Hello

i will be doing a project this winter that will be a medical safety training video targeted primarily at coaches of kids hockey.

does anyone have any suggestions on making a training video in general, and shooting on ice etc?

shooting through the plexiglass is a waste of time, but it won't be actual game footage, rather staged interaction between a few players, or between a mock injured player and a physician and/or coach.

also looking for a simple way to do a dolly shot on ice, must be a way to rig some blade type things on a dolly/tripod??

matthew

There are a couple of options that you can choose from.

One, is to shoot with a long lens from either one of the player's benches. This will work OK if you have long enough lenses but will limit you on angles and will also make it a bit more difficult to talk to your talent. It's kind of hard to work a nuance out of your actors if you're screaming at them from across the ice!

It also makes it difficult to set up coverage shots as you have to move the action as opposed to the camera. Wreaks havoc with continuity.

A cheap alternative, and I have found this to work very well, is to acquire some carpeting scraps and lay them out on the ice. It is even better if the carpeting has a rubber bottom. This will also enable you to set up a tripod and lights if necessary, without damaging the ice surface. You can lay various, small sections around your action enabling your crew to work comfortably and safely.

Depending on the length and complexity of your shot, the carpeting may also work well for you as a dolly.

Try sandwiching one end of a piece of carpeting between two pieces of 2 X 4s and drilling holes through the bolted wood. You can then attach rope to the wood through the holes and have someone pull you across the ice as you handhold the camera. I have done this a couple of times with limited success. It works well for short shots or quick cutaways but not recommended for longer scenes.

Good luck, RB.