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Nicholas M. Chopp

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Posts posted by Nicholas M. Chopp

  1. Cameras

    in Cameras (Film/Video/HD)

    Posted

    hello mr. nobody

     

    it is like asking for a new tire for your car in a candy store, be happy someone was so kind to give you an answer on where to find a garage.

     

     

    get out of here

     

    mark de blok

     

    and yes, the steadicamforum is like a candy store for steadicam operators.

     

     

    Alright, now that's getting a bit extreme. Let's keep it civil, shall we?

  5. Camera mounting screws

    in Brackets/Widgets

    Posted

    Just wondering where I might find some 3/8 " camera mounting screws.

    I need something slightly longer than the ARRI and Moviecam lengths.

    Roughly 3/4" in length. I'm in Los Angeles and I've tried GPI. George only

    has the short sizes.

     

    Thanks,  Chris Hood

     

    Hardware store? :-) I've always had luck with the big ones - HomeDepot, Lowes, Menards.

  9. The Geo arms

    in Arms

    Posted

    Mike, sorry for the typo.  Charles, granted my goof was with a person's name, but compared to some of the typos here, I think I'll still hold my head high.  I worry about the twenties-somethings who seem (in force) to have no idea that "there" and "their" are separate words with distinct meanings.

     

    I thought that I was the only one that that irritated! And actually, it's "there", "their" AND "they're" that get abused. Also, "your" and "you're " are misused on a near daily basis. Please understand that this is NOT aimed at our international bretheren. My total lack of any non-English language skills certainly puts me in no position to cast stones, but we English-as-a-first-language types have no excuse.

     

    Jim "Catholic school survivor" Bartell

     

     

    What always gets me is "there's a lot of". There is a lot of? It's a contraction of "there" and "is", people!

  10. NAB 2005

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I have spent the last few years stripping my rig down to the lightest I can go, now I am going to have the add a flyer arm and vest ( I would love to see the lightweight MK-V rig).  This is by far the biggest story at NAB, everyone is freaking out about it!

     

    Please tell me that isn't a servo-driven zoom... :-(

  12. Fear and loathing in airports

    in Legal / Business Practices

    Posted

    I am in Chicago right now and I carried on my Klassen harness. Of course it did not fit in the overhead bin so I had to store it under the seat. It did not fit very well down there either. The guy next to me was bummed on the leg room. The airport did not give me any trouble about it though. They were more concerned with my portable dvd player and my in flight porn (just kidding). Its cold here!!!!

     

    BJ McDonnell

     

     

    O'Hare or Midway? O'Hare's always been more painful for me, security wise...

  13. Microwave video from steadi?

    in Video Assist and Video Accessories

    Posted

    Hi all, anybody know anything about wireless transmission via a microwave link from the steadi op. (with mobile camera flying) to the broadcast truck?  Lemme know.  Cheers, Layton.

     

    The Modulus3000 is pretty much the standard. Will set you back about $2,100 or so, pushes something like 700mw. Unfortunately, they're not legal for use in the US, unless by a Federal Agency with a waiver from the FCC.

  14. First Time

    in Operating

    Posted

    Dear Gus,

     

    Just a few tips for live shows:

     

    It's good advice to get a triax adapter.  I had one of the Tiffen units that mounts to the chest spar on your vest, and I had a lot of problems with it.  The cables constantly had intermittent problems, and it is very expensive.  Fred Davis at Production Cable Services has a nice lightweight triax cable for less than $300.  Make sure you put a saftey loop on your back somewhere to protect the connector on your cable, and put the stress on the truck's cable.

     

    Buy a tally light.  Peter Abraham makes a well designed tally light that is cheap, I think around $100.  It's important to know when your "Hot".  You'll never see the camera's tally while operating.

     

    Plan your battery changes.  Look at the show's schedule and find the appropriate time to swap batteries.  If your not sure, swap them early.  Let your Director know ahead of time when you plan on swapping batteries.

     

    Order a wireless headset ahead of time.  If you use the camera's headset, you'll have another cable to deal with, in addition to the traix.  Also, bring earplugs for your ear if you use a single muff headset.  Check out the volume on the headsets, especially for concert work.  Sometimes the engineers can give you more volume, or order David Clark headsets if the shoot is really loud.  It's like wearing a vice on your head, but you can hear.

     

    Work with your cable puller during rehearsals.  Make sure he/she knows exactly where you need to go with the rig.  Add cable drops for spots you can't easily get to with a tether.  Sometimes you need 2 cable pullers, one with you, and another off to the side feeding him cables.  Also determine if your cable puller is worthwhile as a spotter.  A good spotter can really help keep you safe.  I was in the 3rd hour of straight operating on a concert, & during the encore, I nearly stepped right off the stage.  Fatigue will wreak havoc on your concentration.  The spotter saved my ass, and drank free beer that night.

     

    Forget the pain, go with the zen, and have a safe shoot.

     

    Mark Karavite

    Steadicam Owner / Operator

    Michigan

    mkaravite@comcast.net

     

     

    Good comments. Don't forget hydration - sports drinks are the best, for the saline. Keep a few bottles of Powerade\Gatorade\whatever in select spots around your area.

  17. Something for under $1000, under $2000???

    in Steadi-Newbies

    Posted

    JMF,

     

    Glad you're showing an interest. As you've noticed, there IS a lot to it. It's not the kind of thing you can just strap on, run around in for a few hours, and get some good-looking stuff. It's physically exhausting, and it takes hours of practice over years to get really good. I'm not anywhere close to even being just good, and I've been shooting on and off for a few years now.

     

    Having a strong background in AV\Film Production beforehand will help you a lot. The basics of composition and lighting are the same - just add that motion thing. ;-)

     

    You can pick up a Glidecam V-8 for about 2 grand used, if you get lucky...

  24. What do you pour into your gimbal?

    in Gimbal

    Posted

    Rob,

     

    I have owned a Mod 1, Mod 2 a IIIa, a Pro and the New MK-V Gimbal....  Give it a rest your not going to find anyone that thinks that the IIIa gimbal is State of the art (It doesn't even use it's bearings correctly, check the play in it...)  You might want to fly the MK-V or even XCS gimbal before you defend the old guard. A correctly designed gimbal doesn't require adjustment and infact does not allow for it. Sure great work was done with a IIIa gimbal, but better work is being done with the New gimbals.

     

    I don't think he ever called it state of the art. He said it's a tool, nothing more, nothing less. I happen to agree. Hell, I'm still stuck on a bleedin' Glidecam...

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