Stumped on what to call this technique

[Lou Bellman]

I've tried google to learn this technique, but I'm having trouble what to call it.

Any ideas how they do it or what it's called? It's starts at 0:04

YouTube - Speed of Life - Sunday | Promo

[Edward Carlson]

Are you talking about the 180º dolly around the camera man? It's pretty simple, just get two sections of 90º dolly track and run the camera around it. They were able to slow it down so much at the end because they were shooting it with a high speed camera.

[Perrone Ford]

Time Slice / Bullet Time

Technology

Crank: High Voltage’s Insane Camera Rigs | MovieMaker Magazine

(about 0:47 in)

[Lou Bellman]

it does seem as thought there's more depth to it than a regular dolly shot? Maybe it's just me....

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Lou Bellman

it does seem as thought there's more depth to it than a regular dolly shot? Maybe it's just me....

That's because it's not a regular dolly shoot.

[Liam Hall]

It's not a timeslice. It's a speed ramp using a high speed camera. If you look carefully you can see the snake move.

[Lou Bellman]

Thanks fellas! That's what I was after.

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Liam Hall

It's not a timeslice. It's a speed ramp using a high speed camera. If you look carefully you can see the snake move.

So you're saying they built a dolly rig around the guy to do that shot? You can have movement in a timeslice as well.

But ok. I'm certainly not positive how they did it.

[Liam Hall]

Yes Perrone, I'm saying it's a high speed dolly shot with a speed ramp - a technique I did a lot in music videos during the 90s using photosonic film cameras.

[Dylan Couper]

2 things that makes me think timeslice instead of speed ramp:

1) lack of frames at the start of the move that you wouldn't get from a speed ramp, but would get from a choppy time slice. This of course could be on purpose for effect.
2) the snake movement I think is from a perspective shift, not from the snake moving, but I am watching it from my laptop so it's a small picture for me.

On the other hand, the speed ramp would be easier to set up in the jungle, so from a production perspective, it would be the one I would choose.

[Perrone Ford]

I think the speed ramp would a LOT harder to set up. You ever lay out dolly rails?

[Liam Hall]

I don't lay track, I just point to where I want it and my grip lays it:)

Perrone, I can assure you a timeslice is a hell of a lot more complex than laying curved track.

Honestly, this really isn't a difficult shot: Take a set of curved track. Lay it on the floor. Place dolly on track. Place high speed camera on dolly. Turn camera on. Press record. Push dolly. That's it.

In post you can use jump-cutting or speed ramping to control the speed of the movement.

[Dylan Couper]

Oh... I lay track.... Bow chick a wow wow!
(sorry, couldn't resist)

Though I agree with Perrone that it looks more like a timeslice, I'm with Liam - a speed ramp is much easier to set up and shoot than a time slice. Plus cheaper and less gear in field.

[Perrone Ford]

Dylan, have you seen the faux timeslice rig used on Crank 2? Essentially it looked like a piece of curved PVC pipe with handycams on it at even intervals. Basically, you just started each camera rolling, picked up the unit, and walked it around the subject. Or in the case of this commercial, just lay it on the ground around the subject.

The unit is pre-built, and can be deployed in about 10-15 seconds from cameras off to cameras rolling and ready. I've never seen anyone get dolly track laid that fast...

[Liam Hall]

It is definitely not a time slice - honestly, go through it frame by frame, you'll see the snake move and the cameraman remain still. It's just jump-cuts/sped up footage - no hocus-pocus here at all....