VF Gadgets Announces New Products For Camera Movement

by Tony Fonseca

Published on Apr 16, 2004 12:00 AM
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VF Gadgets has announced their latest version of the Warren Dolly which can be set up quickly and transported to places where it would be impossible to bring a full sized system. The Warren Dolly is particularly unique because of its compact stature and its ability to carry an operator on the platform.

A handle can be attached to the chassis that allows a grip to push the camera operator along the dolly. The track itself is composed of 6 tubular sections that screw into each other to form 11 feet of continuous track. As an added feature, ˝ inch electrical conduit can also be used as track. The dolly itself only weighs 17.2 pounds and the entire 40 pound travel kit fits in a 50” x 17” travel tube.

VF Gadgets is an innovative company that has created such novel devices as the aspheric Red Eye wide angle lens adapter, the Rotating Spigot Adapter (for hanging lights off of anything), and the QT- 256 Mini Broadcast Voice Transmitter (which transmits player sounds in the MLB), and the Q5X Power Pack.

Their latest invention dubbed the “Shooter Scooter” will debut at NAB 2004. Unlike the Warren Dolly which requires a continuous track surface, the Shooter Scooter is a free standing device that rolls on rubber wheels. This new device will be very useful in tight spaces where track cannot be fully extended and also on smooth open surfaces.

The Shooter Scooter and the Warren Dolly face stiff competition from solutions offered by other companies such as the Porta-Jib Losmandy Spider dolly that features flexible track.

These days everyone talks about HDV, 24p, and obtaining the film look but often times they forget that a large part of the film look has nothing to do with film or frame rates. There is a production ethic in traditional film production that supersedes the way in which video is traditionally shot. Lighting, shot composition, and location dressing, are given high priority when shooting on film. Camera movement is also one of the most important aspects of the “film look” and these new products from VF Gadgets allow the user to bring big budget looks to their small scale productions.