Guess if you're shooting a real estate video for a multi-million dollar listing you use cranes and dollies.
If you're selling say,----Windsor castle,---for instance.
If you want to show more of the inside of a house than a stock lens affords then a wide angle adapter is a great addition to your toolbox.
NO real estate agent on this side of the pond has the budget for dollies and cranes.

NO real estate agent on this side of the pond has the budget for dollies and cranes.

How the heck much to you think a dolly or a crane costs?
You can rent a dolly AND a crane for less than a WA lens will cost you. I'm not talking a Technocrane but unless you're shooting 35mm you hardly need one.

Bob.

Another option, if you're not already doing it, is to use a camera jib/crane. There's a local realtor that uses them on their weekend infomercial. It really makes a difference, as opposed to the standard pan to the left, pan to the right...

Edited to say I didn't see Sherman's reply. But you can get an affordable set-up that works with your pro tripod base (Manfrotto/Bogen, etc). They range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.

Of course, another option is a decent steady cam device. That would look sweet gliding through a house.

Dear Bob,

no dollies and cranes in oz real estate?

http://play.viostream.com/?play=536B05AA-D0E1-45F0-9EE2-983A0A7C07FD

How are you?

Regards,


Phil

Doing fine Phil,
we rent out quite a few dollies for real estate shoots, our crane has been used on at least one.
You don't need to spend anything like the money that went into that job to use a crane or a dolly. I can't speak for the USA rental prices but I imagine not much different to down here. All this stuff is way cheaper to rent per dollar of capital cost simply because it lasts and it's hard to break. And let's face it, just as in that video a crane shot adds a heck of a lot to the look and as I said before it doesn't have to be an expensive monster that takes a day and 5 guys to rig. Our 9M ABC crane can be carried by one person, and assembled in 15 minutes by one person. Plenty good enough for any prosummer camera.

Only say all this because many wrongly think expensive looking shots and kit is expensive.

Bob.

I think the kind of video Laurence is refering to is a 3-4 minute promotional reel to showcase a house on the internet.
Typically this will take an hour to shoot and cost the agent 250 dollars.
Hardly the sort of project that would warrant renting a dolly/crane unless it's a high end property.
WA adapter would be a better investment for this sort of application as it can be used again.
BTW, Canadian real estate agents are so cheap and their expectations so high we no longer do them as the profit margin is so narrow.
In this market at least.
But Bob's point is well taken.
Even a simple doorway dolly, a good one made by Matthews we used recenlty, added greatly to the final look. 45 bucks CDN a day.
This was using the neumatic tires only and not the rails.
What crane is it you rent that takes 15 minutes to assemble?
Would be interested to know.
TX

Speedy Crane.
Made of a titanium alloy. You certainly wouldn't try to fly a big camera off it but who needs those today.