Why do I need a slider?

L

life4eva

Carbonite Member
Ever since I started recording I loved the movement a slider does as well as a steady cam/fly cam.


I would love to include these two looks into my project, but as of now do not have the money. So my main question I would ask film makers who use sliders/dollys and fly cam/steady cam is, why do you exactly use it and what would you do IF you didn't have those options in your recording process?

Thank you in advance.
 
I'm personally a big fan of still shots. I love movement and steadicam shots, but a good still shot just can't be beat IMO.

I don't currently own a slider, but I do have a stabilizer for my T2i (this one: http://jaybilizer.com/products/jaybilizer-hdslr/). It's not amazing, but it works with a wide lens and some good IS.

Mostly I like to use the steadicam/stabilizer for tighter shots. For anything wider than a medium shot, I usually prefer to lock the camera down - possibly with some panning and tilting, but otherwise still. The reason is that when you're close to the subject, a still shot feels out of place if the subject is moving at all. Sometimes if you block the action and the camera movement properly, you can get reasonably close shots from a tripod - providing you have a good fluid head, which I don't.

Thing is, I just moved, so most of the shots and short films I've done recently have been pretty much just me, so I rarely get to use my stabilizer. Without it, I like to try to keep medium to wide shots. The lack of movement isn't as noticeable when the actual subject's movement doesn't take up the whole frame.

If I need a close-up or an ECU, I'll try to keep the edit tight, which can give a false sense of movement (by cutting quickly between different angles).

If at all possible, I think it's a good idea to have a stabilizer or a slider. But if you can't afford one, there are certainly plenty of ways to work around that limitation. Hopefully some of the above ideas might be helpful, and I'm sure others will chime in with better suggestions.

Michael
 
There's some really cheap creative ways to get moving shots. It all depends on where our shooting. For instance, if your shooting in a kitchen, you can throw a dish towel on a counter, set the camera on it, then slowly pull it accross the counter. As long as your towel and the counter are flat, you should be able to get a smooth sliding shot. May take some practice, but as long as your creative, you can find little was to get expensive looking shots. It's up to you as a film maker to make it work.

disclaimer: Don't blame me if your actors and crew bust out laughing. :)
 
maranfilms said:
There's some really cheap creative ways to get moving shots. It all depends on where our shooting. For instance, if your shooting in a kitchen, you can throw a dish towel on a counter, set the camera on it, then slowly pull it accross the counter. As long as your towel and the counter are flat, you should be able to get a smooth sliding shot. May take some practice, but as long as your creative, you can find little was to get expensive looking shots. It's up to you as a film maker to make it work.

disclaimer: Don't blame me if your actors and crew bust out laughing. :)
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+1

ZazaCast said:
Just break down and build one....there are a million and one uses. It's easy & cheap.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?145701-DIY-IndieSlider... or www.zazaslider.com

Complete instructions can be found in either place.
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I was under the impression that he couldn't afford one, and needed ways around having one. $160 isn't much for some, but for others it can be the difference in whether or not you make rent at the end of the month.
 
Michael Traven said:
+1



I was under the impression that he couldn't afford one, and needed ways around having one. $160 isn't much for some, but for others it can be the difference in whether or not you make rent at the end of the month.
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+1


I currently have a budget of only $99 for a slider whether it's do it yourself or one I buy.... It doesn't need to be perfect but better than nothing. I still feel that my question though was not answered in it's entirety.

What actually is the main reason to use a slider/dolly when film making?
Why use a steady cam?

Just trying to learn more here on the internet day by day from actual people who are using these tools

Thanks
 
It's movement, and movement creates mood. Example, (used in every tv show and movie ever made.)

You have a guy being interigated by a cop. A slow push(dolly to) toward the guy being interigated gives it the visual impression the world is closing in on him. He dosn't need to say a word. the camera movement does the talking. It's used also to create intensity, the same dolly move can create so many different types of emotion, it just depends on the dialogue and how it's perceived. Thats just one example.

A steady cam is great for fluid movement to give a flying feeling, It's a different feel than zooming in because it opens up the set, and gives depth to the enviornment. It's great for first person scenarios as well.
 
Right, sorry. There are numerous reasons to use a slider or a steadicam system. It's really about the aesthetics and motivated camera movement, which is a really big topic that I feel others would be more qualified to tackle (and I believe already have tackled in some of the stickied threads in the Cinematography section).

From my personal (limited) experience and studies, camera movement is often used to give a sense of frenetic energy, tension, or delight/bliss/feeling of freedom. This is most noticeable when a steadicam/slider is used for a relatively still shot (where the subject is not in excessive motion). For instance, if your character is sitting at the table eating dinner and having a tense conversation with his wife, shooting from a relatively still position with a steadicam is a great way to give an underlying tension to the scene. Just be careful not to overdo the camera movement, or people will complain about "shaky cam."

The alternative use is for simply following the action. For instance, a character walking out of his house, down the porch steps and across the lawn to yell at the party-goers across the street. IMO, this is best done with a steadicam or a dolly. A slider is usually not long enough to follow anything more than very brief bits of action/subject movement.

I don't have a slider. I would like one, but between my stabilizer system and a slider, I'm very glad to have the stabilizer. There is a great sense of mobility and freedom when shooting with it.

As I said in my earlier post, I often use my stabilizer for close shots. I'm going to be shooting a short film as soon as the snow clears up here, and the main dramatic scene has two characters arguing in a driveway. I'm going to use a mix of some wide and medium shots. For the wide shots, I'll be using a tripod, and panning to follow any movement. For the medium/close shots, I'll be using the steadicam to keep a sense of movement and tension. I could do the same for the wider shots, but the wider framing would make the camera movement stand out more, and then it would appear "shaky" and unmotivated.

I'm not really sure if that answers your question, but that's how I use my steadicam. Are there any particular shots or shot types you're wondering about?

Michael
 
Some very thoughtful statements here (especially Michael), what a nice break from the obsession with camera specifications which seems to have deluged this site of late.
 
life4eva said:
I would love to include these two looks into my project, but as of now do not have the money. So my main question I would ask film makers who use sliders/dollys and fly cam/steady cam is, why do you exactly use it and what would you do IF you didn't have those options in your recording process?
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The reason I use them: The movement of the camera can help to convey emotion, do following and tracking shots that would otherwise look horrible, and sometimes give an almost surreal feel to what you're recording.

What would I do if I didn't have these things?: I suppose I would develop something that allowed me to imitate what these things do. There is no replacement for a SteadiCam, slider, or dolly. Before I had the availability of a slider or dolly I would use slow panning to give some shots movement. The ability to "change things up" that these items give you is unbelievable and irreplaceable.
 
if you're really, really tight on your budget, you may want to check this video:
http://nofilmschool.com/2010/10/absolute-cheapest-dolly-move/

(plus, if you want to know, I've got a tiny igus slider, and plan to buy a flycam nano or similar stabilizer in the near future; initially I thought the flycam would be the more useful tool, but not being able to pull focus while operating it is a big problem for the kind of shooting that I want to do)
 
Chris S. Alexander said:
The reason I use them: The movement of the camera can help to convey emotion, do following and tracking shots that would otherwise look horrible, and sometimes give an almost surreal feel to what you're recording.

What would I do if I didn't have these things?: I suppose I would develop something that allowed me to imitate what these things do. There is no replacement for a SteadiCam, slider, or dolly. Before I had the availability of a slider or dolly I would use slow panning to give some shots movement. The ability to "change things up" that these items give you is unbelievable and irreplaceable.
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+1

I too wanted to add some movement to my shots, thus my researching the sliders that were out there...that's how I found igus and posted the DIY thread for all.
You can use smaller gauge rail (10-40mm) and build one for around $79.00. You could set your camera on a skateboard & dolly. There are lots of options out there.

One thing I will say (IMHO)... since building my own slider, I have not been on a shoot without it! You can slide, dolly, vertical slide, dutch angle slides, etc...you are only limited by your creativity.
A slider is also useful when doing lockdown shot too. It allows you to reposition the camera and frame your shots quickly and easily without having to move and re-level the tripod.
 
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