Jump to content

William Demeritt

Premium Members
  • Posts

    1,085
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    63

Posts posted by William Demeritt

  1. Out of respect for the dead (literally), maybe we sanitize this thread of our usual day-to-day squabbling, lest others in our industry accidentally find this conversation and remember this forum for one disgraceful thread?

     

    Lock the thread, edit your own posts, and let's focus on the problem that lead to her death. Pictures on your sled, black bands on your sleeve... nothing will bring her back. Carry that in your heart. Enough.

     

    "The internet isn't written in pencil, it's written in ink."

    • Upvote 6
  2. Robert were did you find this quote?

     

    At the bottom of this article: http://variety.com/2014/film/news/investigator-midnight-rider-crew-wasnt-supposed-to-be-on-tracks-1201115835/

     

    Also worth noting from the comments section of that same article:

     

     

     

    I have been in the film business most of my adult life.

    In the mid 90′s I was the Chief Lighting Technician on a feature film shot in Nashville Tenn. We had a scene with a train crossing a bridge over a river at night. Oddly CSX was the railroad. From the time of planning through rigging the bridge with lights to the actual shooting of the scene CSX had a representative with us the entire time. At no time were any of the crew allowed on that bridge without permission from the CSX rep.

    The shot went off perfectly and no one was ever in peril or injured during the shoot.

    Needless to say this is a case of gross negligence by the production company and those in their employ to have even put any one member of the crew at risk.

    I worked briefly this last fall with Sarah,

    She was a wonderful vibrant young woman who is already missed and mourned by many of us here in Atlanta.

     

    Sounds about right to me. CSX representative on site sounds like a mandatory.

  3. Veterans in all the departments and CENTURIES of experience is meaningless if you don't have permission to film on the tracks, and that includes experienced and authorized personnel to communicate with the train companies or whoever to determine train utilization of said tracks.

     

    Weather is "unexpected". Illness on set is "unexpected".

     

    A TRAIN? Should not be "unexpected", and if that's a possibility, then escape/safety routes must be known.

     

    Who works in any building, any room, any situation without a properly marked "EXIT" sign?

  4. I agree with Afton: anytime I have someone spotting me that I can tell isn't quite sure what he/she is doing, I give them a quick 2 minute rundown.

     

    • My PRO vest has a handle on it, GRAB THAT.
    • You grab me, I'll grab the rig.
    • I'll tell you the direction I'm most likely to fall, and it's usually opposite to the direction the camera is pointing. Get on that side.
    • Since you're on the side of me that's where I'll fall, don't "catch" me. PUSH ME UP. I'll regain my footing.
    • My preference: stay nearby, be mindful of the rig. I generally don't need you to hold me all the time. Just ask my wife. :D

    Moral of the story: a good operator should want to help you understand how you can help them. Ask them to give you a quick brief, and they'll be happy to get you up to speed.

    • Upvote 4
  5. Someone more lawyerish will probably chime in, but I think if Tiffen wanted to challenge your web-squatting domain, they could, since they own the "Steadicam" trademark. You COULD sell it, but then the new owner could get in trouble and probably get annoyed with the purchase decision (and you?).

    • Upvote 1
  6. I've got the TR-04 Jr, and I like it a lot. Just big enough for all my gear, but small enough to fit in tight hallways or elevators without a problem.

     

    I bought mine with 8" wheels instead of 10" wheels, and it's still a tad bit top heavy. Otherwise, I'm very happy with mine. I've got the vest hanger and baby pin spanner bar, and it works great with a loaded rig. Also, collapses down nicely and fits in my VW Jetta Sportwagen.

     

    I'll post some photos in a bit when I'm back home.

  7. Food for thought, Will. I've always worn show blacks. Never thought to wear a collared long sleeved black shirt. Something new to try !!!

     

    I'm fond of 1/4 zip long sleeve shirts. They still form a collar unzipped, or zip up to keep your neck warm. No buttons or zipper to press against the chest spar on your vest.

  8. Colleagues that I look up to told me: "Years ago, everyone working on set wore collared shirts with ties. You should too." Since then, I've accumulated a lot of black polo shirts (long and short sleeve), minimal branding (ADIDAS or Nike), all dry-fit. ADIDAS dry-fit golf slacks are great too.

     

    I previously had a sticker on my PRO 2 green screen monitor that said "The beatings will continue until morale improves!" Funny, and true, but I've since removed anything from my rig or outfits that indicate I'm anything other than professional.

     

    I'll let my sense of humor disarm people, but I TRY to keep my gear nothing but professional.

     

    Although I still want to make a shirt out of my favorite quote from Rob V: "Nobody cares about your stupid show more than me!"

  9. The door to their office should say "Abandon all hope of buying something else, ye who enter here."

     

    Glad you had a great experience, but the only thing you missed out on was if a repair job came in. Jack's enthusiasm for showing off his stuff is only exceeded by his service and repair attention, and he probably would have left you to chat with Tommy and Chad while he, personally, repaired the gear.

×
×
  • Create New...