Erwin Landau

Then and.... NOW. (Camera and PRO by Charles Papert) Charles, remember that one "Big Dumb Face" (January 2001) I would like to see the newest incarnation of your Camera onces it's done... Again check "General Discussion" Any Given Sunday.... I haven't seen Jimmy's newest version of the SK running rig since he put the PRO Gimbal and the PRO Lite on it... Erwin" Had to go through 1000 pictures to find that one..."Landau

Found it... (Photo by Jim Muro, ~1995) The Picture to the topic in General discussion. Rig on "Any Given Sunday".

Found it... (Photo by Jim Muro, ~1995) Ooops can't post picture here..... I'll post it in Sleds under Running rig.

I have a little trouble with this topic (And so does my wife). We are not only Partners in Life and Marriage but also Business partners. My wife knows all of my equipment and business as good as I do. She is involved in all purchases and sales and she should, she keeps our books. What about all Female Steadicam Operators? I hope you didn't offened them... I'm actually surprised how few, wifes of Steadicam operators, know what there husbands do or even care to know. How can you have a good relationship if you are not involved into the thing that your partner spend most of his time every day with... You are missing out on 50% of his/her life... It works for me... doesn't have to necessarily to everybody else, but it's mind baggling at times... Just a thought.

The ARRI D-20 Technology Project / Metavision The Future of Image aquisition... ? If that's the future of what kind of Cameras we will work in the future, I'm all ears. It's based on the ARRI 435 ES body and maintains the variable shutter (11.2 - 180 degrees) it's good for up to 100fps. It uses the 1 inch chip which makes it able to use regular Cine style lenses, like the Cook S4 and the Ultra Primes. Almost all ARRI AKS can be used and no funky VIDEO accessories are required. I'm sure that Jerry Hill will be estatic to hear that you can still use his Hill 435 Lowmode Bracket... The chip records at 6 Megapixel with an area of 2'880 x 2'160 pixels and DOWN convertes it to the standard HD resolution of 1'920 x 1'080 pixels @ 25fps. It has a build in downconverter to SDI and Analoge. Supposedely there will be Harddrives for onboard use available. No word on how Steadicam friendly it will be, but weight wise it's very simular to the regular 435. Power requirements? Just can guess... but shouldn't/can't be any worse then the 435 at 150 fps... so we hope... They also have a High speed/SFX version that I still have to see. This Camera is designed for a TV endproduct not to replace Film on Film Productions... just yet. It started it's field test and Beta Testing this year and will be available for purchase starting 2005... So it's reality and no fiction... I was told that if you need further info you can reach Marc Shipman-Mueller, he works for the technical camera development division at ARRI, his e-mail is: msmueller@arri.com. There is supposed to be an article in the new ASC Magazine... darn I still did not get it... Anybody in Europe has some further info on that Camera? Let us know. Looks way nicer then the 32 Inch monster that I was logging around for the last past weeks... (Didn't reach your 39 Inch record yet Eric... but that was pain enough).

I'm using and was using a flat panel display on my computer since 1997 now. I think for straight ahead view where you don't change your angle at all (office) it's great... also used less space on the table, or you just can suspend it over the table as my wife does or hang it on the wall... And the displays are getting better and cheaper by the day. I'm all for LCD set ups for your home use... some of the flat panel displays for your TV are great... I hate the rear projection monsters... Anyhow... The issue that I have is again the new NONO sentence : "It's good enough..." Back in the 80ies when they forced the CD's onto us without asking and just stopped making vinyl records... that still sound better, more generic... The Same again with DVD's that are way less quality versus LaserDiscs... They still sell VHS... again worse then BETA Max or Video 2000... So once again they stop a Technology (CRT) before they come up with an equal replacement. The LCD technology, and you have to admit, is not there yet, it's advancing at an accelerated rate but not there yet... Guys buying the 7" Panasonic paid almsot $2000.- for the first run... now they are better and cost... what? $400.-for the basic model... I don't care what I use as long as I can see and be able to frame... The LCD's that I have tried, did not match the performance of my TB-6... If they ever do supersede the performance, I'm sure that many if not all will switch... Including me... but until then... Same with HD, it's not there yet. If they would say that it's a new format, okay. I have no problem, but when they claim that it is a replacement for 35mm and the quality is fair to say the least. I have problems... Actually I will start a new Threat for that topic...

For the running shots... He used his personal Robings SL camera (based on a 2C, a pre SL-Cine set up) with his SK prototype/PRO Lite rig. Using the SK Vest and Arm. He used this set up extensively on "True Lies" and "Strange Days". I have a picture somewhere...

An ARRI 435 by Clairmont Camera, on there scale came in at: - Body 435ES with 100% video top - ARRI Steadimag with 400 feet Kodak stock - 2 Camera Plates - NO Lens nor Mattebox - 14.5 lbs Add about another 4.5 lbs for a Cook S4 and an LMB-5. Don't forget the FF motors and cable which should get you into a ~20+ lbs set up.

Hey Brad, I by passed the UPM and the Producer by going directly to accounting (I got the number through a friend that used to work for the show) I bugged the hell out of that accountant. It looks like she when to town with the UPM (She claimed he never gave her my info to begine with) as he called me back within a day and asked me to fax the new Invoice imidiately and it would be taken care of by the end of the week... We will see... as soon as the check get's in AND clears I'll let you know...

David, I put my rig on the scale at Clairmont Camera (so blame there scale) the other day Here the results: Steadicam Ultra with one BFD: 20.5 lbs Steadicam Ultra with BFD, Battery: 24.5 lbs PRO Lite with Preston MDR: 14.5 lbs PRO Lite with MDR, Batteries: 19.5 lbs Ultimate with MDR, Onboard, Power and Run Cables: 19.0 lbs with a Trimpac and a ProFormer Battery: 23.5 lbs The factory spec for the PRO 2, as I remember them, are sled only: 18.25 lbs So much for the numbers... Anybody you ask will tell/claim how heavy the Ultimate rig is, it seams as the electronic box looks so bulky. Due to the design of the rig and distribution of weight with neutral balance in mind the waste of the weight is way below the Gimbal. It results in that you fly your Gimbal quite far from the Camera Stage as supposed to the PRO were you are always very close to the upper Junction box. I balanced quite comfortably a XL-1 as well as a BL-4 on my rig and that without the luxury of a telesoping post. I have a rigid post. I personally, changing from the PRO Lite to the Ultimate, it was quite sevire weight wise, but I must say that the additional weight makes for a very nice and stable frame, especially during these very slow creep shots. I got quite used to it and like it very much. I wouldn't let weight play to big into account these days.. if you like something you will very quickly dismiss that fact. Again it comes down to preference. Some Ops like the fact that they don't have to rebuild there rig for Super Post applications and sacrifice some rigidity to do so. Some like the fact that they can transmitt framelines to the Video Village, have a power supply but can power a 435 from one single ProFormer and have to carry more and do the adjustments at the bottom of the rig... etc. You win some you loose some... as long as you win more then you lose, your in the game. Try everything... see what works for you and then you will come back, after you spend tons of money and months of fine tuning, and say what's the big deal, my rig even though... xyz sucks... performs great... so what the f**k do you bitch about... I'm happy. It works. The shots look great. It didn't blow up. I didn't get fired. My morgage is getting paid... Hell what do I care that the other rig weighs 2 pounds less... If it works and performs better, I'll buy that one... At the end of the day it's you, not the rig. Erwin"Preferences....Preferences..."Landau

Hi Jake, Also try Tom Gleason, he makes a very nice Practice cage/DV weight cage... You can email him at tdgleason@worldnet.att.net or call him from 9 am to 6 pm Pacific time @ 1-818-769-9370 Check out the site; www.cinewidgets.com

Could be a good idea to try and stay alive, depending on the job... Today, I was supposed to work on a Promo for "50 Cent"... How often was he shot?5, 6 times??? Had to think about the incident with Kurt Jones and him being caught in the rig between crips and bloods when they came up to him waiveing guns... A body enclosing, bullett proof vest, suddenly sounded like a very good idea. The gig got cancelled due to the weather... I guess multi-million dollar Rapers don't like to get there bling-bling wet... especially in LA.

Elizabeth Ziegler (Around 1990)

Oh, Look at that... Just realized that there is the 35-3 Lowmode Bracket in the pix... here another version made by herself for her Camera. 2 in one go... not bad...

Patience, my friend, Patience... Some people actually have something else to do then to answer posts on this forum... Okay... I have no life... The Vest was made by her Husband, who also designed the Tyler Mount. (If I'm not mistaken...) Liz herself used to be a machinist. Here a picture from "Women in Focus" (April 2001). If you need a bigger picture, e-mail me directly. (Erwin@landaucamera.com).

Hey... from the money stand point it's great... how many boards can you sell until every single AC knows about the flaw... then you come up with another one... No but seriously... They are trying to squeeze a lot of electronics into a limited space. When they started with the design they had way less parts to put into the case, but as time goes by, they are stuck with the case and have to be inovative to fit everything in, also they don't expect different lengths of screws. Thenthey start pilling stuff on top until they comeup with anew housing/case. Been there done that... About the XL-1... Canon never anticipated such a hip... and also never expected this arrey of AKS... as long as you use it on a regular tripod it's fine and that's what it was designed to do... Let's wait for the XL-2 and then bitch around. Erwin"Have to speak up for my fellow engineers"Landau

Last time I checked it was up to 57 bids and $40.- for the compact wireless document creator... We are slowly getting into Steadicam prices here.... and there are still 3 days to go... And we are complaining about $12.- screws... or was it $12'000.- Toilet seats...? Let me know who the unfortunate last bidder will be..... Would love to see Jon's face thought... Keep'em coming...

That would be Chris Haarhoff...

A nice and old idea... I used to own Jacques Jouffret's wooden Moviecam Compact mockup. I found that a practice cage never totally can mimic a Camera for practice. (Duuuu!!!) On my PRO Lite I was never able to get the rig in Dynamic Balance, using my practice cage. The moment I put a 435 or a LW2 on it, it was in perfect balance... comming to think about...it could have been me... I know of operators that have an arrey of mock ups for practice... The best would be to go to a rental house and get the measurements of the Camera of choice as well as the weight with loaded mag, lens, Mattbox, etc..., or an ARRI book would do the trick as well... at least for the data. Call ARRI and ask them for their support, most of the time they are very helpful to up and coming Proffesionels... Good Luck. Erwin"Wooden Cameras... Wooden Steadicams... where will it end?"Landau

Just curious...

Let's refresh that topic... Shall we. Is the Green Screen CRT dead, going out for good? Is the Flat Screen going to replace the CRT for our Steadicam purposes? Soon, not for long, never? Lately the technology has made huge steps and came up with quite some nice products like the OLED technologie. The roll up screen, the foldeable screen... What's the pain or gain for us Steadicam operators... Headache balancing the rig with no mass left underneath the Gimbal... or actually a blessing for 7 pounds Viper style Cameras. Thoughts... Comments... Ideas...

Had to start something... was way to empty in this topic... Lets see...

Sex with the Steadicam... Oh Man I have such nice pictures on that topic... but I would for sure piss off some people if I would post it here... Sell them on E-Bay??? Dan (Kneece) didn't you have a nice story with a green screen under the sheets????

Tim looking great... There are some left overs in the Sled topic... like the arm test, or the Front mounted vs Back mounted, why the Back mounted harness works etc... Would be great to move that to Arms and Vests... Thanks for all your work Tim

It's called the: Cinema Products Corporation Steadicam EFP Video Training Manual It was made back in 1990. (Shot entirely with a Video Camera mounted on an EFP). It was a part of the EFP package. The video would refer to the "Steadicam EFP Manual/Operations and Maintenance" and the manual would ask to watch specific parts, by tape time, on the video. (It was believed that you could watch the video and be able to use the EFP for broadcast purposes... basically a workshop on tape. Shot with and by the EFP/EFP user.) It's specifically made for the EFP Steadicam, but due to the fact that everything discussed and shown also applies to ALL Body mounted Stabilizers, it became very useful (Famous?) as crash course for home use... (Still it does not replace a proper Workshop). An interesting back story... Jerry Holway and Ted Churchill are leading through the tape and demontrating, balancing and showing tricks and operating fundamentials... Garrett appears at the end of the tape for a little inside joking.... Anyhow... The story is that Ted was very opposed to the idea of a "low grade" Steadicam (bringing down rates and opening the doors for all kind of non operators able to afford a rig... sounds familiar???) he was making all kinds of bad and bashing comments. But after the introduction/release of the EFP (And the fact that you could not buy separate/upgradeable parts to get into the business in the low end) he was very impressed with the result and promissed to restore some of the faith into the product by appearing in a manual/sales video, which he did. Side note... Mark O'Kane can be seen demonstarting the EFP in the printed manual. (He still had hair back then, actually long hair... don't remind him, he'll kick your butt.) Also Rusty Gellar is featured on the brochures demonstrating the WOODEN!!!! EFP prototype.... CP used to give the Video out to potential costumers... or just as guest gift when you visited the factory in Los Angeles. I got my copy back in 1998 thanks to Garrett. I asked in the past if Tiffen would re-release it, preferably on DVD... but it seems that the master tape either got erased, lost or whatever... Maybe bug Frank Rush with it... if enough people ask about it, they could make a couple hundred and sell them... Erwin"If my memory doesn't leave me..."Landau