Few if any dollies – the wheeled rigging filmmakers use to capture smooth horizontal camera shots – fit in a back pocket. A cute little cart called MUWI does and is ready to roll on the set of your next iPhone flick.
Four rotary legs with tiny wheels fold out from its oval-shaped dolly base and a retractable holder unfurls from the top to cradle your iPhone. It can also hold other small cameras, including GoPros, point-and-shooters and some of the lighter DSLR and mirrorless cameras.
The MUWI dolly, designed by a startup with the same name, is currently available for pre-order on Kickstarter for $39 and a few more dollars get backers some handy add-on accessories, such as folding track, a swivel clip and a device that motorizes and controls the MUWI via remote.
The iPhone camera is evolving into a legitimate filmmaking tool, its profile raised by films like 2015’s Tangerine and most recently Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane.
Even before those films, accessories companies have been developing products to support better video, including smartphone microphones, LED lights and steady riggings.
MUWI is tiny, but its carbon reinforced polymer body can hold up to 11 pounds. It steel wheel bearings can be positioned for a variety of shots, including truck, pan and the forward-backward motion of the dolly shot.
The FLOW, the attachable motor, has a variety of speeds and would provide a more consistent motion than a steady, deliberate hand.
MUWI already has raised more than $132,000 on Kickstarter with 22 days remaining in the campaign. If MUWI hits its production targets, it will ship to backers in September.