Hello Dolly! [Skateboard Dolly Part I]

It's time to upgrade the Sci-Fi Gene standard package: starting with the camera department. There are three options, any of which should improve some aspects of film quality.

1. Invest in the latest semi-professional HD camcorder for higher resolution, better image quality and all the latest built-in features.

2. Build or buy a camera rig, matte box and French shutters and 35mm adapter device to enhance the capabilities of the current camera with professional lenses and filters.

3. Sign up for a camera operator training course to learn how to get the best from existing equipment.

As you can see here I chose option 4.

The next project is a track and dolly system. I've based mine on a design featured in The Guerilla Filmmaker's Blueprint by Chris Jones, reviewed here, but there are variants of this design all over the internet. The base will be made from two 96cmx60cmx12mm sheets of plywood.

Building the wheel trucks: 8mm holes on each side of the bracket for the wheel bolts, 4mm holes on the corner for woodscrews. 8mm bolts for the wheels were cut to required length.

On each side of the bracket: bolt, nut, 2 x washer, 54mm skateboard wheel with two bearings, 2 x washer, nut.

Wheel trucks are screwed to wood blocks which can in turn be screwed to the base and easily repositioned if needed.

To be continued...

Tunnel visions

I was recently an extra in a short film set on the Underground and spent several hours travelling up and down the Piccadilly Line with cast and crew, trying to shoot a few seconds of HD footage on a Red One.

During the shoot I tried to observe and learn as much as I could vicariously. This is an extremely difficult film environment - possibly more so for the professional using heavy, complex kit like the Red One. Firstly the trains rock and roll and vibrate heavily. This means that, at best, every shot looks like a hand held shot. At worst, particularly on close-ups (and remember, a major USP of the Red One is it's ability to zoom beyond other HD formats) there's too much movement. Given the size of the Red One, some shots could only be achieved with three people holding it steady.

Secondly, there are huge differences in light levels between tunnels and stations, and between underground and overground track. This means you're always up against the clock - you may have only a few minutes to switch lenses, position the camera and crew, and capture that shot before the conditions change.

Thirdly, watch out for continuity. Each time the train passed through central London and came out of the tunnels, we had to change trains and head back the other way, finding a similar position in the new carriage, and of course the minor details such as the posters above the seats had all changed.

The general public weren't a difficulty: people were happy to move along the carriage to let us film at one end. I suppose you could shoot a scene like this without extras, using volunteers as you go along - the problem would be with the train changes or re-takes as there would be different people in the background of each shot. Overall the shoot was good fun and I was impressed with the team's ability to rise to all these challenges and really hope they got what they needed.



If you can deal with it's idiosyncrasies, the Tube is a fantastic set. The winner of SFL-48 in 2008, Factory Farmed, and the 2009 runner-up, Glimpse, both relied heavily on Jubilee line footage. If you want to see a feature made Underground, watch the 2004 horror Creep. In addition to a superb performance by Franka Potente, the film makes great use of the Underground's hidden treasures - miles of sinister disused stations and tunnels.