Horror/thriller corridor shot

indybones

indybones

Well-known member
Hi guys...

Could do with picking your brains please..
I'm thinking of filming a scene that you usually find in horror/thriller type films.
It's a long corridor shot, centered composition, with a very low point of view.
The camera very very slowly pushes either in or pulls out from a door at the end of a corridor.

I was thinking of using a steady-cam, but I've never had experience of it and people have said that without experience you just won't get the shot.
I'm on a student budget so may need some alternative type thinking on this one, as I can't afford to hire a steady-cam operator.

Another alternative and possibly cheaper is to get a matador dolly, and just make sure the floor is pretty even and smooth, but I haven't had much experience with dollies.

Anyone one have any suggestions, I guess the main points that I wish to get from this shot is a very very slow track/out from the door, and it's very smooth, I don't really mind how its done just as long as its smooth and slow.

Thanks guys.

Indy
 
Cheapest low rider dolly is a skateboard . . .

cheapest smooth is practice, next is some form of pulley/lever system, esp for extreme slow pulls.

Saw one done where they set the camera on one of those slick roll up plastic toy toboggans and drug it across the floor. Turned out generating large static charge & zapped the camera op - hilarious after we determined it didn't toast the camera too.

For extreme slow pull a fishing reel thru a couple of pulleys works pretty well.

Have fun and must post clips

Best wishes
 
Wheelchairs are great if your surface is level and smooth enough...have your DP sitting in the chair...even place a board or solid surface over the wheelchair hand rails, then place a sandbag with your camera sitting on the sandbag...or set your camera on the tripod baseplate on top of the board.
 
Thanks guys...

Blimy why didn't I think of a skateboard or wheel chair doh....
just done a really rough test to see how it could work and yeah deffo, few adjustments and a bit of this and that....

hell of a lot cheaper than a steady-cam and dollie system at £250 per day, nah that isn't going to happen on a student budget..lol..
Skateboard and wheelchair is it.

Thanks again Guys:dankk2::dankk2:
 
People say you might not get the shot but I bet you can. I got really good results from everybody's internet fav ghetto steadicam rig...I bashed one of these out a while back, flipped it over and was glad I did. I could flip it and get LOW angle smoothness. Sorry pros...but when money's tight I'm going to get my shot any way I can.

http://steadycam.org/
 
Indy,

You are right that a novice Steadicam op (or even an expert with limiting equipment) won't get you that smooth on a dolly shot you want.

The shot you describe is a dolly shot, so if you can make it work (== smooth floor (or a jib/crane further back on a track)) then a dolly is the best way to do this shot.

One trick that can help, is to zoom as you dolly. A short dolly move, combined with a short zoom together can make for a longer shot that looks good, but with minimal mechanical movement necessary.


Also; try calling around some local Steadicam ops. If you treat them with respect, the project is interesting, you cover their basic expenses, respect their time, feed them, respect their gear, beg, grovel, and respect them (did I say that enough?); they may be happy to help you out. Assuming you aren't paying anyone on your crew (including yourself), many Steadicam ops will give you a good deal for student projects.
Be sure to be humble (don't blindly expect them to give their time, but ask nicely and they might). And just as importantly: don't waste their time. - Make sure you have a good shooting plan, have you tech & acting together (you know, all the stuff you need to do anyway).

If you call a op telling them they should give you their weekend because you have a shot that they should really do because it's great for their resume, you won't have much luck. Whereas explaining the shot and your budget and asking what you could to do cover their expenses for 2 hours on set to do this shot at time X or Y; you may very well get a very positive response. - If nothing else, you've made a good impression with someone else locally in the business, even if they aren't available.

- Mikko
 
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