Topic: Dolly Shots!

I need some help doing dolly (tracking) shots. You may have noticed, the dolly shots in my film "Small World" are flat-out awful. I'd like some help doing dolly shots, CGI or real. Keep in mind the space I animate on is maybe and inch longer than a gray baseplate. I need video tutorial, pics, anything to help. Also, some advice or tips on dolly zooms, or "Zollies", would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

http://i.imgur.com/Q9NCUnx.png

Re: Dolly Shots!

Create a good camera cage first off, and make sure it is really secure. Then create a simple rig, being a track of tiles as wide as the distance the dolly will travel, by the size of the dolly, with an elevated siding, this being plates on the outside with tiles on top. Then set a ruler or yardstick on the axis the dolly will travel on, held down by tape or bricks. This will help you measure the increments the camera travels. Simply animate the rig going on it's track, increments are at your choice. You can also make the set on the track instead if you don't want to make a cage.

Re: Dolly Shots!

Here's a Post-Production Dolly I did. I'll be uploading the manual one soon.

http://i.imgur.com/Q9NCUnx.png

Re: Dolly Shots!

that one obviously reduces the quality quite a lot... I'll be interested to see the manual one as well because this is something I want to learn as well

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12980977/sigmachine.png
YouTube uncompleted project: filming not in progress

Re: Dolly Shots!

Whach this tutorial that fancypants made:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcQIYjQkQhg

I can't brickfilm for now. See you guys later.

Re: Dolly Shots!

I don't have a camera stand.

http://i.imgur.com/Q9NCUnx.png

Re: Dolly Shots!

Hmmm well WMM has somthing like that but all it does is zoom from left to right, but it dose work fine if you make your figures more at the right time.

Re: Dolly Shots!

http://www.shivakalpa.org/johnp/cannons/Cannon_Barbie-2-dscf0954.jpg


Is this what you were looking or mah boi?

Re: Dolly Shots!

No. Is that you by the cannon, Brickyman?

http://i.imgur.com/Q9NCUnx.png

Re: Dolly Shots!

Your green screening is a lot worse then your dolly shot, why not just get this background and put it behind the set rather then green screen it it, it's cheap and would look better.

For your dolly are you moving the camera or the set? If you can't secure the camera you may just tape a ruler to the table top and slide the set against it. (also buildings in the background should hardly move at all in a dolly shot, having them move by as quickly as the set in the foreground looks wrong, having them not move would probably look better (and if you are moving the set would be easer if you had the physical backdrop)

Re: Dolly Shots!

I don't have the room to move the set, and that was a rough try. The horrible blue screening covers up the masking, which is worse.

http://i.imgur.com/Q9NCUnx.png

Re: Dolly Shots!

You know, I never thought to just move the set. It seems so obvious now! God I'm stupid!!

goldencamerastudios wrote:

I don't have a camera stand.

I recommend buying one. Asides from Lego, a camera, and a computer, it is the most useful tool you can get.

YouTube
Max, She/Her

Re: Dolly Shots!

I created a downloadable tutorial, it is simple and to the point and will help I am sure. If you aren't using a Quickcam Webcam you can still follow the tutorial, just make a Lego cage for your webcam/camera that holds the camera solid and still.


Dolly Shot Tutorial

Just click on the Download here link on this page.

Re: Dolly Shots!

Max Butcher wrote:

You know, I never thought to just move the set. It seems so obvious now! God I'm stupid!!

goldencamerastudios wrote:

I don't have a camera stand.

I recommend buying one. Asides from Lego, a camera, and a computer, it is the most useful tool you can get.

I just have my cradle on a baseplate, then just slide it a little.

Re: Dolly Shots!

goldencamerastudios wrote:

No. Is that you by the cannon, Brickyman?


Yes.


Dashing fellow, aren't I?