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getting that Hollywood "look" is a goal that many wedding videographers who are employing a cinematic style in their shooting are trying to achieve. Some are achieving it through smooth moving shots using a stabilizer device such as a Gli decani or Steadicam or creating shots with shallow depth of field with the help of 35mm adapters and, more recently, videocapable DSLRs such as the Canon 5 D Mark II. Making our work look more like big-budget movies is one of the ways the industry is battling the stigma that wedding video looks "cheesy."
But what if you don't want the hassle of flying a Glidecam or Steadicam or having to throw on a vest that can get you mistaken for a SWAT team member? What if you just don't have the budget for investing in 35mm lenses? What can you use to get that cinematic look without having to spend a lot of money and with a device that's portable enough for you to carry around during a wedding?
A shot used in many of the movies and TV shows that we watch today is called the dolly shot. As many videographers know, the camera rig is placed on tracks (along with the camera operator) and is pushed by an assistant moving the camera from side to side or forward. But imagine having to set up something like that, let's say, in one of the church aisles so that we can dolly along with the bride and her father as they make their entrance. First, we wouldn't have the time. Second, it would just look so darn ridiculous!
ENTER THE GLIDETRACK
Enter the Glidetrack, a portable and very affordable dolly system that can be used quickly and easily to add the "wow" factor into any production. Its design is simple: a single rail that has a carriage mount for your camera that slides smoothly as you push it. The Glidetrack (www.glidetrack.com) is created and sold by Alastair Brown of A Brown Digital Video in Paisley, Scotland. The Glidetrack site boasts "Minimum Hassle, Maximum Impact!" Having used it since late fall of last year in both weddings and concept video productions, I strongly agree with that assessment. It has become my weapon of choice in...