Jim Carswell
Well-known member
I'm sure others have written about Indie Dolly Systems. But, just thought I would pass along my thoughts on their products. UPS delivered the Indie Dolly, straight and curve track kits this morning. First impression of the presentation is they took the time to put this equipment together in a form factor that is easy to carry. Each kit is stored in a foam lined luggage style case. Real nice.
Everything appears to have great build quality. The dolly arrives in its case in a collapsed, unassembled state. No directions. But, fortunately the company's website has a video that shows how to assemble the dolly. The video leaves a bit to be desired because it is not shot under controlled, indoor lighting conditions and the QUICKTIME is very small and can not be enlarged on the screen. That being said, the directions seem to be pretty straight forward and I had the dolly assembled and ready for placement on the wheels in a matter of minutes.
Assembling the track took a little getting used to. The straight and curved track is stored in separate cases and is in a collapsed form. You have to twist and turn the track "just so" to get it positioned properly. Not a big deal, just took a while to get it right. Once I got the hang of it the track was laid out as simple as 1,2,3,4.
Leveling the track wasn't a big ordeal. Just make sure you have a box of wooden wedges on hand and a level from Home Depot/Lowe's to make sure you don't have a dip anywhere.
With the track together it was time to place the dolly on the wheels/trucks and on to the track itself. There's a lot of trial and error as you try to get the dolly positioned just right. Again, not a big deal. Just takes some patience. What's nice is there are heavy rubber sliding blocks on each arm of the dolly. So, once you find the right position for each arm you just slide the blocks into position marking the proper adjustment for the next time you have to set up.
The wheels and guides are a nice, heavy duty rubber and appear to be pretty high quality.
The dolly comes with a collapsable seat and a pull/push bar so you are good to go without having to buy anything extra.
I made a few passes with me sitting on the dolly. I would have thought the dolly would moan and groan because I'm not exactly small. 6' 6"/220lbs. But, the dolly glided smoothly and performed wonderfully.
I ordered the accessory platform for the dolly. I figured I might want the extra space for a monitor or other gear. I can't for the life of me figure out how it connects to the dolly. I'm not giving up on it...just setting off to the side for a while.
I was going to go with a Matthews doorway dolly with a length of straight track and a length of curved track. But buy than I was in the $3,000 range.
The Indie Dolly Systems products came in much less than that with longer lengths of track.
I am very pleased that I went in this direction. The Indie Dolly Systems product is well made, quick to set up (once you are familiar with the system) and priced right for what you get.
I hope this information helps others considering a dolly purchase.
If you have any questions...please feel free to ask.
Oh, and I am not affiliated with Indie Dolly Systems in any way. Just an independent filmmaker who found a piece of equipment that arrives and performs as advertised.
Jim
Everything appears to have great build quality. The dolly arrives in its case in a collapsed, unassembled state. No directions. But, fortunately the company's website has a video that shows how to assemble the dolly. The video leaves a bit to be desired because it is not shot under controlled, indoor lighting conditions and the QUICKTIME is very small and can not be enlarged on the screen. That being said, the directions seem to be pretty straight forward and I had the dolly assembled and ready for placement on the wheels in a matter of minutes.
Assembling the track took a little getting used to. The straight and curved track is stored in separate cases and is in a collapsed form. You have to twist and turn the track "just so" to get it positioned properly. Not a big deal, just took a while to get it right. Once I got the hang of it the track was laid out as simple as 1,2,3,4.
Leveling the track wasn't a big ordeal. Just make sure you have a box of wooden wedges on hand and a level from Home Depot/Lowe's to make sure you don't have a dip anywhere.
With the track together it was time to place the dolly on the wheels/trucks and on to the track itself. There's a lot of trial and error as you try to get the dolly positioned just right. Again, not a big deal. Just takes some patience. What's nice is there are heavy rubber sliding blocks on each arm of the dolly. So, once you find the right position for each arm you just slide the blocks into position marking the proper adjustment for the next time you have to set up.
The wheels and guides are a nice, heavy duty rubber and appear to be pretty high quality.
The dolly comes with a collapsable seat and a pull/push bar so you are good to go without having to buy anything extra.
I made a few passes with me sitting on the dolly. I would have thought the dolly would moan and groan because I'm not exactly small. 6' 6"/220lbs. But, the dolly glided smoothly and performed wonderfully.
I ordered the accessory platform for the dolly. I figured I might want the extra space for a monitor or other gear. I can't for the life of me figure out how it connects to the dolly. I'm not giving up on it...just setting off to the side for a while.
I was going to go with a Matthews doorway dolly with a length of straight track and a length of curved track. But buy than I was in the $3,000 range.
The Indie Dolly Systems products came in much less than that with longer lengths of track.
I am very pleased that I went in this direction. The Indie Dolly Systems product is well made, quick to set up (once you are familiar with the system) and priced right for what you get.
I hope this information helps others considering a dolly purchase.
If you have any questions...please feel free to ask.
Oh, and I am not affiliated with Indie Dolly Systems in any way. Just an independent filmmaker who found a piece of equipment that arrives and performs as advertised.
Jim
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