Speed rails are wonderful, but unless you are renting a full sized grip truck, you are often limited in the lengths of rail you can easily fit into your personal vehicle. With the Kwik Rail system from Kessler, speed rails for long slides are easily extensible, providing a great solution for indie filmmakers with small vehicles but big ambitions for their shots.
Traditional speed rails use couplers, which can get lost and often leave a gap at the connections. Using a custom-designed threading system that is up to four times as fast as their competitors, the Kwik Rail offers fewer parts to lose and smoother connections, which will make for smoother sliding shots. The system also offers rubber or spike foot adapters for using the rail as a leg to support the top sliding rail.
Kessler Rubber FootCredit: Kessler
The Kwik Rail pipe has a thicker wall than many competitors, creating a stronger rail that will dip less mid shot and distort less over time. By going with aluminum, instead of steel, as the material, the rails are lighter than competing options, though aluminum does come at a higher cost than steel. Also available is a carrying case to make the rail easier and safer to transport.
Kessler Kwik Rail Storage CaseCredit: Kessler
Set up for a dolly move, the system can support up to 125lbs of weight and can be extended for long runs, though it's recommended you support the rail every 8 feet or so. A particularly nice feature of the connector system's design is that it makes leveling the top speed rail an easy process through adjusting the legs, with micro-adjustments then handled at the feet. Particularly for long lens slider shots, this will be a huge time saver on set.
A 24" set of two will set you back $215. A 42" set of two comes in only slightly higher at $250. For more info, see the Kessler site.
Tech Specs:
- 6061 T6 aluminum schedule 80 pipe
- 24" and 42" sizes available
- Includes thread covers
- Rubber and Spike feet option
- Works with Shuttle Dolly and other speed rail sliders
