THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING A CAMERA DOLLY ROBOT

IN EXPLORING CINEMATIC PRECISION IN FILMMAKING

An Experimental Research Paper

Presented to the Faculty of the

Jimenez National Comprehensive High School
Jimenez, Misamis Occidental

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Practical Research III
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS

BY.
Matt Gian D. Sumanday

October 2023
Acknowledgment
Abstract
Table of Contents
List of Tables
 Chapter 1
Introduction

This section of the research paper presents the background of the study, Statement of the
Problem, Hypothesis, Scope of Delimitations, Significance of the Study, Conceptual Framework,
Theoretical Framework, and Definition of Terms.

Background of the Study

Camera dollies have been used throughout the film industry and have become one of the
important equipment during filming. Camera Dollies can make cameras accentuate the themes
and have been responsible for the most iconic scenes in cinema. Camera Dollies have been used
in many different ways to draw the audience's attention and make them feel a certain way.
Camera Dollies are much more complicated than a simple tracking shot in that they give precise
and smooth shots or takes and thus require an expert cameraman.
But besides its excellence in shooting scenes, it still has a lot of problems thus making it a
Double-Edge sword for the film industry some of these problems are its size and portability
although the Camera Dolly is intended to be carried anywhere the size is still a problem thus
making it difficult to be carried and making the portability a problem. Another one is its cost,
most Camera Dollies can cost an arm and a leg an entry-level dolly can cost you up to 2,500 to
10,000 PHP, and a professional camera dolly can cost you 500,000+ PHP which is already
enough for an individual to start its own business. Next is its Flexibility, most Camera Dollies
have specific types of shots and are limited to certain types of terrains which limits their
versatility on set. Next is the Maintenance of the Camera Dolly, Traditional Camera Dollies
require regular maintenance to ensure a smooth operation, which is time-consuming and costly.
Another is its Set-up time, setting up a camera dolly can be significantly time-consuming and is
a bad accomplice for those fast-paced shooting environments. The next one is The Noise it
makes, during shooting a scene all personnel and pieces of equipment are required to move
smoothly to avoid unnecessary background noises during recording but sometimes its wheels and
tracks might make unnecessary noises. Next is its Automation, most camera dollies today
require a track of some sort for it to move precisely but filmmakers are itching to have much
diverse advanced camera movement techniques and are itching for more precise and repeatable
camera motion or any complex camera movement that prompts for more automated solutions.
Lastly, its Sustainability, as environmental concerns grew in prominence within the industry,
filmmakers began looking into more environmentally friendly methods of production in terms of
both energy and material use. Despite all these problems Camera Dolly still has been a
prominent tool in filmmaking and has been used throughout the century.
With the use of the WEEMAKE robot kit which was provided by the school, the
researcher was able to make something similar to a Mid-ranged Camera Dolly that is both
reliable and efficient the researcher also hopes that it will be able to compete with other High-
end Camera Dollies. The researcher also hopes that all of the problems listed above will be fixed
by his robot and solve upcoming problems.
The purpose of this research study is that it can show how precise and effective a Camera
Dolly Robot is in Cinematic Filmmaking.

Statement of the Problem

Main Objective: To show how precise and effective a Camera Dolly Robot is in
Cinematic Filmmaking.
The researcher aims to answer the following
1. Will the Camera Dolly Robot be able to show precise shooting in Cinematic
Filmmaking?
2. Can the Camera Dolly Robot be brought anywhere?
3. How effective is the Camera Dolly Robot in Cinematic Filmmaking?

Research Hypothesis

H1 The Camera Dolly Robot is precise with Cinematic Filmmaking.

H0 The Camera Dolly Robot is not precise with Cinematic Filmmaking.

Scope and Delimitations

This study aims to show how precise and effective a Camera Dolly Robot is. This study
implies an experimental study. This study was conducted at Jimenez National Comprehensive
High School grounds and building. The output of this study will be that it can give a reliable and
precise Camera Dolly Robot. A comparative test was conducted with this by comparing a
handheld phone video and the Camera Dolly Robot video. The material used where from the
WEEMAKE robot kit.

Significance of the study

This study is important in that it gives more options for filmmakers in their Camera Dolly
equipment. The researcher can help the filmmakers with precise and effective Cinematic
filmmaking. The study is able to enhance the film industry’s ability to have a much more precise
and flexible Camera Dolly. The aim of the researcher's study is that it will cost less than the mid-
ranged Camera Dollies. This study might spark the minds of upcoming researchers and continue
to better this Robot.

The film industry has all sorts of types of equipment but the Camera Dolly is the most
used equipment as it can make the viewers hooked with how precise and smooth it is but despite
how good it is it's still not enough in the face of filmmakers. The Filmmakers still want to answer
how to advance this and better it for their films to be better than others since the film industry is
another type of competition with other big brands. The researcher's study aims to better that as it
aims for the Camera Dolly to be automated by the use of robot technology and make it flexible
and portable as the researcher is also a filmmaker who is looking for something precise and
effective for Filmmaking.

Conceptual Framework

Input Process Output

 A
Camera
Dolly
Robot

Figure 1: Production of the “Camera Dolly Robot”

 The paradigm above illustrates how the “Camera Dolly Robot” was made. The first step
is building the chassis and preparing the wheels. Next is adding the dynamo the main chip board
and the battery. Next is doing the wiring from the dynamo to the chipboard. Lastly is the coding
for the directions and speed.

Theoretical Framework