Now this is a strange one because it always looks so simple and most people generally ignore it in films but it's still very important to film-making. So how you get get good tracking and panning on your shots. Panning is simple enough for me because I just use a tripod and rotate the camera or hold in very still and pivot on my feet but how do you manage to track shot successfully? Do you create a cart and put the cameraman inside that or walk very slowly and nimbly? Or do you have to by a special kit with track that a large camera may run down like a train?
Basically, is there any simple way of tracking for amateur film-makers, using a hand-held MiniDV camcorder? Any replies would be much appreciated.
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You can't keep 'em out, they're already in!
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You can't keep 'em out, they're already in!
Last tracking shot I did we were shooting in a hotel corridor and borrowed a tea trolley from the kitchen :). Wheelchairs apparently work fairly well, wheely-bins work OK, but in my experience supermarket shopping trolleys don't work worth a damn.
If you want something more sophisticated, a lot of people have built (or sell) basic dolleys built with skateboard wheels that run along plastic tracks, and they work fairly well for lightweight cameras. Beyond that you're starting to move into serious money territory, but they'll handle bigger cameras and be more stable.
The other option is a Steadicam: I have a Steadicam JR which worked pretty well for my old Hi8 camera but can't handle the weight of my Z1. Again there are plenty of people who've built their own out of pretty basic components and produced something that works reasonably well.
Wheelchairs work very well and you can usually find them for free. Just make sure the person pushing is extremely steady and it looks just like the real thing.
Where can you get them though? At a cheap price.
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You can't keep 'em out, they're already in!
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You can't keep 'em out, they're already in!
There are loads of wheelchairs on ebay, though most of them are asking over 100 pounds. Maybe if you check there you'll find an old and knackered one going cheap.
