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DIY Cable Dolly

Many films and television shows use complicated camera moves to visually enhance the production. Some of these moves are accomplished with a cable dolly, allowing the camera to soar through the air. Professional cable dollies can cost tens of thousands of dollars, but you can create your own with scrap wood and PVC pipe. It will allow you to capture smooth shots that are not possible when holding the camera by hand.

Things You'll Need

  • Board, 1-foot by 4-feet
  • Saw
  • Wood screws, 2-inch
  • Screwdriver
  • Drill
  • PVC pipe
  • Hacksaw
  • Epoxy
  • Zip ties
  • Nut, bolt and washers
  • Nylon rope
  • Spray lubricant
  • Bolt that matches your camera's tripod mount
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Instructions

  1. Building the Dolly

    • 1

      Cut five, 12-inch pieces of wood from a your board.

    • 2

      Assemble four of the boards into a box frame for the camera. The top board should be held in place with two wood screws per corner. Use only a single wood screw per corner on the bottom board so that it can pivot.

    • 3

      Drill a hole through the center of the bottom board that matches the diameter of the camera's mounting bolt.

    • 4

      Drill a 1/4-inch hole through the center of the frame's top board. Drill another through the center of the fifth board.

    • 5

      Cut two, 8-inch pieces of PVC pipe with a hacksaw.

    • 6

      Glue the pipes onto the fifth board with epoxy, forming an "H" shape. Each pipe should be 1 inch in from the edge of the board.

    • 7

      Drill four holes around each PVC pipe, forming a square.

    • 8

      Finish securing the pipes to the board with two zip ties per pipe, threaded through the holes that you drilled.

    • 9

      Attach the frame to the top board with a 1/4-inch bolt and nut. Use two washers between the frame and top board so that the frame can rotate freely. Do not tighten the nut more than necessary to ensure easy rotation.

    Hanging the Dolly

    • 10

      Tie two nylon ropes to a tree or pole. They should be 10 inches apart.

    • 11

      Thread each rope through one of the PVC pipes on the dolly.

    • 12

      Tie the other ends of the rope to an adjacent tree, pulling the ropes as tight as possible.

    • 13

      Lubricate the inside of the PVC pipes with a generous amount of spray lubricant.

    • 14

      Pass a bolt that matches the camera through the hole in the bottom of the frame, screwing it into the camera's tripod mount.

    • 15

      Slide the camera and dolly along the ropes. The camera will be able to move back and forth, pivot up and down and rotate left and right.

Film Production

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