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What a great idea for a thread! I was gonna jump in early but I figured I would soon be overshadowed by a veteran with an awesome story, and sure enough Peter filled that role perfectly, followed soon by Brooks, both awesome stories. I've been aware for some time how easy we all have it these days. There is so much availability now of so much quality gear, and the ability to get a very inexpensive, if lightweight, starting rig. But when Peter and Brooks were starting out, it was all or nothing. You had to pay for a "big rig" because that's all there was, and they all came with their downsides. Seeing Peter act out what it was like to turn on one of those old green screens on set is the best part of any story. So I figured my story must be fairly tame and uninteresting. Then I remembered MY story is fraught with it's own, pretty extreme, challenges. Aided by some bad decisions and terrible luck. I learned steadi in college, where we had an EFP and then an Ultra. All I knew was Tiffen, no reason I should know anything else. Technically my first rig was one I built at school out of PVC pipe and aluminum. I don't think I ever used it on a project, but I tested it a few times and it did the trick. It was basically a wobbly Glidecam 2000, no arm, monitor or vest. I still have it. When I moved to LA I got a job at a camera house, and with all the jobs coming through, so came a parade of different camera stabilizers that had my eyes sparkling with awe. Old and new, Tiffen, Pro, XCS, et al, I couldn't believe all the options. I quickly decided my ideal rig was an all Pro system, though there are features of pretty much every other major option that I still appreciate, and sometimes struggled with when deciding on a sled. After a while of being out of school and not operating all the time, or at all really, I decided I needed something to at least practice with, and hopefully get a weekend student gig with here and there. I saved up as many pennies as I could, got a loan for as much as I could get approved for and called Bank of Mom for the rest and bought a 2nd gen Flyer brand new from the wonderful Steve Fracol. While waiting for it to deliver (they were backordered on some parts) I went to Vegas for a Flyer workshop taught by Peter and featuring Robert Starling. In my head it was a refresher course, something I was investing in simply to get my skill to back where it was when I left school. In reality it was like starting over. I learned so much in those 16 hours, more I think than I learned in school. That was truly the beginning of my career, thank you so much Peter. The Flyer came, 12v, fixed post, too-thin gimbal grip. 2 months later the Flyer LE was released, 12/24v, extendable post, thicker grip, and 4 lbs more lift capacity (turns out so was my 2nd gen). Apparently my delay was because they'd stopped making the 2nd gen Flyer. If only I'd waited a little longer.... Meanwhile, I met someone with an Ultra he was no longer using, and he offered to let me borrow it if I ever needed a big rig. I did a couple times, then I left it in my car in my gated parking garage because it was pain to get to my apartment. See where this is going? Everything was stolen save for the sled case, the monitor, and the stand. I was broke, and insurance fought tooth and nail to not cover it. My friend was extremely easy-going about it, but I knew my dream was over. After all, before I could ever buy a big rig I had to buy the one that was stolen. I wasn't really making that kind of money at a camera house. When my warranty was up on the Flyer, I upgraded the wiring in the post to 14g (from 22), had a splitter box installed, and made it 12/24v switchable. I also had a BNC ouput installed on the monitor. As a whole this upgrade was one of the best things I ever did, I'd been planning it from the beginning. Suddenly I was powering hungry Red Ones as well as 24v SR2s, 416s and 235s. About half a year after the Ultra was stolen it amazingly turned up at a Pawn shop. After some bureaucratic BS I got the rig back a few months later, minus some cases and bags, because when you don't know what the hell a thing is, the only stuff of value is the container. Literally everything came back. I still have the suitcases it was packed in instead of the proper cases. Life was back on track, my friend had his rig back, I didn't owe him any money, and my Flyer was actually doing me some good, and I never left it in the car unless it was within my line of sight. Except for the time I did... Just as I was wrapping up the issue with the Ultra I left the camera house and tried my luck in the freelance world. A few months later I stopped by the camera house to pick up a package I'd had mailed there because my new apt was too easy to steal from (oh the irony). I parked in the lot where millions of dollars of gear was left in trucks and cars every day, and I walked away for 15 minutes. You can guess what happened next, I almost threw up when I saw the broken window. This turned out to be one of the best things that happened to my career. I was set up with steadicam insurance, this was my own rig after all, and this rig wasn't nearly as valuable as the Ultra anyway. Tiffen was very kind and took care of me any time I needed a rig while I waited for a replacement. The Zephyr was announced and I took a good look at it, providing some input that was implemented. But its release date was unknown and I needed a new rig. In fact, according to everyone I spoke to, I needed a big rig. My friend with the Ultra offered to sell me the entire turnkey system (cart, wireless focus, wireless video, etc) on a payment plan. I struggled for a month or so trying to figure out how to buy it. I met my now great friend Will Demeritt and we discussed going in on it together. Probably best we didn't, who knows if we'd be such good friends now... In the end I turned back to Bank of Mom, turned out she was in a position to do something similar to Brooks' parents and she bought the rig for me outright to avoid interest on the payment plan. This was my first big rig. the day I was picking it up i got a call for a gig the very next day I could not have done with the Flyer. Sweet sweet justification. Alls well that ends well. The Flyer was found and returned, the thief was caught and is paying off my insurance company for the rented bartech and modulus that never came back. The Flyer has finished paying for itself and is still working occasionally to this day. It will always be my first rig. Ahhh nostalgia. The Ultra has been heavily modified and upgraded (after many a frustrating experience) and as of a few weeks ago I've replaced the last part of that package I was still using, the arm. For now the Ultra is my backup rig and goes traveling on a show every year, and my mom will be paid off within another few months, less than 5 years after her loan, while 10 was the goal. Somewhere in there I bought a Garfield mount from Brooks and a Zalex handle from Peter. Those two, Will, Steve, and many others have been a constant source of support and advice, I couldn't have pushed through all of that without them.

Great thread Beau!!! I dont think a lot of operators out there these days realize what a process it was back in the day. Gear wasnt built like it is now - it would break, and always at the worst possible time. There was really only one steadicam company (Cinema Products), and they werent that great. You needed to be self-reliant, or, failing that (like me), have a lot of friends willing to help with gear, as well as one or two shady electronics wizards who would be willing to come to the set all hours of the day or night to get you back up and running. This was WAY before the internet, so there wasnt any equipment reviews or online forums to ask questions about various cameras and equipment - it was truly the wild west, and you were on your own. I took my Calamigos Ranch workshop in late 1992 at the ripe old age of 23, after coercing Chuck Jackson that I knew enough to attend class (I didnt), despite being a PA at the time with no prior operating experience. During the week-long workshop (co-instructed by Peter Abraham) I met a fellow operator who went on to be one of my best friends, Steve Adelson, who owned a tricked out CP Model 2. He had stopped by one day to see the newbies running around like fools (me), and I talked to him at length about his sled which was really, really cool. The 3A was the ticket at the time, but this sled of Steves was much slicker, and looked like a formidable machine. Id never seen one like his, and I desperately wanted one. After my workshop, I was totally addicted to all things steadicam. I talked my father into using the family house as collateral on a co-signed loan to purchase my first rig. I had absolutely no experience as a camera operator, and was running on pure adrenaline and youthful foolishness. My father wanted to support me and believed in me though there were times when that belief and trust were pushed to the brink in the first two years of ownership when the phone wasnt ringing. I really dont recommend this strategy to anyone out there reading this that is thinking of taking a similar leap of faith. It almost cost my Dad his home, and it was sheer luck (and a little skill) that I survived the first two years and went on to eventually do some decent work with talented professionals. When I finally had the funds from the bank in place to make a go of it, I found an ad in the back of American Cinematographer that Derek Whitehouse had placed offering a Model 2 system for sale for $16,000, and I purchased it sight unseen. It had been sitting in a closet unused at a college before making its way to Derek, and was pristine though I didnt like the original two thin post design. Before I got a chance to use it, I took the sled to Bob DeRoses shop and put another $12,000 into it trying to duplicate my friend Steves sled extendable post with cables up the center, 3A gimbal, Donkey Box 1, Anton Bauer battery mount, etc. It was cool as shit, and I daresay, better than my friend Steves, with bitchin blue anodized aluminum everywhere. While the sled was at Bob's for two months (it felt like much longer), my arm went to Chuck Jackson so he could put gold springs in the arm and remove the hinge so it would articulate. I believe I paid $6500 for that mod, and I later learned that Robert Luna who did the actual work got boned on the deal and made almost nothing. Based on a conversation with Dan Kneece (who was pivotal in me getting into the steadicam field) I picked up a John Russell eyepiece tap for Arriflex cameras with a Watec camera. A few months after purchasing it, there was a problem with the optics and I took them back to John to be looked at. We got to talking and at some point, he asked me about my rig. I made the mistake of telling him that DeRose had done the mods and he freaked out. John and Bob were apparently having a disagreement about something and John grew angry and kicked me out of his shop. I didnt dare call him until the next day, when he asked me to come back so he could give me my repaired tap. He was still worked up, but apologized for his actions. I also had a lot of fun trying to acquire a Seitz follow focus. I cannot for the life of me remember the guys name, but I was told every single lie in the book in reference to my order: we are waiting for a part - it has already shipped - Ill get back to you with the tracking number - sorry, it didnt ship after all because we are still waiting for the part - it will be ready to go next week for sure. This went on for 4 bitter months before it finally turned up and I could go to work. That sled flew true and was awesome. Now that is not to say there werent serious issues. There was video interference problems when flying an Arri BL (or similar) where youd have to wrap the 3 watt, totally FCC illegal Steve Byro transmitter in tinfoil so you could see an image on the 2.5 inch or 3 inch green screen monitor though the glowing green fog. That is not to say you would not cross your fingers every time you pushed in the breakers and turned on the monitor, as it did not always turn on. Because of this, I eventually bought another hot-rodded base with an Anton Bauer battery mount from Joe Broderick so that if my electronics ever caught on fire (I think Rick Davidsons did while on a job in the Philippines or Thailand), I could swap them out. I got lucky with my Seitz in that it did not require two sets of marks on the wheel (on set of marks for turning the knob away, and another color set of marks for turning the wheel towards you) like a lot of them, but it was still finicky and required quite a few late night visits from the infamous Steve Byro who could be your best friend or worst enemy depending on many factors totally out of your control. He still owes me a lot of money for something I paid for and he never got around to building, but at least he didnt steal my sled as he did with another operator - allegedly. My total initial outlay for equipment was $60,000 sled, vest, arm, follow focus, transmitter, eyepiece tap, cables with back-ups etc. It was a great set-up for the time, and rivaled in my mind anything out there. Of course my operating was years behind at that point, but it eventually got better too. I eventually sold my sled to (then) 2nd AC Jerry Patton. It was a coup because at the time CP wasnt selling arms or vests because they had just lost the patent on the sled (or maybe gimbal) and Pro was starting to sell sleds. It was nearly impossible to sell used sleds unless you sold the entire system - which did you no good if you wanted a Pro sled, as you then couldnt get an arm or vest. Jerry had managed to track down both a vest and an arm, and I was able to sell him my sled. A win-win. Things got much easier and less exciting (meaning things didnt tend to break) when I purchased the Pro. I didnt need to cross my fingers any more as the technology was well thought out and wasnt reliant on crazy voodoo electronics to power the system, and electrocuting yourself was no longer a valid threat. Please keep this thread going it is good to hear the stories

Heh. Well. Here it is. After getting hooked on wearing a rental Model III at Camera Mart Video Rentals ( long gone ), and lacking any formal training, I set about looking for a used rig. American Cinematographer was all we had to go by back in the day ( 1986 ). I found a used one, and called Garrett up for advice on the price, etc. He gently urged me to get some formal training. I was fortunate enough to train with him a few weeks later- by incredible timing, a workshop had a slot. After my workshop, I hunted and found a used Universal Model I. It was serial # 22, in the first production run of Model I systems. It came with a non-adjustable arm, a Model I vest with the white plastics and the metal pocket on the back for the very first follow-focus system ever made- the LC1 system. My LC-1 controller box had a serial # stamped into it: # 0001. The spare controller box was stamped # 0002. No kidding ! It had no docking bracket, however it came with 4 socket blocks. Yes..... 4. One on the vest. One on the old and immensely heavy vehicle mount ( made of steel back then, not aluminum ). And two more spares with the thumb knobs in a bag. Amazing. The lack of dock was tough. Not knowing ANYONE, I found Larry McConkey's phone number and called him up. Quite the overwhelmed newbie call. He was, of course, wonderful and upbeat and invited me over the next day. I was presented with tons of steel shelves in his apartment in Chelsea filled with....gear...and....stuff. He pulled out an old docking bracket and gave it to me. Along with an immense amount of advice and tutoring. The very first mod I did to it was to pay to have the arm upgraded to an adjustable arm. The second thing was in my Uncle's machine shop. He made me a wonderful Delrin handle grip. It fit so snugly over the stock "bicycle handle" grip that it had to be tapped home with a mallet. It was 6" long, and is the inspiration for the Zalex Handles I currently make for Gen 1 Flyer gimbal handles. Additional mods? I made my own battery pivot, crude but based on the brilliantly made Bob DeRose mod. Eventually, I dumped the NiCAD long black packs and went to Anton Bauer bricks. Also NiCAD, metal housing. Better ergonomics, easy to have re-celled, and the world used them. Also custom cut and had welded an angled bracket so I could do Low Mode with the sled. :D It had a monitor that was ( I believe ) 2" diagonal. Green and black CRT ( well. B&W with a high-con notched green filter optically bonded to the face of said CRT ). Many wonderful memories with that first rig. It wound up being destroyed in a fire at a repair shop. Then it was totally rebuilt and sold on to Troy Smith in Seattle, then it went to Dave Chaimides. Because of the fire, and the utterly pervasive scent of burnt electronics, this sled is known as " Old Smokey ". Garrett currently has it in his Steadicam Collection. On the one hand, it's a hunk of metal and electronics. On the other hand, it was my intense dream realized. Love that thing. The sled went to fire heaven, then came back. ( It shoulda been called Phoenix ). The arm was stolen by a Federal Express employee at the FedEx Terminal at LAX. ( no shit. Brutal tale... ). The vest, I used forever. When the wonderful and brilliantly intense Bex Jennings came in from New Zealand to train, I sold her my Model I vest. :) Best to all, Peter Abraham, S.O.C.