In a world where cameras are smaller and more versatile dollies have often given way to all manner of fluid movement devices. Most have evolved some type of friction-less rail system, ushering in the “age of the slider.”
While that’s great for filmmakers, it’s also sometimes a bit frustrating. Many sliders don’t really deliver exactly what you’d like… a fluid move that allows for feathering elegantly to a conclusion or panning and tilting in an organic way you’d require and expect of a full blown dolly.
For that type of control you need a real tripod head on a sturdy frame that won’t flex or give. It should be built to handle a tripod head, a follow focus and all the support gear. Additionally, the tripod should be able to be leveled independently of the rig itself.
So I was thrilled today to meet the MYT 3 in 1 Slider Dolly System by MYT WORKS of Brooklyn, NY. http://www.mytworks.com/
Made in the USA, the MYT (pronounced Mighty) 3 in 1 slider comes in 3 and 4 foot lengths in three different widths, all designed to support progressively heavier rigs. Prices start at $995.00 and go up to $3,295.
Owner Etienne Sauret demonstrated the 4-foot medium model which features a 100mm bowl mount ($2,175) for me on the show floor at NAB. I asked him to demo this one because it’s exactly what I’m looking for: a sturdy slider that accommodates a fluid head with a 100mm bowl. I shoot with a 100mm bowl tripod and I commonly use full legs, baby legs and a high hat. The perfect slider for me would allow me to pull the head from my tripod and quickly install it.
As you’ll see in the demo, the MYT 3 in 1 Slider Dolly is a finely crafted rig that cuts no corners.
Thanks so much to Etinee Sauret and David Spergel for their help with this report.
About the Author
Steve Mims is a writer, director and cinematographer based in Austin, Texas whose award-winning films have screened widely in festivals, theatrically and on television. He is the winner of the Innocence Network’s 2012 Journalism Award for INCENDIARY: THE WILLINGHAM CASE, a documentary he co-produced and directed with Joe Bailey, Jr. Steve earned a Master of Arts in film production from the University of Texas at Austin and over the years has been a film lecturer there. He currently teaches RTF366K: Introduction to Narrative at UT. He also teaches through Austin FilmWorks.
