DIY Skate Wheel Camera Dolly Instructions
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Indie filmmakers spend and enormous amount of time and energy attempting to make their low-budget films feel like big budget productions. An essential difference in how big budget films differ from low-budget indies is the way the camera moves.
In a typical Hollywood film the camera floats, flies, and follows the actors with smooth precision. Your typical low-budget movie is either an 'all-over-the-place' hand-held affair or the camera feels like it has been bolted to the ground.
Moving the camera smoothly is one of the best things you can do to add that elusive thing called 'Production Value' to your independent films. On big budget productions a camera dolly is standard gear. They use them like you and I use a tripod. But those complex pieces of engineering are expensive, heavy, and require a trained operator to use.
Fortunately, there is a very low cost camera dolly alternative for the independent filmmaker that anyone with modest skills with tools and a few dollars (or excellent scavenging abilities) can create. It is:
The Skate Wheel Dolly
Free Skate Wheel Dolly Tutorials:
Video Tutorials
http://www.digitaljuice.com/djtv/segment_detail.asp?sid=186
http://vimeo.com/groups/297/videos/1893226
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-build-your-own-ten-foot-long-camera-dolly-track-175170/#videoDescriptionText
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-make-your-own-track-dolly-164817/
Text and Photo Tutorials
http://www.rondexter.com/professional/equipment/skate_wheel_dollies.htm
http://www.rondexter.com/professional/equipment/cranes_and_dollies/ht_make_a_skateboard_dolly.htm
http://www.gomediamonkey.com/make-dolly.php
http://photography.qj.net/DIY-Camera-Dolly/pg/49/aid/59575
http://filmmaking.stormforcepictures.com/howto-buildacameradolly.php
http://www.sticktowhatyouknow.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=262
http://www.jorenclark.com/whitepapers/dolly.html
http://www.cartala.com/pvcdolly.php
http://www.cartala.com/metaldolly.php
Do you know of a top quality tutorial for creating your own Skate Wheel Dolly? Leave a comment below and share the link with us. We'll continue to update this list as available tutorials change.
 CW1 wheels for table skater dolly dslr camera slider track rail CamOnWheels  US $19.99
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 GLIDE GEAR SMOOTH VIDEO SLIDER FOLDING TRIPOD CAMERA DOLLY TRACK WHEELS US $187.97
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 HDSLR Skater Wheel Slider Dual Dolly RS wth 4 HD Track 7d 5D2 GH2 T3i NEX fz150 US $95.95
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 HDSLR Skater Wheel Slider Dual Dolly RSC wth6 HD Track 7d 5D2 GH2 T3i NEX fz150 US $139.95
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 CAMERA TRACK DOLLY WHEEL ASSEMBLY KIT BRAND NEW STEEL US $57.99
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Tags: camera dolly, DIY Equipment, low budget gear
December 23rd, 2008 at 1:14 pm
We built one of these and began testing it and it worked great. But during shooting we were using an anamorphic lens that vibrated with movement and so we had to scrap it for that picture. Damned anamorphic lens.
December 16th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
awesome; I did it; check it out for the indie DIY dolly…
http://www.obviouschildblog.com/2009/11/diy-dolly-professioanl-cinematic-film.html
February 15th, 2010 at 7:38 am
Awesome post and links, nice work! Just read Rob Rodriguez’s ‘Rebel Without A Crew’ and he used an old wheelchair borrowed from the local hospital in order to get his dolly effect
April 14th, 2011 at 12:38 pm
I absolutely loved ‘Rebel Without a Crew’. His main thing was to focus on creative solutions to production challenges and not expensive ones.
Wheelchairs work. They aren’t perfect, but if you have one, they work. I know people who have used nearly anything with wheels.
On one quarter million dollar music video shoot I was on, the producer used the rental minivan as a shooting platform. They opened the side door and belted the camera guy into one of the back seats – delivered perfect results for what they needed.
Focus on results and what you have and creative options will appear.
Andrew