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dolly

dolly

6 5.7
A small platform on wheels that moves a camera smoothly during filming
  • noun
  • /ˈdɑːli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : carro de cámara
  • Camera dollies to a large metal drain, located inside the fountain's base.
  • a camera dolly
  • a dolly shot
  • dolly track

It's not going to be great for, you know, a walk and talk scene or a scene where you need a big Dolly movement.

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Examples

  • The camera continues its dolly revealing the clear glass panel of the teleprompter.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The camera dollies forward until the monochrome image entirely dominates the frame.

    Academic text (1998)
  • That shot where it's a dolly to the right and then it's rising up at the same time.

  • A horn blows... camera does a slow dolly in towards the station wagon.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Camera does a slow dolly in towards the speeding Malibu.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The camera begins a slow dolly in to Nicole's astonished face.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • In a rapidly moving dolly shot, McClintock leaves Meyer and approaches General Ford, who is on the phone.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The camera dollies through the maze of tables, patrons, and waitresses.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • To achieve a smooth camera movement, they used a dolly to glide over the scene.

  • The director instructed the crew to position the dolly for a close-up shot.

Antonyms

46 2.9

Not moving and staying in one place

1.0

Attached firmly to something so it cannot move

Compounds

trolley dolly
  • Offensive
9.8

An informal word for a person who serves food and drinks on a plane

How Smooth

dolly
  • Specialized
6 5.7
crane
68 3.9
monopod
1 5.4
handheld
35 3.7

Surface Forms

dolly singular
dollies plural

Etymology

Dolly for a camera probably takes its name from the same idea as doll — meaning a small thing — so people began calling a small wheeled cart a dolly, and today a dolly is a platform that moves a camera smoothly.