|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tight Budgets
Tight budgets are common these days. But the demand for high production values hasn't fallen with a drop in funds. So how do you achieve a slick looking series of shots without breaking the bank? Hire a portable dolly or a portable jib for only £40 a day.
Portable Dollies
One way to make your production look like Martin Scorsese was on location is to hire Martin Scorsese. But if you had that kind of money you wouldn't be reading this. Instead, consider using a portable dolly with track. They don't take up much more space than a tripod, they weigh less than ten kilos and the cameraman can easily use one without assistance.
The most common models are the Digidolly, the Wally Dolly and the Hollywood Microdolly. The first two are made in Australia and the third is made, as the name implies, in the U.S. Different cameramen have their preferences and you can call us to discuss the merits of each. The Digidolly is becoming the most popular. Below are a few details on all three models.
Digidolly
Australian-made lightweight portable track and dolly system that can be set up on location within minutes. The dolly takes a tripod and it also has a low-level Hi-hat mount. The Digidolly comes with 3.6 metres of aluminium track and its construction allows for smooth movement.
Hollywood Microdolly
The US-made Microdolly kit weighs only 4.5 kg and fits into a soft case only 86 cm long. The dolly takes a tripod and comes with four metres of track. The kit can be set up within minutes and can handle up to 45 kg of camera gear.
Wally Dolly
Australian-made lightweight (8 kg) track and dolly kit. The dolly takes a tripod and comes with three metres of aluminium track. The kit can be set up within minutes.
Dolly Shots
So you've got the dolly, what'll it do for you? Use it for presenter links to add nice, smooth movement that takes it several notches above a handheld shot. Use it for interviews to give your interview a different, more interesting look. Use it for exteriors and interiors of buildings and homes. Use it to shoot performances. The list goes on and if used well the impact can be strong and you will have raised the production value of your shoot dramatically for an extra 40 quid and for only a little more time.
Portable Jibs
Like portable dollies, portable jibs can be used by a cameraman without an assistant. They need weights so taking them on a job abroad and incurring hefty excess baggage costs makes them impractical for that purpose but if you're using a standard crew van they're easily managed. We carry two models. If you've used them a few times, you can set them up within five minutes.
Eazy Jib
The Eazy-Jib can be mounted on a standard tripod with a 100mm bowl and enables a cameraman to do interesting camera movements almost anywhere. The Eazy-Jib has an adjustable arm length that can be set between 720 and 1600 mm (2 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 2 inches). It weighs 14 kg (31 lb) and can handle a payload of 18 kg (40 lb).
Quadra Jib
A portable jib arm that can be mounted onto a tripod with a 100mm bowl. The Quadrajib 2654 weighs 14 kg and can handle a payload of 19 kg.
Jib Shots
How can you use a portable jib? Again, you can make presenter links look far better than they will off the shoulder or from a fixed tripod. You can use them to bring any otherwise static subject to life. For shots around a garden, property exteriors and interiors, the list can go on. The result is the same as with portable dollies. The 40 pounds you spend will add many times that in production value.
Last Week's Lyrics
You may remember last month's lyrics question: who wrote "even the president of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked." That was easy but hardly anyone got the answer right. It was Bob Dylan. This week's is a little tougher. But the writer had profound impact on the music business. "I've never seen a night so long, as time goes crawling by."
If you have any questions or comments please send them to cal@procamtv.com. Until next month, happy shooting.
Cal Barton - Procam Television
Procam Television
Units 3 & 4
Linford Street Business Estate
Linford Street
London
SW8 4UN
Tel: (+44) 20 7622 9888
Fax: (+44) 20 7498 1580
Email: cal@procamtv.com
Web: www.procamtv.com







Why Pinhole Photography?It's fun. It's creative. It's educative about the basics that photographers deal with whenever they do their thing.What is Pinhole Photography?At its simplest, a pinhole... Read More
Almost any shot will look better if you take two or three steps closer to your subject. Filling the frame entirely with your subject will make a... Read More
There is one simple technique any body can do to eliminate red eye. It can be done with any type of flash on any camera because red... Read More
One of the biggest debates in the photography world is whether digital cameras are better or film cameras better? The answer to this question cannot be answered... Read More
There are way too many tape, disk and stick formats out there:VHS - The old standard, too big, not digital, easily played anywhere without conversion.VHS-C - A... Read More
What I learned from a mentor that enabled me to go from an amateur photographer to a professional portrait photographer in very specific steps is something I... Read More
One of the major problems of the larger cities of the word these days is crime. It appears that the larger the city the more-acceptable serious crime... Read More
Looking at the most intricate details of the digital camera as a technologically advanced device a lot of functions come into play. Such s a point is... Read More
Here's the challenge. You have to photograph small items for Ebay or for clients' brochures. Lighting them can be challenging. Small reflective items usually exhibit specular highlights... Read More
Photography comes from the Greek words meaning "light writing" and first became known back in 1839 by Sir John Herschel. For many years prior to this, people... Read More
Family vacations, summer weddings and family reunions are in full swing, and the warm memories and envelopes of photographs are ever growing! You certainly intend to organize... Read More
There are two sources for obtaining the moulding for making a frame. You can firstly start with a straight piece of timber, and using a home routing... Read More
There are a few very important tasks associated with using the digital camera. The most important is of course capturing a beautiful photograph. The next most important... Read More
Are you buying your first digital camera? Well, you must be confused by the bewildering range of models out there. How do you know which model will... Read More
The digital camera is essentially a computer-based device, whose core is controlled by the computer. And as a result the photographs are stored in a location called... Read More
Being such a fascinating device as the digital camera, this technological masterpiece is of course a precious and priced possession. And acquiring it also means that one... Read More
As it is a fact that digital cameras are comprised of miniature computers that have storage discs for retrieving the images as digital information, so a certain... Read More
Digital SLR Camera or Digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera is an ideal camera for professionals and amateur photographers. They usually having interchangeable lenses and are known for... Read More
Photography with the aid of a digital camera is beyond doubt very fascinating. However, it also has many a nooks that the users of the digital camera... Read More
Strike one! Strike two! Strike three!Baseball! America's Pastime, and a sport growing in popularity throughout the world, where the Boys of Summer slug it out. A baseball... Read More
There are many kinds of disposable cameras. All disposable cameras are already inexpensive, but there are some that are even more of a bargain than others. While... Read More
Candid photography is photography that focuses on spontaneity rather than technique. Your subject's focus is not on the camera, but on their current task. So we're not... Read More
Looking at the digital camera, a person can visualize it as a combination of a camera along with a miniature computer system that stores the images as... Read More
Let's start there (but not spend too much time on it because you are probably already checked out on their use):On/Off - On some brands you actually... Read More
Understanding light is one of the very basic principles of learning to be a photographer. When you have a group of people in front of you with... Read More
Shopping for a new digital camera can be quite frustrating with the hundreds of choices available. Digital camera reviews clarify this confusion by comparing camera features and... Read More
The digital camera is essentially a computer-based device, whose core is controlled by the computer. And as a result the photographs are stored in a location called... Read More
The photos you took of the party are really great - except for one thing: "red eye" makes everyone look like extras from a low budget horror... Read More
Digital SLR Camera or Digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera is an ideal camera for professionals and amateur photographers. They usually having interchangeable lenses and are known for... Read More
One technology that hasn't kept up with the rapid pace of new digital cameras is camera batteries. The more features a camera has, the quicker it seems... Read More
With such a fantastic device as the digital camera for the recreation of magic in arts, a lot of care needs to be taken so as to... Read More
These parameters are discussed at 2 levels: -Based on degree of functional use of available features -Based on the type of photography you want to... Read More
Purchasing a digital camera is a wise decision, particularly if you take a lot of pictures and you want to control how they are developed. Camera prices... Read More
You may have joined the photo-sharing craze to share your family vacation photos, but have you thought about other uses for photo sharing?Here are just a few... Read More
Outdoor photographers shoot year round. That includes the hot summer. You may be surprised to learn that the best way to tolerate the heat is not to... Read More
We all want to make the most of our wedding photos and a new service from totalPIX makes it very easy with their beautifully bound photobooks.Like all... Read More
I once heard a lady say to a photographer that she would have bought his work if it had been a painting. She liked the image, but... Read More
When you're driving through the mountains somewhere, and you notice a car parked half off the road and some guy leaning to the left to avoid... Read More
Why Pinhole Photography?It's fun. It's creative. It's educative about the basics that photographers deal with whenever they do their thing.What is Pinhole Photography?At its simplest, a pinhole... Read More
Having an efficient work flow is essential for photographers. In the days of film, many of the tasks in the film work flow were handled by the... Read More
Like many people who've made the switch from film cameras to digital, I've discovered that the lens tools I once used so effectively on my cameras to... Read More
Digital Photo Diary - memories that last a life timeThe best things in life come in threes, like friends, dreams, and memories.A digital photo diary keeps some... Read More
Women photographers are fortunate. Unlike other titles, photographer has no gender. Women photographers don't have to force stilted language like "flight attendant" instead of "stewardess," or "letter... Read More
Some of the best images can be captured during the winter months, so don't let the cold stop you. For the best photography experience, wear clothing that... Read More
There is a wide world of photography. It touches each of us in our lives on a daily basis in some form or another. Photography is so... Read More
HP has started making digital cameras only recently. However, the firm provides a one-stop-shop for all digital facilities. The company has made a large number of innovations... Read More
A picture is worth a thousand words, so goes a Chinese proverb. A picture of a smiling child always brings a smile to our face and a... Read More
Love is in the air at the Venice Rookery. The birds (and the bees) are there doing the thing they are so famous for, and you can... Read More
Family vacations, summer weddings and family reunions are in full swing, and the warm memories and envelopes of photographs are ever growing! You certainly intend to organize... Read More
Last month we bought the Canon Powershot A80 online for about $325 including shipping after looking at digital cameras for about a month. It had all the... Read More
The digital camera is a wonderful device that allows a diverse variety of applications with its even diverse spectral collection of utilities. As technology progresses it brings... Read More
So you have bought a camcorder and have shot some footage, but truthfully you don't much like the results. Maybe I can help. My advice is based... Read More