chris fawcett

Hi Artur, Your form looks good, but maybe you are wearing that vest a little high. I adjust my vests to sit deeper on my pelvis. As long as you can lift your leg so as to climb stairs, it's not too low. Give your bruises a little rest (if you can), then experiment with different settings. Also, guard that you are not pushing your pelvis forward when you start walking. Your standing posture is good. Make sure it stays like that when you move. Let us know how it goes! Chris

Rod end of the side-to-side adjustment on the arm, by the looks of it.

Most likely, yes.

Kevin, Nothing yet. We're still working in the design! Chris

You're welcome, and yes, it was a truly great party.

Friends and colleagues, I'm delighted to announce that we'll be showing a prototype of the new Steadicam Fawcett Exolite Vest, a lightweight version of the Exovest for Pilot to possibly even Archer loads. Please come give us your feedback on the project so far. We're at NAB, Tiffen Booth C10440, right in the middle of Central Hall. I look forward to seeing you there. Chris

I hope to many of you there tomorrow night!

Yes, the arm coming around from the back makes you wider. The weight's always out front, so front or back mounting makes little difference to the feel. The only compelling reason to rear mount is when you use the 3rd arm section to increase your boom range by 50%.

Like Gregor says, you'll notice very little difference between front and rear mounting with the Exovest, so I'd opt for front to keep a thinner profile. Arms seem to work better when front mounted too.

Of course!

Steadicam is hosting an NAB party on Monday, April 18th at 7PM in the Patio Area of Diablos in the Monte Carlo hotel. Food and drinks provided. All stabiliser operators and aficionados welcome. See you there!

Brad, bummer!

NAB ATTENDEES: Steadicam will hold an NAB get together for all stabiliser operators in Vegas on Monday, April 18th. Garrett will be there and is looking forward to seeing everyone associated with the noble art. There'll be food and drinks, of course. I'll post venue details later. Meanwhile, hold the date! Big thanks to Robert Starling for helping out with this. All the best, Chris

Jess, A New Balance rep told me that the barefoot versions of the Minimus are not discontinued, they're just entering a new 'product cycle', W(ever)TF that means. Chris

Manufacturers need to make people aware of this problem. We've been discussing it here since 2009: http://www.steadicamforum.com/index.php?showtopic=10918 At least Tiffen blocks the D-Tap on the second battery plate on their rigs, but this in itself is not foolproof. Transvideo also warns specifically about this problem in their Titan HD manual, but it's still an easy mistake to make in the heat of the monent. Chris

Richard, REI still has some Minimus on clearance sale, but have you tried these? They're also great. Chris

That sucks, but Merrell still makes minimal shoes.

Victor, I agree with Alec and Chris, and would add that ventilation is A help in preventing condensation as the temperature drops. I've had camera gear at -40C (-40F) with no problems, so I also wouldn't overly worry. All the best, Chris

Thanks Lisa!

Here's a short video explaining why safety fenders are an integral part of the Steadiseg system. https://youtu.be/X_2zhFtSB5g I hope you enjoy it! Chris

Dear Colleagues, Haskell Wexler's affection, wisdom and wit will be sorely missed. His talent, kindness and fierce human advocacy are for the ages. Our profession effectively began 41 years ago when Haskell's chase-scene shakedown of the Steadicam prototype (for a Keds commercial), led to that first brilliant, ballsy combo shot on Bound for Glory. He was our original patron. He has been my inspiration and and our dear friend and companion ever since. He will be with us always Vale Haskell, Garrett Brown

Garrett hid his sled inside a garment bag when filming for Marathon Man in on crowded NYC streets, and no one noticed; but that was a more innocent age. Janice is right—don't try it!

You get one chance to fix injuries like this, that's right now. Cancel the job, or this little injury might niggle you for the rest of your life. Chris

I agree with Victor. The Starlite does the job nicely. Chris

Hey John, First you need to find a teacher you like. Some of them can be a bit wu. If they say they combine it with other 'alternative’ therapies, I'd avoid them. AT is well documented in the British Medical Journal and the Lancet as an effective therapy, and teachers train full time for 3-4 years to get qualified, so good ones stick to the pure technique. I'd advise getting a couple of lessons to see if you click with the teacher, and if you do, go for a longer series. Some say 10 lessons is enough, but I've had a lot more. I learn something useful about my body every time, and I'm in a lot better shape than I would be oherwise. I lmost admire AT because of what it isn't. It's not a therapy like chiropractic or massage, where you have to keep going back for the same treatment. It's a progressive education about your body; and it's not a series of exercises you have to repeat every day, you simply roll what you have learned into whatever it is you do every day. Having said all that, it's a subtle process, and you may find it too slow for your tastes. I can only hope you get to like it as much as I do! All the best, Chris