chris fawcett

Dear Colleagues and Friends, Does anyone think that a forum for Steadicam aesthetics is a good idea? At present, we have plenty of tech forums, and none really dedicated to the art of operating. The closest we have is "Operating Techniques and Situations," which covers something else. I'm imagining a place we could go to talk about how a shot worked in a film, and why; rather than how demanding it was, technically or physically, etc. All the best, Chris

Hi Jason, Non-conventional? As opposed to those of us that came to Steadicam through hairdressing or designing spaceships? Jason, I think you couldn't be coming to Steadicam better prepared. I wish you much luck, and a long and prosperous career. Chris

I'll be interested to hear your results, Brad. I think selecting a frame rate different from source is a major mistake. I forgot to mention that the next thing I would try is deinterlace or denoise, but all this in the spirit of the roomful of monkeys banging away on typewriters. "To detelecine or not detelecine, that is the..." hey, it works for me (lie). Alan, you are obviously way ahead on this. What do you think? Chris

Hi Kyle, I'm not selling it, and it was expensive. But it's a piece of kit I use every day. No sound recordist has ever questioned using it to send from mixer to camera after they give it a good listen (though some make a backup recording). Don't forget, you'll have to be capable of monitoring sound yourself to check for interference, unless you buy another channel for return. Best, Chris

Mira: http://www.steadicam.com/mini_3995.html Es que el Mini es lo que se llama la Steadi que vino antes de el Flyer. No tiene nada que ver con el tamaño. El compact es el chaleco pequeño. Pero hay que recordar que el tamaño no es lo mas importante, lo importante es como lo utilisas. Nos vemos en el espejo, Chris

Hi Brad, I don't do anything special with Handbrake, but here is a screenshot of the settings I use. I didn't try anything on the advanced tab yet, mainly because I don't understand wtf any of it means. Good luck, Chris

Gracias por levantarme con ese complido, hombre!

A menos que seas enanito tio, necesitas el mini. Es seguro. Salu3

Hi Brad, Have you tried http://handbrake.fr/ ? It's Mac only, but does a great H.264 rip. All the best, Chris

Hi Sebastien, It's not a scam. It's value for money. Seriously, it's fun to build your own Steadicam just to see how difficult it is, and to get to grips with some of the principles involved. I would recommend that spending $14 and a day is about as much time and money as you'll want to devote to the project. Have a look here: http://homebuiltstabilizers.com/ Chris

Hi Kevin, I have a Micron radio mic system that does what you ask; it's just a question of ordering a special cable. Ask a soundo for advice. This is pretty standard equipment for them. All the best, Chris

Hi Steven, Just to clear something up. Do you know someone called Stephane Nicholle? All the best, Chris

Mmm, Lovely noise. Can you identify where it is coming from? Chris

Sorry Steven, I should have been more specific, and put two Ts in Garrett, and you should take a workshop. This and many other mysteries will be revealed. Fly safe, Chris

This post is about the perfect length right now. ;)

Hi All, I would advise using all your fingers on the post. They are not there just for control, but for feedback. Sliding your little finger low gives you a lot of information about just how vertical is the post. It is also able to exert more moment as a 'stopper' for retarding pendulation (yes, that's a real word) as your slightly-bottom-heavy sled responds to acceleration. Here's a picture of Garret's distinctive grip. For dynamic balance, and this applies to all rigs, remove the camera package, including the plate, and mark its centre of gravity. When you replace it, place the mark just behind the centreline of the post. How far behind depends on rig, but on the Pilot, it's probably about half an inch (1.25cm). (If you want to know why, read Jerry's excellent Dynamic Balance Primer.) Now static balance as normal. The camera position should be really close to where it needs to be. If you move the camera too far back, or if you move its COG forward of the centreline, you'll not achieve DB. All the best, Chris

Hi, The compact vest is just the smaller version of the mini vest. Unless you are very small, you'll want the mini vest. Clear as mud, eh? Salu2 Chris

Congratulations, Alan. I wish you much fun and success with your new rig. Chris

Hi Matteo, I see you've been busy in time-honoured tradition since I was last here. You are making life hard for yourself, working with the rig so far away from your body. That's maybe why you look so tired with such a lightweight package. You are also moving your centre of gravity towards the weight you are trying to counterbalance. You can read more about that, if you like, at http://steadivision.com/steadipos.htm All this chat is no substitute for a workshop. There should be one coming your way shortly. I'll let you know as soon as I do. Fly safe, Chris

You are so right, but I've agreed to try it anyway. Wish me luck!

Happy Birthday Afton, Have a great day. All the best, Chris

I don't believe you can. You must upload it to another website, and then post a link to it. Chris

Sure Matt, You can post a link here, for general discussion, or email it to me via my website as you prefer. I'll be happy to take a look. All the best, Chris

Hi Matt, Maybe the workshop your friend mentioned was the February 2007 Swiss Steadicam Workshop in Locarno. The next European workshop will probably be elsewhere. I'll make sure its location and dates are posted on this forum when a decision is made. You will learn bad habits practicing on your own, and they become progressively harder to unlearn. As a working operator, it should be your priority to get trained as soon as possible. For example, you mention 9 kg as being heavy. Nine kilos is really light. You can imagine the damage you will do to yourself if you develop a bad operating posture. I assume you have bought the stabilizer in question. It's hard to judge from some photos, but the rig looks basic. I can't imagine you will be content with it for long. Don't feel discouraged by anything I say, Matt. It's a long road for any of us to achieve the standard to which we aspire in this profession. If you are hooked, you are hooked, and nothing will stop you from reaching your goal in good time. Fly safe, Chris Chris

Jerry's solution is sublime. That loop is second nature to me now. Five extra seconds? Not even. Thanks for the tip, Chris