Thinking about buying Indie Dolly...

capel

capel

Active member
So I'm gonna get a dolly soon to shoot my first short film and I have my eye on the Indie Dolly system.

http://indiedolly.com/imagesfolder/UniversalDolly.gif

Just wanted to get any second opinions from anyone on here who's had experience with this product. Good or bad. What are the pros/cons?

I'll be shooting most of the film in the woods, so I need something that'll take a beating and do well on uneven terrain. Thanks for any advice!
 
Ever thought of getting a something like a steadycam or glidecam system? Might be easier to shoot vs trying to level the dolly on uneven ground.
 
Maybe eventually. But I want those nice smooth tracking shots.

I'll definitely find a nice, somewhat even patch of ground to shoot the few dolly shots I want for this particular film. But I'm thinking of this as an investment, since I'll be using it on a bunch of other film as well.

Also, aren't a steadycam and a dolly generally used for different purposes? I get that they both allow for smoother camera movement, but I'd think it would be hard to get that nice push in or pull out for dramatic effect with a steadycam. Yes? No?
 
I purchased the Indie dolly system last year for a project- along with straight and curved track. Love it. It's easy to set up. Incredibly sturdy and smooth once you get rolling. Make sure you buy a lot of wedges, apple boxes and plywood to help in leveling for your shots on un-even ground.

Jim
 
capel said:
..............
Also, aren't a steadycam and a dolly generally used for different purposes? I get that they both allow for smoother camera movement, but I'd think it would be hard to get that nice push in or pull out for dramatic effect with a steadycam. Yes? No?
Click to expand...
Yes they are for different purposes and yes, it would be very difficult (if not impossible) for a novice to get a perfectly smooth push-in/pull-out with a steadicam rig. A skilled operator probably could come close but there is nothing like fluid bearings running over a fixed set of rails on a hard support surface. I own one. It is very well made and is ridiculously smooth. It definitely is an investment but it is not overpriced for the quality you get--pretty good bang for the buck imo. Only complaint is not using it much since the project I bought it for.
 
gco is correct. Dolly and Steadicam do ovelap in some areas but there are certain things the other cannot do.

-Doing super slow pushes for dramatic effect is very hard with a steadicam.
-Steadicam will work faster and better in uneven ground.

If you intend to get a dolly and use it in the field make sure to purchase plenty of apple boxes and wedges to be able to level it. If you use a track system that cannot carry the weight of the gear+operator you will not be able to use apple boxes to elevate the track therefore will not be able to balance it on uneven ground.

The smallest dolly we use is the Matthews round-d-round dolly with skater wheels and Matthews tracks. It will carry a 100lbs (including sand bags for more stability) of gear with 200lbs operator.

hope this helps
 
Thanks for the replies.

I'm going to be using the dolly in the woods, so uneven ground will be an issue. I'm not gonna be pushing it up and down hills or anything, and the locations I've found are pretty flat, but bumpy as well.

I'm also looking at this:

http://www.longvalleyequip.com/dolly.php

I pretty much need whichever is going to work better on uneven ground in a forest location.
 
Getting track down level even on what appears to be flat surface is always tricky. I have to admit I'm not that good with wedging - I seem to need to re-adjust far too many times. The thought of trying to use track on soft, uneven ground makes a steadycam the sensible option. Tracks must be flat, otherwise the horizon shifts - which looks odd, unless you want it for effect.
 
You know, I'm looking at the ZaZa DIY slider thingy, and thinking that may also be a viable option. The dolly moves I have planned aren't anything too crazy.

My question would be, would a ZaZa be able to support an HPX170, Redrock adapter, lens, follow focus and mattebox? My rig will be pretty front heavy, so yeah...
 
depending on the shots,

track dollies on ladder like tracks can be completely leveled on uneven surfaces

track dollies on wires can also provide smooth movement in a forest situation(i think this only works for fast sweeping movements).

if most of the movie is in a forest, a steadicam will probably be the workhorse of the movie. but it doesn't mean you won't need a couple of shots on a dolly, or a one or two shots with a jib or crane.

it doesn't have to be the one tool that you have to use on the film, maybe get something that you use a lot, but be open to maybe renting the tool you need for the special shots or key shots.

if it's a movie that will be 90% on uneven (mud or terrain - is it a solid terrain, how uneven), depending on the genre, do you think a dolly will work on the terrain, how much time to setup for the shots, is it the kind of genre like thriller or zombie movies, or horror were the camera is going places most of the time, or is it character based genre, like stand by me that will have maybe one or two action sequences but the main or big portion of the movie is going to be at an drama/adventure pace.

also factor in the forest setting will demand fast setup times, a slight change in light can cause all kinds of problems when surrounded by trees and branches.
 
Hey Amr. Thanks for the response.

It'll be 90 percent character driven stuff. Two guys hiking through the woods, talking and setting up camp. And at the end there will be running and stuff. But the dolly shots I want aren't really all that long. It'll mainly be for slow pull outs, push in's and side tracking, just to add that professional look to the areas that will benefit from it.

And the actiony stuff at the end can be shaky to a point. I'm not too worried about that. I'm just wondering if a track is overkill for this particular project. And if so, would a ZaZa type slider be able to support my rig? (the description is in my last post)
 
FWIW, I decided to post mine in the Marketplace. I can't foresee needing one based on what i do so it might as well go to someone who can use it.
 
Adding a few thoughts here:

Depending on the length of the run you need, you could consider a long Igus slider with multiple supports.

There are lots of dolly wheel kits available on eBay for reasonable $$. After that, some plywood and PVC pipe and you have something that can work well if you are careful setting it up. This won't be nearly as nice as a $1200 kit, but may suffice.

Grant
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top