The Agile Mover
‘Tommy Gun Dolly’ is not a specific brand or model of camera dolly but rather a piece of film set slang used to describe a category of lightweight and fast-moving camera support systems. The name evokes the rapid-fire nature of a submachine gun, reflecting the dolly’s ability to be set up quickly and execute fast, energetic camera moves that are often impractical with larger, heavier, and more complex dolly systems.
Characteristics and Equipment
The systems that might earn this nickname are defined by their speed and simplicity:
- Lightweight Construction: They are built for portability, often constructed from aluminum or carbon fiber, allowing a single grip or camera operator to move and set them up.
- Rapid Deployment: Unlike a traditional dolly that requires extensive setup of track and leveling, a ‘Tommy Gun’ system is designed to be ready in minutes. This can include sliders that can be placed on apple boxes, or dana dolly-style systems that use common speed rail as track.
- Fast, Aggressive Moves: The term is often associated with the act of ‘gunning’ the camera—performing a very fast push-in or pull-out. The lightweight nature of the rig allows an operator to achieve high speeds over short distances with minimal effort.
Examples of equipment that fit this description include:
- The Dana Dolly: A simple platform with skateboard wheels that runs on standard pipes or speed rail. It’s a very popular choice for its speed, simplicity, and smoothness.
- High-End Sliders: Professional camera sliders (from brands like Kessler or MYT Works) that can be mounted on tripods or stands and provide smooth, repeatable motion.
- Doorway Dollies: Simple, steerable platform dollies that are more agile than their larger counterparts, though less smooth than a track-based system.
Tommy Gun Dolly: Use Cases
A crew would opt for a Tommy Gun Dolly over a Fisher or Chapman dolly when speed and a small footprint are more important than complex, multi-axis movements. It is a staple of music videos, commercials, and independent films where crews are smaller and schedules are tighter, and where an energetic, fast-paced visual style is desired.