You really want a dolly to be as solid as possible, not to wobble around. I'd imagine the problems are due to a lack of solid track to run them on, or cheap wheels that wobble somewhat.

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Originally posted by thehitmaker667

For all you DIY directors out there, i've been doing some research on self-made dollies (the ones with skateboard wheels). I noticed that alot of people were complaining about the rough motion of the dolly. I know that it is mostly due to poor wheels, but i was wondering something. If anyone here has made one before, if i put springs as shock absorbers between the wheels and dolly, do you think that would help?

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Perhaps straying a bit from the original topic-- but I watched a feature film recently, and on the featurettes they showed some of the "dolly" shots being done by the cameraman sitting in a wheelchair with the camera held low, being pushed by an assistant. A cheap way to do a dolly type shot. It was done on concrete/asphalt though which allowed for smooth rolling of the wheels.

well that's always an option. I know Rodriguez used it for his film El Mariachi, but you cant use it on rough terrain.

PVC piping, a piece of ply wood, some metal corner pieces and some skateboard wheels should make you a solid dolly. Obviously the more pvc you by teh longer you can make your track. just make sure that when you are connecting pvc pipes you dont use a typical outside teh pope connecter (it will cause the camera to jump). So inorder to connect them with virtually no upand down movement, cut one piece of pvc pipe about a 6-10 inches long then cut out a big chunk of it length wise. if you do it right you should be able to no wsqueeze teh piece yo ucut to fit inside the othe rpvc pipe. then you have a connector inside of teh pipe so there is nothing to get in the way of your wheels. I would go into more detail butim in a rush. So, any questions, just ask.

"Anyone who has ever been privileged to direct a film also knows that, although it can be like trying to write 'War and Peace' in a bumper car in an amusement park, when you finally get it right, there are not many joys in life that can equal the feeling." - Stanley Kubrick

yeah, that's what i was talking about. I've found plenty of website with step by instructions, but i have noticed that a lot of people complained about the rugged movement that it can create. Thats why i was thinking about putting some springs on it to absorb some of the shock.

i woudnot put springs on it. Then its gonna wobble a little. To avoid the little jutters all you have to do iw wipe off the pvc pipe and maybe put some oil or WD40 on it. We actually used cooking oil on my last short and that worked fine.

"Anyone who has ever been privileged to direct a film also knows that, although it can be like trying to write 'War and Peace' in a bumper car in an amusement park, when you finally get it right, there are not many joys in life that can equal the feeling." - Stanley Kubrick

Sometimes, the origin of problems such as uneven rolling or rough movement on a dolly is due to the wheels not being screwed on straight. Make sure ALL sets of wheels are fastened straight and that all of them are facing the same angle. What happens is, if you don't get the wheels on straight, then the weight of the camera shifts while it's moving, causing rugged filming.

"'It doesn't bother you, killing those people?' 'Well I wouldn't be very good at my job if it did.'"
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