Movie history is paved with no shortage of creative hacks—and we don’t mean “tapping into top secret government files” type hacking, we're not even talking about special effects (necessarily), but rather some of those simple creative solutions to get that perfect shot or perform some visual trickery. In order to make a tracking shot, for instance, the classic Hollywood production studio uses a track with the camera mounted on top to create smooth movement, allowing the camera to follow a walking or running character without shaking. The heavy steadicams are used for the same purpose and allow the cameraman to walk with the camera as if it were floating like an angel.But in the world of DIY cinema, when it comes to making a good tracking shot possible, anything goes. Typically this involves fastening the camera to a wheelchairs, a car, toy scooters, or other device with wheels. But a new, patent-pending product developed by Justin Jensen could help eliminate that need. It too started out as a simple hack: Jensen connected a flexible tripod to skateboard wheels to create the CineSkate. It's a mini dolly that fits compact DSLR cameras such as the Cannon 5D and even iPhones.Check out how it works:
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A kit that includes the Gorilla Pod tripod and the attachable wheels is being sold for US$ 300 on the inventor's website, Cinetics.com. If you want to have a portable dolly and don’t have a wheelchair at your disposal, it may be worth it.