
 
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