Peter Abraham

Here pal, cuz I like ya, I'll loan you my spork. http://cache.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/large/spork-sul-L.jpg :D

For those Gen I Flyer owners worldwide, finally a way to have the control and feel of a larger Steadicam system when panning, tilting and operating. The Zalex™ Handle is a user-installed large diameter handle with custom-designed traction on the surface. The new diameter of your Flyer handle will be 1.5 inches and your handle will be 6 inches long. The price of the Zalex Handle is $ 200 USD + shipping costs outside of the USA. Priority Shipping included within the lower 48. Express shipping extra. This invention is based on a one-off modified handle I had crafted when I bought my Model I Universal Steadicam in 1987. Worked beautifully, felt good in the hand. Feel free to contact me with any questions. Best to all, Peter Abraham Peter@SteadicamProductionServices.com

Hi Pascal, If you're local in L.A., I would suggest you call Derek Hester at the new facility and ask him how best to proceed. They can check the centering on your gimbal. Feel free to email me with any questions on that sled. Best, Peter Abraham, S.O.C. peter@steadicamproductionservices.com

To chime in and suggest you focus in on one of Rob's comments. Slow down your drop time since you cannot tilt the camera independent of the centerpost. It is immensely useful as a trick to allow you to move with grace- and if you're moving laterally as the "human dolly" typically does in the pit, all the more useful. On Friday I shot a ballet. two 50 minute acts, rolling nonstop. The stage was 5 feet up and I did indeed slow my drop time down so as I moved laterally and panned with the dancers my centerpost was easier to control. Enjoy the live gig and come back in and share the experience with us ! Best, Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

If you can wobble the gimbal when holding the sled in your hand, and when it is not on the arm, then you have a gimbal problem. Send it in for servicing. Does it actually shift up and down while under load and on the arm?? Best to all, Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

That's the sled permanently set in low mde with extreme deep focus lenses, right? They call it The Toland.

Mel Brooks is gonna be mad you're poaching his gig !!

Hi Daniel, For the uninitiated, please define " multi cast capable" ?

Too funny.

Not sure you're going to get your return on the investment. Just when you think he knows where to start a shot, he dashes off. ( I'm eager to know what this sign means !!! )

Hmm. By item, I think. Model I sled. Model II sled, then modified to single III centerpost and gimbal with X/Y top stage. Master Series Elite Sled. Custom built lightweight sled with IIIA post and gimbal. EFP Sled retrofitted with Batt and Monitor dual rods/ weight clamps/ dual PowerCube mount/ HDSDI Model I Arm, adjustable black springs. Model III Arm,Gold springs Model IIIA Arm, Gold springs Master Arm Flyer prototype arm G-50 arm with updated bearings Model I vest Custom built carbon fiber vest Exovest 27 years in. Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

Hi Yoann, Glad it's working well for you. So far, the new run of Zalex Tally HR's have made their way to Australia, Scotland, Canada and the United States. And.... of course.... I use mine every time I fire up the rig ! Best, Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

Funny you mention this. I do both. Seriously. I have spent a fair bit of time recently using my new BNC Crimp tool on the Zalex™ Tally HR lights I make and sell for rigs. There's a tiny hole in every center pin on a BNC crimp assembly. I strip, mount the pin and turn to have the hole facing up. I run a tiny bit of solder into the hole. Then I crimp. Pretty hard to tug it out- though of course I guess one could- once the braiding within the center pin has been surrounded with solder, then crimped hard into place. Worth the extra 2 minutes per cable to know it would take an immense yank to remove it. Best to all, Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

Unsheilded areas can be managed with my new favorite material: Liquid Electrical Tape. Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

Michael The top cap is one of the few things you CAN do to most gimbals without removing them. Check the screws that hold the cap in place, IIRC the IIIA gimbal has a ring of them along the top. By comparison, newer CP/ Tiffen gimbals have a very finely threaded cap without screws. The Blue Whale tool that comes with larger sized Tiffen gimbals is in part a tool used to tighten down that very cap. I cannot speak to other brands, but advocates of gimbals made by other manufacturers can no doubt chime in to tell you how to service their gimbals. Best, Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

Is that Boar's Head bologna or some watered-down knockoff ??

Oh goodness, a few. 1. Offering- very very early on with my unmodified Model I- to do a shot standing on a rickety plate of wood clamped to a Fisher dolly. In the street in Washington DC, so we could start me higher, move me towards the sidewalk, crane me down and I step off. Remarkably unstable. Dumb. Didn't fall. Had a few grips holding me on. 2. Shooting a Civil War recreation movie. Near Gettysburg. I'm supposed to run past a line of soldiers as they lower their rifles into position to fire, up to the General. As we get set, I hear one mention how excited he is. Because now he finally gets to fire. There was an armorer, but poor communication. It's the one time in 27 years that I went to the dock, tossed my car keys to my assistant and said, " Go get the van. We're out of here". An unpleasant 30 minutes later, everyone was on the same page and we proceeded with the work. But Production wasn't interested in having a safety conversation until they saw me getting ready to wrap the Steadicam. Jerks. 3. I offered to start a shot in the Santa Ana, CA train station. Standing on the tracks then moving onto the platform as the train approached and stopped, following actor up to steps as he gets on. The ties area between the tracks had that very modern hard rubber panel inserted into it. I felt quite safe, because I'd worked out a visual distance bit with the key grip. His palms moving closer together as the train came head on to me. It was slowing down to boot. I cut it as close as I felt safe doing, and he helped me with my lack of distance perspective. 4. Just drove by the scene of this one last week. In Little Italy in NYC. There's an old church surrounded by a high aged brick wall. Shooting a music video- without permission to lock up traffic- I had to step off the curb into the street over and over doing 180's on the band. The supposed A.D. was to stand in the street and stop traffic. He didn't and I stepped in front of a car. Screeching brakes, car came no more than 2 feet from my legs. Quite frightening. A.D. had nothing to say.

Fair notice: I've taught over 1,300 Steadicam students since 1990. So yes I'm biased in my reply. The pursuit of my need to immerse myself in the career of Steadicam Operating started with a workshop with Garrett Brown in 1986. Take a workshop from someone with true depth of understanding of what we do and how we go about doing it. There are lots of workshops- ask around, judge for yourself which one fits. But yes, by all means- take formal training. And then getcherself a rig !!!!!! Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

The memory foam being used on the new Exovest conforms nicely to my upper back / shoulder blades. Perhaps a layer of that.

I'll take it ! PM to you in a moment. Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

It is always a special day at work when we get to bear witness to history. We form the impressions that people carry sometimes for years. An honor to be a part of jobs like that.

Sincere congrats on a long and fulfilling career !! Glad you are still working as a Cinematographer. Best, Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

I used to have a box of 100 + / - of the Press Fit knobs. They are available in all manner of size/ shape. A few cautionary notes: When pressing them in, you will need a mallet not a hammer. They should be resting knob facing up and socket head resting down against the center circular spud molded into the knob. Using a flat wooden surface instead of a metal one does reduce the potential for shattering the knob. You'll waste one or two fine-tuning your strike force so you can accomplish the real goal: A very centered vertically mounted bolt with knob. It is possible due to the design of the press-fit knobs to press it into place using a mallet and have it not be dead vertical. This could be annoying, or it could be a dealbreaker. Shattering a knob or having a bolt be seated not vertical is a small loss for the knob. One must take some serious effort, however, to remove the plastic spud that has been pressed into the hexagonal Allen Wrench hole at the top of the socket head cap screw. I used to use a small Dremel boring bit to crack the pieces out without damaging the integrity of the socket head hold. My two cents. Best to all, Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

I wouldn't mind having one of those in my kit. Anyone have one for sale ? :) Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

Have now done several long-format live shows in a row with the Exovest. First, a 4 hour live concert in Bridgeport CT then a few days later the Presidential Inaugural Parade ( 2 1/2 hours without docking ) Because of how the vest rides on the body and the ability of the vest to shift and move with me with every step I take, I am able to wear the rig for longer and longer periods of time with little to no back and torso fatigue. My FEET were sore after the Inaugural !! That's about all. Constant input from prototype users such as myself has led Chris and Jerry all others in on this design to evolve key components. The upper back pad is one prime example of this. On an amusing side-note, Adam Keith- my colleague who shot more than I did with his Steadicam during the Election Broadcast at ABC last November- remarked upon how easy it was to spot me because I had those long back rods to grab ahold of if I lost my mind and stepped someplace I should not. :D Count me as one happy comfortable user. Peter Abraham, S.O.C.