Shaky-cam be gone with an inflatable camera slider
Ditch the metal tracks and replace them with a lightweight inflatable slider and dolly system for smooth video in rough terrain.
This could also double as the world's smallest Slip-N-Slide.
(Credit: AirTracks)I was on a video shoot recently, helping haul equipment over the hills and river rocks in the Gold Country of California. A metal slider rail for the camera was an especially challenging piece to move around due to its size and weight.
There will soon be an inflatable alternative. AirTracks is a blow-up camera track and dolly designed to hold 8 pounds of equipment. It deflates down to fit into a small stuff sack so you can pack it into the backwoods and still get smooth tracking shots.
The $275 Kickstarter kit comes with a 5-foot-long inflatable slider, a plastic dolly, carabiners, and a stuff sack. It weighs under a pound and the dolly clips onto the outside of the sack.
Don't worry, you won't have to turn your face red blowing it up. It comes with a hand-operated air pump, but you do start it off with a couple puffs of your own breath power.
Speaking for all of us who suffer from motion sickness while watching videos, anything that reduces shaky-cam footage is a good idea. The only place you might not want to use AirTracks is on a bed of nails. Otherwise, go nuts.
The AirTracks folds down into a compact form.
(Credit: AirTracks)
