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This is my personal technique for making whip pans. I’m sharing here in hopes that it might help a newer operator who is looking to improve their whip pans during this quarantine.

I just completed 6 weeks of production, but some of my working conditions were unique to our production, and most likely not going to be duplicated by any other shows. For example, there was no negotiation regarding PPE. If you were an on set position (the red wristband zone), you were required to wear the provided KN95 masks and face shields, no exceptions. We had health and safety compliance staff all over production enforcing these rules, and our director was the most stringent enforcer of all. He would yell at anyone he saw with their mask below their nose, or the wrong mask, and don

Patrick, Please please do NOT become dependent on the Volt. If you have as much passion as you seem to have (referring to your first post on this thread) you should learn to be a good Steadicam Operator without it. You seem to have great respect for Garrett and Jerry and the entire world of Steadicam, to learn without using the volt (as they had and most of us had to) would be a great way to express that respect, IMHO. Your fellow op, - Kat

If you don't have any other choice, this could help you : - Have an assistant Raising or lowering your docking stand to the correct height for the shot - Put your Sled on the balancing stud - Put a magic arm between your post and the stand - Frame the shot, than tighten the magic arm Not as sturdy as a tripod but can sometimes help.

Many years ago I was on a show and this exact thing was happening all the time .Like Cedric I was using 2 magic arms and for most setups was quick and easy .My assistant presented me with this embroiled velcro backed slogan .I now use the SOS plate and it works great .

How many of you can find old Steadicam stuff in the closet like this? Evolution of Steadicam test fixtures from the mid 70’s through Steadicam III. The first one was used from early Steadicam. The second was the one I built in order to build and test the Steadicam II electronics. The third was for the Steadicam III circuit boards.

I myself prefer a short rig but will change that based on what is needed within the majority of a shot. So, if I need the lens at a higher or lower height I will change that to a longer rig. Danny, take advice from the guy with more experience and who actually wrote the book on Steadicam, contributed to Steadicam with multiple inventions and who has devoted decades of his life to teaching Steadicam Operating to thousands of people across the globe. My two cents.

"Undercutting" comes naturally early in your career. You do not have the experience quite yet to be charging what experienced ops charge. Make sure production knows why though, as you don't want them having high expectations. Also, don't take a gig if you aren't ready for it. Word travels fast which can either work against you or for you. Best of luck and you have us all for information and help. Also, nothing against Greg but taking a SOA workshop will also work in your favor. Many experienced ops to learn from, giving you exposure to different techniques from different people. Discover

Hello All, I'm happy to finally announce we are officially launching the latest 1.7 Volt Firmware. Thank you to Larry McConkey & Steve Wagner for all the work they put into helping us make this firmware what it is. Look in the video description on how to proceed w/ getting the update. In the video, it shows the changes that we made in the update to help you understand what the volt is doing in Regular & Sticky mode. If you received a Volt since July 2020 you'll have the latest 1.7 firmware already installed on your control box.

I thought I’d take a moment to share little bit of history which might be fun. Scrounging through some really old photographs I came across a couple of beauties dating back to around 1989. As aged as they appear, they indicate a counterculture that was taking root as Cinema Products struggled to understand the needs of the Steadicam Operator. While still living in South Africa, I met some aeronautical engineers whose day job was designing the Heads Up Display for the Rooivalk Attack Helicopter. As the technologies that applied to Steadicam covered some common ground, it seemed like a good plac

From Ted’s manual of style...always a great idea to charge per minute, or even per foot moved. More for stairs. They can’t afford low mode.

25 years ago today, Ted Churchill died. For those of us who knew him it was a painful day and time in our personal lives and in our careers. For those who knew of him back then, it was a shocker and made them want to know more. There will be links coming in here that will provide nuance and detail and some incredible clips and videos of him. As Garrett Brown has often said, " I invented the Steadicam. Ted invented the Steadicam Operator ". Hope you're resting in peace, Teddy.

We work in a world where being seen in a reflection is bad, and for live operators the need is to remain as unobtrusive as possible. And providing the least amount of distraction to the actors. Anything but black is unprofessional, in my opinion.

Hi Josh, I remember being in your shoes clearly - it was the late summer of 2012, I was on my first feature film, having operated “semi-professionally” for about a year, and on two occasions I had to either put the 85mm up, or do a shot on the 50mm in low mode, and I remember both being seemingly impossible. So, you’re not alone in the difficulty of doing long lens work on Steadicam when starting out! I’d say about 1/4 of my work is tighter than a 50mm. Generally I don’t see many lenses above 135mm (though I have from time to time), although especially when doing anamorphic, 135mm is

Yeah, what do you know about steadicam, Jerry?... ... mmm what?... ooooh.... wait...

I think post length should be altered to get the specific shot - either to change the lens height range and/or the rig's inertia. Choosing to configure your sled only one way is like playing 10 keys on the piano instead of all 88.

Just remember folks, it is not just the weight, but the weight distribution that influences the "feel." Spread your masses to add pan inertia and you'll likely much prefer it.

Hi Andrew, I believe we worked together many moons ago in LA - nice to reconnect! Awesome that you already have some training under your belt from Greg Smith. I haven't met or worked with him personally, though have heard great things. I took the SOA workshop as a student, and have since gone back as an instructor many times, including the SOA workshop that Rowan took in San Diego. Yes, you'll get a lot of calls for work, though I disagree with Rowan's statement that work doesn't come from classmates; the other students (and instructors) in my workshop have gotten me several jobs, a

I think it's a shame there's so few discussions in the 'Aesthetics' threads here when that's kinda the whole point of what we do, right?! I'm just hoping to leave this space open for discussion on the aesthetics of 1917. From a story and technical point of view, I found this film to be absolutely phenomenal and virtually flawless. But in talking about the look of the movie, I thought it was so beautiful and no doubt thanks to Deakins' incredible talent but of course the operators who made these frames. I was blown away and again watching the movie. A few highlights were that plane crash '

I'm guessing the directing thing is working out for you ;-)

Here's another one of David Hable's masterpieces. He modified my Wave to provide power outlets and BNC's as well as a back-lit bubble level. Now the camera sits 2inches lower minus the weight of the Dbox and topstage. I use the XCS side-to-side plate in the Wave for balance within the Wave. I have side-to-side adjustment on my monitor for Sled balance. The sled was a PRO Lite that has been upgraded to HD and the 2inch post and gimbal are MK-V. It's a fantastic rig that had become my pre-pandemic work horse. The loss of weight and height between the gimbal and wave allows me to keep

Hi all; I'm not sure where this post will lead but I'm trying to help those who may be young and new to the Movie business think about things they haven't before... This will and can cover a hundred different turns considering we're all in this new world of pandemic business shut down all the way to new trends in the industry. Here's my thinking that I've looked at for a long time and being older than most of you I've seen how the industry and business in every way has changed. Changes (to name a few). 1) Pandemic, who hasn't thought about money and when they'll get ba

Found these early Steadicam pictures. Seemed appropriate. I will always miss Ted.

A 10 minute reel of shots I made with and without the Volt for Hulu’s “Dollface”. Most of the video is accompanied by descriptions of how I tune my Volt for different shots, along with why. This tool has fundamentally made my days at work better, allowing me to make bolder choices, with more precise results!

Preston Handset 2 with Microforce V+F and MDR-2, complete and working OK. Preston Handset 2 S/N 2175 Preston Transmitter S/N 49235 Preston Microforce V+F S/N 95419 Preston MDR-2 S/N 1191 Preston DM 1 S/N 1808 Preston DM 2 S/N 3482 Preston DM 2 S/N 3491 Preston Remote Iris with 25 ft Cable Preston FIZ Handset Batteries and Charger Omnishot Preston FIZ Handset Battery Adapter, Batteries, and Charg

Steadicam is a very unique job on set, and we've always relied on the ingenuity of other Steadicam operators, utilizing information we research and investigate ourselves, to solve problems unique to Steadicam operators. COVID has created a new set of issues that affects us uniquely. As such, while we need to comply with COVID requirements set by production, medics, or COVID compliance officers, we obviously need to protect ourselves AND the way we work so we can continue to do the best job we can while also staying safe. Masks and social distancing are the obvious baseline for most i

It’s two pieces bolted together (as you no doubt already know). The base is Mitchell mount for hi-hats/dollies/risers/basically anything on most sets. The piece with the socket block on it can also be mounted on speed rail with the u-bolts in the kit (or from a hardware store). It’s not a complicated thing to do but I’d advise against doing it by oneself unless you have done it a few times and/or someone has walked you through properly rigging the mount etc. — lots of things can go wrong without a solid base and disaster can ensue and gear can be lost as well as people injured. Definitely don

Im selling my trusted 3A arm This arm is a work horse and it has worked wonderfully for many years and projects. I bought it in late 2007 and Robert Luna did a complete overhaul on the arm in early 2016. I haven´t worked with the arm this since 2017. Carrying range is between 15-30 kg. (33-66IBS). Arm serial nr is 572. The package include. Arm, arm cover and allen key I can send it any were in the world if needed, but eventually VAT will be added. Im asking 4200 Dollar + plus shipping My location is Stockholm, Sweden.

We have all been in that situation. It’s hard to speak up but if it’s hurting you say something. Another solution to shooting off the stand is using a vehicle mount on a dolly or bazooka. They you have the arm to make corrections/boom etc.

okay, another PDF here - better organized and a new thing - a button extender for the Volt - great for regular use and indispensable for use with a zoom controller3D printed iems for sale.pdf

Hi, I’m selling my sled, it’s done me well but I think it’s time to move on. I’d like to sell it whole, but will piece out of need be. Asking $14000. GPI Pro sled: -DBii Topstage, and 1 plate -HD Junction Box w/HDSDI inner cable -Pro Gimbal (serviced recently by PRO, new pan bearing, around $800) -Pro gen 1 Post -Custom Monitor Mount for Shogun Monitor -Pro Battery Rack Gen IV -Pelican and hand cut foam for sled -Hill Docking Bracket and mounts will upload with more photos ASAP.

Good for you for practicing on both sides, and for questioning and experimenting. That's how we've progressed, operating wise, over the years. Do what feels best. It seems from your description like going regular is the right (normal) way for you. It doesn't really matter how others feel.

letting Go this beauty since I have too many sleds in hand. This one fully collapsed measures at 22.5 inches in length. Original Cost breakdown as follows (total of $33800 USD) ----Betz Tools Top stage $3500 USD new batch spring 2019, minor design change, absolute vibration free. ---PRO 2 HD Hable Mod $4000 USD (eliminates traditional top stage, gimbal is closer to camera CG as a result). top : 2X HD lines, PRO CINE/LIVE 2B 303 CAM POWER, PRO/TIFFEN 0B 303 12/24v accessory power x2. Arri Standard 2 pin lemo x1. bottom: 2x HD lines. 8 pin monitor power. PRO/TIFFEN 0B 303

Will some one PLEASE buy this beautiful sled?! Such a good sled.

Find a used PRO. One and done, you will never need to buy another rig again

One of the main things that’s kept me using SmallHDs as my primary monitors (though I will soon be picking up a couple of the off-brand new super bright monitors as backups) has been the ability to zoom and scale the picture, along with the addition of custom, easily changeable guides. I have found that in the past couple years, there has been a proliferation of DPs wanting to use old anamorphic lenses, sometimes producing odd aspect ratios, and then cropping down the sensor to fit the proscribed aspect ratio. On one particular show last year, we were using a 2x anamorphic lens on an Alexa Min

I gotta go back to all those men's restrooms and change the number on the wall? Uggggh. I'm supposed to be quarantined.

I am switching the BarTech business number from the old standard, 562-987-9159, to a Google Voice number. The new number is 562-283-4805. I got tired of paying $70/month for a number that gets mostly robo-calls. The old number will be disconnected shortly. And, yes. I am still open for business! Jim Bartell, Owner BarTech Engineering

What Kat and Alec said. And I'll add this. Yeah, what was $ 30K 12 years ago is now found in good shape for a LOT less. If you have a reasonable pile of funding or cash around and want to dive into this, here's what I recommend. Everyone has strong thoughts on this, but we all respect each other's brand loyalties and efforts. Important to keep in mind if you're new to our community ! My two cents before I dive in? The Gimbal and the Arm are the heart of any stabilizer. Everything else kneels before those two elements. Why? Because they are the points of isolation between the movements

Peter was having trouble with the video, so I'm giving it a try... Garrett_3_Section_Arm_April_18_2012_720.mov

Update: It’s been 8 months since I dropped off my 7” Stargate monitor for repair at Transvideo International in Burbank. There has been no communication from them on status. I tried calling yesterday and no one is picking up. I emailed Transvideo in Paris and Jacque got back to me immediately. Transvideo Int. is not affiliated with them whatsoever so if you have an issue with your monitor you need to send it to them directly in Paris. Now hopefully I can actually get it back.

Hi Kevin, What rig and arm are you working with? Everyone has their way of doing things. Try this. Super light touch with your operating hand when keeping your frame. If the rig is balanced correctly trust that it will stay that way with out you overcompensating with your operating hand. Arm hand can be as firm as you like. Footsteps should roll. Not flat feet of course. I operate regular. Walking forward I tend to have very short strides. Rolling from my left heel to my toe and then onto the outside of my right foot rolling onto my right heel. Then back to my left foot an

This is a beautiful sled and very similar to my primary sled for over a decade. While I have not seen it in person, I'm drooling all over it.

Selling my backup hard mount. Yes it's not much to look at but it works. One of the plastic wing nut caps broke off but shouldn't be hard to replace. Comes with tie down nut. Buyer pays shipping. Ships from Toronto. Price $400 USD.

Sale is pending

The Tiffen arm would lift the weight and even more, but it was twisting under the load and that caused unacceptable friction, somewhat erratic at that. I rented a PRO arm loaded with the highest spring rates and cranked them to the very top. I left that setting untouched throughout the shoot - worked beautifully.

The order of those replies is great.

Aaron - With a sled neutrally balanced, the slightest imbalance will cause the sled to tilt or roll. If you are tilted up or down and the Volt is engaged, the Volt will try to level the rig, but it can only attempt to do so with motors not connected to the pan axis. The net result is that the sled pans. To more perfectly balance your sled, engage the Volt in regular mode, tilt to 30 degrees or more and set the trim to this angle. If the sled pans, tweak the side to side balance to stop the sled from panning.

Selling my Zephyr Steadicam kit (with extras). £4,100, preferably UK pick-up. The kit includes: - Zephyr arm, sled & vest - 7'' Marshall monitor - 3x camera weight plates (extra) - 4x Zephyr weights - Dovetail - Docking bracket - 3x BNC cables - 2x Monitor cables - V-lock mount (Extra. Dummy v-lock for balance) - Skymagic CG monitor mount (upgrade) - Original monitor mount - Zephyr pelicase (all fits inside) Does not include the c-st

Pro Sled modified for HD by Terry West Pro Vest Pro Arm w/ 4 Blue canisters Super post Docking Bracket and Stand TB6 Monitor transvideo monitor Pro Gyros Super post Preston MDR2 System with 2 motors and cables Steadicam plate Ronford Standard Sticks Cinetape Magliner steadicam cart 30,000 for everything Please contact me for more photos if interested