The camera has to glide slowly towards the actor and stop exactly as she turns her head. The dolly grip waits for the cue, pushes a few hundred kilos of camera and platform along a track, and lands on the mark within a centimetre. If the speed is wrong, the moment is gone. The dolly grip is the person who moves the camera on wheels.
What a dolly grip does
A dolly is a wheeled platform for the camera, pushed along rails or across a smooth floor. Many dollies also have an arm that lifts the camera up and down during the shot. The dolly grip works under the key grip and alongside the camera operator.
They mostly work during the shoot. For each shot they lay and level the track, so the move is perfectly smooth, then rehearse with the operator and the first assistant camera. The operator frames, the focus puller keeps it sharp and the dolly grip controls the speed and position of the move. The three need to work as one.
Responsibilities
- Lay and level track for each dolly shot
- Push and steer the dolly, and operate the lifting arm
- Rehearse moves and agree marks with operator and focus puller
- Hit the same marks at the same speed in every take
- Maintain the dolly and track and keep them in working order
- Keep cast and crew safe around a moving camera
How the role touches the budget
No budget responsibility, and little influence on cost. The dolly and track are part of the grip rental package. The dolly grip is paid a day or weekly rate with overtime on timesheets, and on smaller shoots one grip may do both dolly and general grip work.
How people get into the role
Dolly grips usually come from the grip department, starting as grip and showing a feel for smooth movement and timing. Some specialise and work with the same operator or director of photography for years, because a good camera move depends on trust between them.
On smaller productions
Smaller productions often use lighter sliders or handheld stabilisers instead of a full dolly. In that case there is no dedicated dolly grip, and a grip or the camera crew handles the move. In commercials and on large films, the dolly grip is a sought-after specialist.