Everything You Need to Know About the Dolly Shot

Hello, dolly!

The dolly shot is one of the most frequently used camera movements in cinema history. Though the dolly shot has been masterfully employed by luminaries such as Alfred Hitchcock, Spike Lee, and Steven Spielberg, the dolly shot can be used by any cinematographer, from novice to pro. Read on to learn how you can expertly use the dolly shot as well as hacks to do it on any budget.

What is the dolly shot?

Most importantly, what is a dolly? Put simply, it’s a camera on wheels. Traditionally, the camera is mounted on a cart that glides along a pair of tracks. Of course, there are other ways to move the camera to achieve a dolly shot, such as a stabilizing system like a steadicam or gimbal. (We have lots more dolly hacks in this article.) The point is to allow the camera to move smoothly across the frame in any direction.

Variations of the Dolly Shot

Dolly In/Out. The most common dolly shot is an in/out movement of the camera. In the dolly in/out, the camera pushes towards or away from the scene or subject. This kind of shot can be used to draw attention to something like a character’s reaction by pushing into a closeup. On the other hand, it can be used to pull out of a scene or end it, carrying the audience away from the scene to give a sense of closure. The hit TV series “Mad Men” is a great example of this kind of push/pull dolly shot.

The Zolly. The dolly zoom or “zolly” is a slightly disorienting combination of dollying in or out while the camera zooms in the opposite direction. So, if the camera is zooming in, the dolly is moving out and vice versa. The zolly is often used to portray tension, anxiety, or fear within the character on the screen. Two of the most iconic dolly zooms are in the following scenes from Jaws and Vertigo. In both scenes, the characters are in peril, realizing something awful is approaching.

The Orbit Dolly Shot. In the 360 dolly shot, the camera rotates around the subject and is often mounted on circular dolly tracks. A gimbal or steadicam can achieve the same orbital movement without tracks. A variation on this shot is to keep the camera static and rotate the subject instead. This kind of fluid camera movement gives a sensation of traveling with the characters through an experience or emotion that’s unfolding quickly. Whether the camera moves fast or slow indicates the emotional experience.

Dolly Tracking Shot. A marriage of two types of shots, the dolly tracking shot combines a dolly movement as the camera tracks the subject. Often the character is moving and the camera follows in tandem.

Spike Lee is notorious for employing the dolly tracking shot. 

Dolly Hacks

While a traditional dolly track may be the way for big budget cinema, there are plenty of dolly hacks for indie filmmakers to employ. Use your creativity and make your own dolly on virtually any budget! Here’s how.

Drone. Drones offer the most wide range of motion to dolly in any direction at a variety of speeds. DJI drones offer subject tracking so the drone moves in tandem with the subject or if the subject is static, the drone can be set to orbit around the subject at whatever distance and speed you specify.

Vehicle. Put a camera in a moving vehicle and voila! you have a dolly. Cars make it easy to track a moving subject and even low budget productions can take advantage of this method of getting a dolly shot. Any car will do! Just attach the camera to a gimbal to achieve a stable shot as the car moves.

Wheelchair. Yes, putting a camera operator in a wheelchair is a smooth, cheap, and easy way to do a dolly shot-- in, out, left, or right. Just make sure the wheelchair is moved at an even pace and on a smooth surface. Add a stabilizer for an even smoother dolly shot.

Onewheel. A onewheel is a self-balancing single wheel powered board. Think of a skateboard but electric instead of manually powered. Of course, a onewheel takes some skill to operate and requires balance, but is a simple means of achieving a dolly shot and is great for shooting in public. 

So now that you know a myriad of ways to achieve the ubiquitous dolly shot, be sure to incorporate these tips and tricks into your next production!

__

Note From Tongal: This blog is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tongal Blog Open Call Project. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Tongal. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here!