Preliminary task (Dolly and Slider)

The dolly is one of the most famous tools of a filmmaker’s trade, used to move the camera in a shot. A studio dolly is a huge piece of equipment, normally heavy enough to hold the camera, camera operator and an assistant while pushed or pulled by a pair of grips. This is a vital piece of equipment in any large film and serves an important purpose but can be impossible to use for some filmmakers.

The disadvantages of the Dolly is that the tripod can fall out the dolly, which can cause damage to the camera.

The slider is a new form of a dolly type piece of filmmaking equipment. While dollys are complicated, often heavy, pieces of equipment, sliders have come into popularity thanks to the advent of smaller, lightweight digital cameras.

A camera slider consists of a metal base with two rails. A carriage sits atop and rides along these rails. Oftentimes, wheels are used under the carriage to ensure smooth movement with little friction. When properly constructed, the sliders offer perfectly balanced friction, quiet operation, a wide stance and no oil is ever needed to keep it running smoothly.

Now, the biggest disadvantage to the camera slider is that it is meant for short shots. If you plan on utilizing an extremely long dolly shot, covering a lot of space, the camera slider is not for you. In those cases, it is better to lay the tracks and prepare to move the large dolly around the room for your shot. However, for small shots of around 30 seconds of less, the camera slider will work great.