Nicholas Davidoff
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Posts posted by Nicholas Davidoff
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Anybody know if this event got recorded?
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Sold, thanks.
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Any word on the recorded version of the seminar?
Ramon
Just got off the phone with Robbie Moore, the event coordinator. He tells me they're "thinking" about recording it and have had a few requests. They have to put together a budget that includes paying an operator to come out and shoot the event. These kind of expenditures can be a dealbreaker. Heck, if it were me I'd be happy to grab my handicam and volunteer a few hours of my time to shoot the event. Unfortunately I'm two thousand miles away. So if there are any East Coast operators or AC's who might like to volunteer a simple video camera and a few hours of their time to help local 600 film this event, there would be many grateful camera brothers including myself. Maybe there's somebody willing to do some simple editing and post this thing online.
If so, give Robbie Moore a call at (212) 647-7300
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Maybe if enough of us contact local 600 and request a video, they might oblige to post something on their website. Doesn't have to be great quality at all. Doesn't even have to be video. Even audio only will suffice and make a great podcast that can be downloaded from itunes. I'll shoot an e-mail to someone at the guild. Considering what a small percentage of us are able to physically attend, wouldn't it be awesome if we could do this with all our seminars?
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Hey Alec,
What are the chances of videotaping this event and posting it somewhere for us West coast 600 brothers?
Perhaps in the members only section of the Cinematographer's Guild website?
Something like the SOC did with the steadicam panel.
~ Nick
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What makes Nick's posts even more special is that he is actually enjoying a fairly fast ascension compared to most; I had the pleasure of teaching him via the Steadicam Guild workshops last year and since then his career has blossomed impressively. His devotion to the craft, natural talent and understanding of both the mechanics of the device and the job itself is the real inspiration here--for those looking to make it in today's production environment (which has admittedly changed quite a bit since us "old guard" got going, certainly there is far more competition), I would listen closely to anything Nick has to say on the subject.
Thank you for your very kind words Charles. Indeed I have been doing well, due in great part to the excellent training from the Steadicam Guild workshops. It was a tremendous privilege to learn from Charles because he's a fantastic educator with a wealth of information to share. I highly recommend Charles' and David Grove's Steadicam Guild workshops if there are any more in the future.
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3 foot Slider - $2000 or best offer.
Here's the story with this slider. It has served me very well for the last few years, but I need to sell to invest in some other gear. It was manufactured by a Canadian company, I'm not sure the name. Slider is well used but still in great working condition with many more years left on it. It's steel and Aluminum and very sturdy. Can easily take most heavyweight studio cameras. It has a Mitchell base on the top and bottom and works on a pillow block ball bearing and rail system.
Here's the cons. There is no brake on this slider. There are stoppers at each end but no brake on the base. I've never had a huge need for a brake, but I'm sure it can be a simple modification to have one installed by a metal shop. Cosmetically, it's got a lot of scuffs and wear but functionally it's in great shape. One cool feature is it can be easily disassembled and modified. There are a few different tie downs and bases which I'm including.
Feel free to call if you have any questions or need more pics. Slider is located in L.A. but I can ship anywhere in U.S.
~ Nick Davidoff
(310) 567-9668
NicholasDavidoff@hotmail.com
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Sorry if I sounded sarcastic, but it was indeed a good post !! Thanks again.
Being a sarcastic guy myself, that's the first thing I assumed. So, apologies right back at you Brittney and thanks for the complement. Although tough to swallow, I thought it would be a helpful post.
Cheers!
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Thats a verrrrrrry encouraging post for a newbie like myself.
Thanks !!
My humble apologies if that isn't what you were hoping to hear. Maybe this is better -
"Hey, you're getting into steadicam! That's great! Everybody should get into it. It's really easy to learn and basically anybody with half a brain can do it. Camera operators are always in high demand and there are plenty of job openings nationwide. All you need is a little bit of practice and a few thousand dollars and you're on your way! In just a few short months, you too will be making big bucks working on top Hollywood movies and commercials! So strap a rig on and start flying!"
There you go. Encouragement. Unfortunately, reality is a different story. The good people of this forum are a polite and supportive bunch and I love them for that. I, for one, am not going to put on a freindly smile and encourage every Tom, Dick and Harriet to get into Steadicam. I feel the most generous way I can contribute here is to offer you some honest advice. The following is some collective wisdom I received from veteran camera operators when I was starting out. To me this was gold. If you're a newbie looking for sugar coated encouragement then stop reading now because there are spoilers ahead...
1. If you want to be a steadicam operator, you need to be a CAMERA operator first and foremost. A camera operator is not somebody who's skill is humping 70 pounds of steadicam gear on their body. A cameraman is somebody with an eye for composition. Somebody who uses images to tell a story. A photographer. An artist. You need to be good on a fluid head, gear head, off the shoulder, on a sandbag, hanging off a ladder, whatever. A camera operator has to be diplomatic, communicate with people, actors and technicians. An operator is a problem solver, working under high pressure, racing a clock all day long. Operating requires an eagle eye searching for a hundred different problems in a frame at every given moment. This is the tip of the iceberg of job requirements. You must be a camera operator first. The steadicam is just a bunch of metal and wires.
2. Steadicam is a huge financial investment. You think professionals who put $80-$100k into their equipment did so because they had too much cash on their hands? Flyers and Merlins are great for weddings, Youtube videos and practice rigs. But if you want to work on any high level projects, you need a rig that takes a 20-30 pound payload. You need a reliable sled with electronics that don't crap out. Arm springs that won't snap. A monitor you can view in the sunlight. A remote focus system so your shots are sharp. A dozen batteries to power a full day's work. Full wireless video. A vehicle mount. Fifty different cables. A cart. Shipping cases. The list goes on... And these aren't bells and whistles, they're bare essentials! Neglect these things and you'll look like a fool on set who's guaranteed no call back.
3. Steadicam is serious DEDICATION. Does owning a basketball get you in the NBA? Does buying a Louisville Slugger make you Babe Ruth? Does an HVX make you Vittorio Storraro? You catch my drift. Any idiot with a credit line can buy a steadicam. But a rig does not an operator make. Months and months of backbreaking sweat and training with very slow progress. Months or years of music videos, shorts and ULB's for crazy hours getting paid peanuts. When people say it's a loooong, haaaard road, believe me, they are not being funny!
4. Steadicam is competition. This may be hard news to hear, but there are MANY more steadicam operators than there are jobs to go around. For every job, from features to student freebies, you can bet there's a dozen other ops angling for it. What this means is simple. Only a select few will actually make a decent living. Presumably, only the best. The ones who are so in love with this craft, that they've dedicated themselves to the point of obsession. The ones who train their assess off, invest in quality equipment, stick with it for years while slowly earning the vast experience necessary to become a professional camera operator. The rest will have rigs collecting dust in their garage. Or they'll cash out in a year or two after contributing so generously to the decline in rate scales and respectability of the steadicam profession.
There you go. Newbie advice, honest and from the heart. If you want to see success in this field, you have to absolutely LOVE camerawork regardless of $$$, otherwise you'll be wasting much time and money. If anybody finds the aforementioned inaccurate, please chime in. Otherwise, I close with a question for you aspiring operators to ask yourselves - How much do you love steadicam?
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It's a loooong, haaaaard road my friend. You won't see any $$$ for a long time and competition is fierce.
If you want success in this profession, you have to live and breathe camera operating. Becoming a good camera operator takes many years and vast experience. A steadicam rig is just a piece of gear like a fluid head or a slider or a dolly. Owning one doesn't make you an operator. If you're getting into steadicam because you think you're gonna make some quick bucks, then you are in for a HUGE disappointment. There are much easier ways to make a living. If you LOVE being a camera operator and want to devote many years of hard work to developing your craft, then I wish you the best of luck.
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If you are going to get one for the Vehicle mount, make sure it's steel and not Titanium... I have only a Titanium one (For the Vest).
Thanks Erwin. Yes, I'm looking for steel, not titanium.
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Anybody have a used (full size) socket block for sale? I need the female end that fits on a vehicle mount.
Thanks.
~ Nick
(310) 567-9668
NicholasDavidoff@hotmail.com
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Thanks alot for the info Richard.
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Seams that somebody doesn't want people to have a looksy at the gut of the Gimbal... or he would supply a wrench with it, like every other manufacturer out there...
I opened one... regret it to this day...
Erwin, may I ask what it was that happened to your V2 gimbal when you opened it? As an MKV gimbal owner who's considering lubing his gimbal bearings I would love to know what to watch out for.
Many thanks
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Need to purchase standard steel steadicam socket block.
Any used condition is fine as long as it's not cracked or heavily damaged.
Here's a pic of what I'm looking for. Just the silver socket block, no vehicle mount.
Thanks,
~ Nick
(310) 567-9668
NicholasDavidoff@hotmail.com
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Here's Charles Papert's excerpt from "Open Red Thoughts and Discussion". Hope it helps.
"We had some head-scratching with the run cable at first; with the HU3 set for Arricam (I figured the momentary pulse for that camera would be comparable to RED), the first press of the run button trigged camera run as expected, but the next press to turn it off did nothing. We then hit the run button a third time and the camera shut off (but the HU3 of course was now showing it running). Eventually we discovered an incorrect setting in the camera which was causing this: you can designate either of the two 4 pin ports on the back of the camera to interpret the GPI triggers as camera run or ramp. They were correctly set for run, but you also have to designate what the action of the first and second trigger will be. GPI 1 is the first pulse that is received, which we set to "high" for camera run. GPI 2 is the second pulse, which needed to be set to "low" which turns off camera run (they were both on "high", which is why GPI 2 did nothing)."
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It has come to my attention that there is a feature film here in L.A. currently seeking a professional steadicam operator. The rate they are offering is $250 a day for operator and equipment. I won't go into further detail except that the initials of the DP are N.R.
Please be aware of this production as I'm sure some of you will hear from them with this ridiculous offer. I hope we are all able to support eachother and stand together on this (and future productions) by explaining to these people that their offer is a joke. Even a newbie shouldn't consider anything less than DOUBLE this rate.
If one of our fellow steadicam brothers does end up accepting this job at this rate I'm sure your fellow operators will hear about it. Please be aware of your contribution to the decline of steadicam respectability and your newly minted status as a STEADICAM HACK.
Happy flying!
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Thanks alot for the info guys, great stuff!
It seems to me that chorpractic has it's proper applications and works for certain people with certain conditions. But I'm staying the HELL away from it unless it's a last resort. Based on my research, the horror stories FAR outweigh the success stories.
As far as martial arts, that gets a huge vote from me. I did Karate growing up, then got deep into MMA for a few years and took my share of beatings, nowadays I'll train Muay Thai for some great cardio. No doubt, the grace and movement, balancing and footwork disciplines of martial arts are a huge complement to steadicam work. I can also recommend yoga, swimming, cycling, just about any low impact sport and stretching to maintain a strong body. Also, the stronger your abs, the stronger your back, period. So lots of abs and core work. I haven't tried the Alexander Technique but look forward to checking it out.
A few other discoveries I can share in the area of nutritional supplements -
Glucosamine Chondroitin with MSM - Proven medical results for rebuilding and maintaining strong cartilage, bones and spinal discs. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlere...gi?artid=165439
Hydrolized Collagen - Similar to the above with equal benefits.
Here are some interesting (slightly experimental) products to keep an eye on -
Mesenchyme - Bovine stem cells. Taken orally, these stem cells are said to help rebuild any damaged or detereorated cells of the body. A very new technology in the U.S. from Europe. I have yet to try it but have heard some interesting things. Read more here - http://www.cocoonnutrition.org/catalog/page_mesenchyme.php
Oral HGH - Or Chrysalis. It's an oral spray of Human Growth Hormone. Many of you have probably heard about HGH. Although I haven't tried it, I've read that it has dramatic effects on preventing and slowing bone and cartilage deterioration.
Obviously, messing with your genetics can have it's dangers, so I'm curious if anyone else here has any experience with these supplements? Any other supplements you can recommend?
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I would be very interested to hear the story of what happened with this gear? Perhaps it could help in tracking it down and also prevent these types of tragedies for others.
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I searched the forum and couldn't find a topic on this -
Chiropractors and Chiropractic manipulation.
Obviously a hotly debatable subject with many people split over the benefits and risks of these procedures.
Although I'm in good general health a few people have recommended a chiropractor while others have warned against. I got a couple of adjustments done by two different respectable "doctors" and I can't say the experience was gratifying. I haven't felt any negative effects nor have I felt any positive either. The process of having my neck and back crunched did not feel natural or healthy to me. The consultation felt alot like a manipulative sales pitch and some of the "science" seemed very sketchy. The doctors both explained to me that my left hip is lower than my right and my right arm is stronger than my left, my left leg is longer than my right etc... Although I couldn't see any of these things personally, I'm no Quasimodo. I heard later that they give this same schpiel to everyone. And the manipulations they do are basically the same for everyone as well. I also hear some have died from strokes after neck manipulation.
I'm not against Chiropractic care. My feelings are mixed. I've learned much about proper posture, nutrition, stretching and exercise to keep a healthy spine. So I'd love to hear from some of you about how chiropractic has affected your work and livelihood over the long term. Any stories positive and negative would be very helpful.
~ Nick
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Sold, thanks.
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Price lowered to $300 each or best offer.
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For sale is a set of three 4" swivel, locking casters for use on any standard Modern or American steadicam combo stand. Wheels are only a few months old and in excellent condition. Selling because I switched to pneumatics.
Bought for $130. Selling for $100 or best offer.
~ Nick
(310) 567-9668
NicholasDavidoff@hotmail.com
Steadicam Vehicle Mitchell Mount
in Steadicam Marketplace - For Sale
Posted
Steadicam vehicle mount by Modern Studio equipment.
Great condition, little use. Pretty much identical to the Hill vehicle mount except it's black anodized. Standard size socket block. Tie down included as well as U-bolts for mounting to speed rail.
Pick up in L.A. or buyer pays shipping.
$500 or best offer.
~ Nick Davidoff
(310) 567-9668
NicholasDavidoff@hotmail.com