Production Innovation of the Week

One of the things students learn in BECA 580 is how to adapt their production to a new, and less well resourced environment. They often have to figure out how to "make do" when there's not an Apple dealership nearby (or even in the country!), and when they're working out of a studio and away from a place where they can just grab the piece of equipment they need.

This week was a case in point. A dolly is used to move a video camera smoothly forward and backward, or to "truck" - to move it to the right or left. It must be done smoothly so viewers do not experience jerky movements when they view the the finished video. A professional dolly costs several thousand dollars, and it is heavy - not something one would take from SFSU to El Salvador. The teams needed a dolly, in particular, for shooting footage inside the chapel where Monseñor Romero was assassinated.

Nadia De Ala was not going to be stopped by the lack of a dolly. She pulled out her suitcase, with a hard case and fluidly rolling casters on the bottom, and suggested we take it on the shoot. And it worked! Since then, Nadia's suitcase accompanies us on our shoots, and we pull it out of the bus when we need smooth camera movements. Hurrah for Nadia!