Mike Germond SOC

For some reason, it won't let me edit the above post.. So upon further research, I stand corrected. The 7D made some negative progress and introduced a proprietary "digital out" jack like so: Positive progress on the HDMI. Who wants to be the first to introduce that on their J-box

Lovely 1/8" AV jack on those cameras. I've delt with it so much that I finally chopped my own cable down to a more managable 1ft length.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiXx_PEhN_8

Eric, I'm sorry but I think the context of my original statement is being blown out of proportion. I simply mean that these commercials/indys often don't need anything fancy. A Mini35 rig flys just as easily on the Flyer. I dream of the day that my gear could support a fully loaded Pana/Arri setup (and don't have to look at Indy jobs). I also dream of the day where a "technical shot" is more than just a few tight 360's :lol: Until then, it's a gradual process of upgrading..

I have successfully flown a 25lb dumbell on my Flyer LE's stage with 2 IDX powercubes on the bottom. The arm was in the recommended range (just above horizontal). So either I have a freek arm, or Tiffen's rating does infact include the sled.. I 2nd Brian on the first part. I've done work for clients that have worked with old-school operators too, and they were overjoyed by the fact that I had a "color LCD! wow!" I haven't yet be questioned if it is "a real Steadicam" because I think people are mostly fascinated that the same job can be done with less equipment..

I've even had commercial directors use me as a human tripod on occasion. It's slightly confining and annoyingly uncreative, but at the end of the day, at least the paycheck is the same.

Last I talked to him, they had been asking him for referals. He said something like "I'm recommending them my replacement, so it might as well be someone I like." There's no way they could pay even half rate on a full time basis (well they could, but the higher ups might be upset that the Steadi op is making more than them). The freelance market is fun and rewarding, but sometimes the security of a 9-5 is good too.. Give me a buzz when you have a free evening and we'll grab a drink. I just moved into the market not 3 weeks ago.. Mike

Very cool stuff John. I definitely plan on upgrading all components in the future. Meant to give you a shout last weekend when I was in Orlando. You didn't happen to work on the Disney xmas parade did you? I just moved into the Orlando market and tried to get my foot in the Disney door. John, if you worked the parade, let us know how it went. Andy Montejo has been telling me that every time he works for Disney, he remembers why it's few and far between. (something about working like a mule for peanuts) That said, us Florida folks need to sit down for a drink sometime..

I think flying broadcast cameras is sometimes easier than flying these stupid Mini35 cinema packages! The one positive being that an EX1 with a Letus, fixed lens, and matte box is such a long setup that it gives you inerta you thought you'd never feel in a Flyer. Terry West can do a killer lower spar upgrade for Flyer users. He cuts the monitor cable and puts an 8pin LEMO on it, then fabricates a breakout box that mounts on the spar allowing you any amount of extra power and video outputs you could want. I contemplated having him put a BNC, P-Tap, and 4pin Hirose (for my transmitter). Any Tally or PGM feed for live work would have to travel outside the post. Like I said, where there's a will there's a way..

Ask Charles Papert about his Flyer ;) I get full rate on projects with my Flyer LE...commercials, concerts, live tv Where there's a will, there's a way..

Markus, my point is that an F900 or F1500 will behave a lot differently on a Flyer LE than it would on a Clipper or even an Archer. I'm talking about common setups that he would be using early in his career that are supported by multiple rigs across the board. Try pulling off some of the more technical moves that you've done with your rig, but on the Flyer...then get back to me. It's a lot more difficult to achieve the same result, trust me.

How is the EFP for broadcast?

Primary reason why I can't wait to get out of this Flyer LE!!!

haha, let us know how it goes...John, it sounds like you were contacted for this too?

And to piggy back of of Kevin's last point.. You're almost better off starting with something like a Flyer LE. I think that the Pilot and Flyer rigs are the "great revealer" solution that you can pour on any operator and see what their true skill and fundamentals look like. You can hide bad operating in the inertia of a larger rig, but the Flyer leaves nothing to hide. If you get good on a Flyer, you WILL be good on a bigger rig. Not to mention run a lesser risk of injury down the road.

The simple fact is that until you have $30k cash lying around, you are going to be financing your rig. You'll probably finance most equipment in this industry, and by that I mean everything down to what you put on your credit card. There is an elite club among this community, members of which are fully paid off. I think you can count them on 2 hands :P You can support most independent film work with a Flyer or an Archer. Both of those rigs support 12/24v for Film, and can carry the common Mini35 packages no problem. By the time you're ready to purchase, I bet you could get a nice Archer2 on the used market! Keep $5k-10K in your budget for accessories and cables too! I thought about going big right away, and I'm glad I didn't. Like Brian, I started small with a rig that could support the bread and butter commercial clients. Until you build up a strong client base, there will be many periods of time where your gear doesn't work. It would be pretty hard to justify a $750 monthly payment over a $230 monthly payment when you work 1-2 days per month starting up. Having said all that, I really want an EFP! The upgrade options thru PRO are really attractive. I might be doing some shopping pretty soon..

The shoot went well after we established ground rules for lens lengths. We flew it with rails, mattebox, and BFD. On that note, these electronic Canon lenses with the endlessly spinning focus ring are a pain for calibrating the BFD. The inertia was quite good with my 12lb steel weight plate in the equation. Had some interference with the wireless video in the various hospital rooms. Here's a prep photo:

I should add that the monitor comes from the factory with 1/8" jacks for A/V in and A/V out. The D-Tap will provide power when a battery is mounted but will power the unit without battery. So I could have gotten away without the Hirose connectors (but they're so pretty)..

I had David Hable put a little Canadian magic into my monitor. I opted for V-Mount because it makes batteries interchangeable across the rest of my equipment. Plus, I forsee using this monitor on my sled as a program monitor during live shows, so a couple Hirose connectors for that. My Coss Transmitter uses UHF channel 15, so the internal tuner handles that just fine. I also have a backup unit on a higher frequency, so the Hirose connectors allow me to velcro a 3rd party Rx unit on the back of it all. Every director that's used it so far is just fascinated with it. Oddly enough, they all made the comment about a neck strap and a waist strap so they could just rest it against their guts :huh:

I've got FLV presets in Sorenson Squeeze for the different parts of my site that flash content gets used. It's a quick encode for the clip lengths I'm used to, but uploading a whole episode of a TV show takes a bit longer. It's not a free program however..

I rented my rig out to a small Indy Film shooting in Michigan this summer (first and last time I do that...hey it was a slow month!), and they got pretty run-and-gun with it. They mounted everything directly to my dovetail plate, and when they wanted to transition to sticks, they screwed the tripod plate into the bottom of the dovetail! I wasn't to excited to see it at first, but it actually worked quite well. Of course there's something to be said about the weight of an EX-1/RedRock package versus Film..

I believe they only have the ENG zoom lenses, but I plan on flying bare using sled power with only a BFD and Coss Transmitter. I have 15mm aluminum rods for my dovetail, but no means of lens support. I'll have to ask the guys around here that have flown this package what they thought about it. I had the same issue with the lens motor tweaking the lens on the 5D with Canon's 70mm-200mm. Here's what it boils down to: Varicam - 10.8lbs BFD - 2lbs Coss Transmitter - >1lb Zoom Lens - ~5-6lbs So on paper, it's still within my rigs capacity with 2 IDX batteries on board. I could see how it might get heavier quickly though..

While it's a good time to finally get the RedByte, it sounds like the prod company already has their own downconverter (AJA). I've touched base with operators in the area to confirm it.. Unfortunately, not many features in the area that would require it either..

That's almost an insult to an operator. "Hey pretend like you're taking your first workshop, and then shoot like that" That's essentially what they're asking for..

Looks like it's about that time to finally invest in the RedByte. Anyone know if there are dealers local to Florida? Or if not, who's the best person to contact? Thanks for all the tips