Phil Thomas

Hi, Has anyone got any opinions on where to get cables made up in the UK. I'm after some camera power cables for my Archer 1 from the 3 pin lemo to the right connector for a RED and also a 4 pin XLR for video cameras. May also need some other types at a later date so it would be good to have someone I can rely on here in the UK. I've read good things on here about Terry West in the US, can someone give me contact info for him as I may just get him to post it over or something although would prefer to have something a little more local. Thanks Phil

Hi, I've been looking at getting a new brighter and better resolution monitor for my Archer 1 than the one that came with it. I've found the Teletest Cyclops HD which seem to be just the trick from the specs and cheaper than the transvideo ones. Apparently its a 1000nit screen that's been enhanced somehow to make it equivalent to 1200-1400 nits. http://www.teletest.tv/3d-portable-lcd.aplos?type=category Just wondering if anyone had used one on a Steadicam and if they are any good. Not sure whether to get the SDI model or send the boat out to sea and get the HD-SDI model to make it work with REDs. Any body got any suggestions for down-converters that work on a rig and might be a cheaper option as the actual resolution of the LCD isn't HD. Cheers Phil

Hi, I went to my local university and got one of the students in the engineering department to make one for me out of a block of steel. That's always an option. Phil

The video was made for my own amusement it's not anything particular I just added it to the thread as a "by the way" as I was talking about the hand position not being uncomfortable. I've been doing a lot of practising in the last month since I posted that video and have trained myself out of using the finger above the gimbal hand position and into the conventional style and suprise suprise it seems that my operating has improved for it, especially on pans as suggested. So all in all that video above is now very pointless. At least this topic can now sit in the archives and be searchable if anyone else has the same question as me. Thanks for everyones input on it, alls worked out well in the end. Cheers Phil

Hi, Does the G-Zoom have this same problem with Canon Lenses? I was considering buying a G-zoom with canon lead initially but if it has this problem I'll get the Fuji lead and request Fuji lenses. Cheers

Yeh I do operate Goofy, that's just how I was taught, makes more sense to me using the hand I'm more precise with (right) for the Gimbal as well. As for arm/vest setup yeh I do spend time on it so the rig can float by side without shooting off in a certain direction. I think I started doing the finger over the top thing to stop myself putting to much influence into the gimbal as the the centre of my hand was more on top the the CG of the rig so would take more effort to influence the rig as the leverage is less. It's clear from all your responses that it's not a common or preferable technique, I thought it might of been one of those things (like shooting goofy) that some people just did and it doesn't make any difference really but I'll definitely train myself out of it now. As for being comfortable, yeh it looks pretty uncomfortable but that picture was taken from a frame mid way through an hour long shot and didn't seem too much of problem. You can see the hour shot here sped up to 2 mins if you so wish. Lose my verticals in a couple of places and headroom is bit too much in places too but it was only for practice and I know where to improve for future, any other comments appreciated, although hard to see as its sped up so much. Thanks for all your help Phil

Hi, Thanks for all your responses, better borrow the Pilot back off my mate and get practising all fingers below the gimbal. I've attached a photo of me doing it just so you can see exactly what I was doing before. That photo is a frame taken from the camera on the rig looking in a mirror in a lift though, thats why it looks like its my left hand on the gimbal. I do have Jerrys book too, it is also sat by my bed, next stop read back over the hand position section. Thanks again. Phil

Hi, I've only been Steadicaming for a short while now but I've found myself during my workshop (using archers and masters) and just when practising on a pilot with my first finger on my post hand above the gimbal bearings. It just seems to naturally sit there and feels more comfortable while operating. I also seem to have better control like this. I was just wondering if anyone else operates like this or if there was any reason not to. I'm still early enough to be able to train myself out of it if there are some real reasons why you shouldn't op like this or if it's a case of if it works for me, go with it. I operate with my right hand on the post and the socket block on the left side of the vest, not sure that makes any difference but threw it in anyway. Cheers Phil

Hi, I'm only new to Steadicam but I did some elevator work in my workshop and I found the same as Sanjay, just kind of lock out your arm (of the fleshy type) that's on the handle and be prepared that the handle will try and force into your hand as the lift accelerates and decelerates and push against it as it happens. Charles, out of interest did you do that scrubs shot mostly walking backwards or in Don Juan? I quite like doing Don Juan but I've read quite a few ops on here that try and do as much as possible walking backwards. Just looked at the date of the original post, guess you've done the shot by now, how did you get on? Phil

Thanks Rob, Alot of OB units round here run with the Sony HDC-1500 which is obviously a reasonably large camera once you get a wireless unit and everything on it but has anyone shot on Steadicam with a Sony HDC-P1? at only 1.7kg for the body you could stick that on a much lighter rig and wear it for hours on end surely? Any experience with that? It says it's controllable by the same CCU that runs the rest of the HDC series but doesn't seem to have a fiber I/O, so guess it would need some other connectors. Also anyone tried separating the wireless from your sled using a backpack or attaching it directly to your vest? Cheers Phil

Thanks for the reply Chris, there's some useful information there. I've been looking at the zoom/focus controllers, there's a lot going there with the zooming and focusing with gimbal hand as well as the rest of the operating. When you do live stuff do you try and keep your DoF as large as possible by working with the NDs to have the engineers keep you f stops up in the high numbers?

Hi, I'm pretty new to world of Steadicam, I completed a 5 day course in June and I loved it, now just need to get more experience and some jobs! I was just wondering about operating for the world of live TV (sports and other) and about how operators go about not tiring themselves out. On my course I flew an Archer with a reasonable sized camera for over an hour continuously but with a master I only managed 22 mins, Now for Live TV I guess you'd need a big rig to fly the OB cams and wireless links, does anyone work in OBs, what rig/camera setup do you commonly use? Which brings me onto with the big rig I only lasted 22mins, now I realise that the more you op the stronger your back gets but surely a whole 45min half for football (soccer) plus all the tunnel and celebration bits would be way to much for any operator? So I was wondering if ops dock up at any point and take a rest out of the rig or do they just chuck it in the rest position when the play's at the other end? Is this a conversation you'd have the director/producer first, saying "if you see sky don't worry about it you'll have a shot when the ball comes back". Lastly I never see assistants/spotters with the ops when the appear in the background of other shots, do they just not bother with them on the live stuff? It would be useful to have opinions on how this is done from the UK and Europe (where I am) and how this is gone about in America too. Final thought (this may seem ridiculous) has it ever been known for a Steadicam Op to start off on Steadicam doing all the walk outs onto the pitch etc, dock up and take the arm off leaving the vest on, then operate a static cam for most of the half then re rig just before half/full time to get the walk off and celebrations? Cheers Phil

Hi, Thanks for your advice, I had been looking at courses from Optical Support, so it's good to know that they run ones that are worth doing. If anyone else knows of any other courses in the UK that are worth looking into as well that'd be great. As for amount of time in the rig, I completely understand the variables of fitness, technique etc can have on fatigue so I'm going to get going on fitness training concentrating on my core muscles. However, if anyone out there has done any sports work with a steadicam I would be still interested to know what was expected of them from the producers/directors in terms of length of time in the rig and how long they actually spent in it, or where they found to take breaks. Thanks Phil

Hi All, I'm at UK based camera operator who had a go on a Steadicam (it was an Archer I think) on the Tiffen stand at Broadcast Video Expo in London earlier this month and I loved it!!! I spent only about 5 mins with it on but it seamed to fit me and the way I move well and I had a good time wandering around with it trying not to take peoples faces off with the camera at the busy expo. Anyway so I really want to learn more and get into the steadicam way, after spending all day so far reading various threads on this forum I've ordered the Steadicam Operators Handbook and want to get myself on a course, preferably quite a comprehensive one. I think I'd like to do live broadcast with a steadicam, sports etc so would be using it with racked OB camera rather than film cameras. Do you guys have any suggestions of good courses to take in the UK for steadicams upto the range that could take a OB camera with wireless? I'm not sure on weights etc whether the Archer would be suitable or if you'd need one of the bigger ones. I've read on this forum that operating all of the mid and large sized rigs are pretty similar skillswise but if I were to do a course I'd obviously like it to cover the range that I'd be most likely using, for setup and fimiliarity purposes. Also how long would the steadicam operator generally be expected to wear the rig for without a break? Say if doing sports, if being pitchside cam for a football (soccer) match, would the operator generally wear it for the whole 45mins plus match intro/celebrations with only a break during half time, or would they take breaks during the half? Like I've said I've only worn one for about 5mins so have no idea how the fatigue would manifest itself. Thanks for your help and any other tips and advice for an absolute beginner would be much appreciated. Cheers Phil Thomas