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Benjamin Verhulst

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Everything posted by Benjamin Verhulst

  1. Hey everyone - I've got a near-mint condition set of PLC Veracity Control Wheels for sale. It currently has a Spektrum transmitter on it (for MoVI) and comes with a cable to connect to a MoVI controller. You can easily change the transmitter to one for Ronin or Maxima. These are the only wheels that currently work with the ARRI Maxima. I bought these from Peter Barta last month for a feature and we ended up using a completely different tool! They have not seen a day on set with me and you can see Pete's previous post for his info too. • Pan and Tilt Veracity Control Wheels • Slice • Spektrum DM8 (for MoVI or any gimbal w/Spektrum receiver) • Spektrum AR7010 • High Gain Antenna • Base Plate • 1x Wheel Connection Cable • 2x P-Tap Power Cables • 2x Spektrum Control Cable • 1x PLC Serial Data Cable • PLC / Pelican Storm Case w/Foam Cost is over $5000 new and has to come from Canada Asking for $3500, located in Los Angeles (You may notice this is slightly more than Peter was asking - this is because I paid to ship them in to the US from him in Australia, this price is 'at cost' for me). Please feel free to ask any questions! Ben
  2. M1 Volt isn't coming through in time and production demands perfection! If you're looking to unload a Wave, I'm your guy! Please e-mail - ben.verhulst (at) gmail Thanks! Ben
  3. Kevin - you carry more than $1 million liability? Unless it's drone work, almost every commercial policy I've ever seen has been $1 mil per incident. Occasionally you'll see $2 mil.
  4. Yes, always get the COI and check the limits. On a side note - my renter's insurance with USAA provides me with liability. I can raise it to $1 mil per incident and it would only cost me around $95/year. I called to check it out and it covers me anywhere, including when I'm working under someone else's employment. Much cheaper than a special camera operator's liability policy and more universal.
  5. Thanks Janice - that's a good rationale. Also, a good reason to have Umbrella Insurance in your life!
  6. I don't mean to hi-jack your thread Janice, but has anyone ever had to use their operator liability insurance? I pay for lots of different kinds of insurance in my life and I understand the rational for operator liability, but I have trouble imagining a scenario in which the company hiring you wouldn't be the liable party as long as you're an employee. I've also never heard of anyone who has had to collect on it. Any thoughts?
  7. Thanks Matthias - I should've reached out to you first - your customer service has always been first rate! I talked to Pro a while back about it too and they seemed to think it was because the spud didn't have the conical bit on the end that provides the surface area to lock down with. I might take you up on that guide pin. I'd go to the telescoping arms, but I really like the low profile I have now.
  8. I bought the camjam bracket that just goes to the Pro spud a few years ago (without the telescoping bracket). I love the monitor bracket itself, no vibrations with my DP7 HB. However, it keeps spinning on the Pro Spud Receiver if given enough force (not a ridiculous amount of force either). I've gotten it mostly under control with lock-washers, but my nightmare is it coming loose on a vehicle mount or similar. Anyone else had this issue at all? Thinking of having a machinist try to add a key seat / keyway. Hope I'm not hijacking your thread Justin :)
  9. Personally I wouldn't try soldering the BNC mod myself - very tricky with 75 ohms and whatnot. I had the guy who builds me power cables do it for me, but I bet any of the usual suspects could do it (Media Blackout, Terry West, etc). PM me and I'll get you the info for the guy who did mine if you'd like.
  10. I'm in year five of my SCorp and have been doing Loan Outs whenever I've been allowed - my hours always show up with MPIHP. There are legitimate reasons not to run your wages through a Loan Out, however - Article 81, Part D of the Basic Contract makes the producers contribute to MPIHP even if you're paid through your Loan Out. In fact, it expressly prohibits your loan out from making contributions on your behalf. But don't take my word for it, always ask your Business Rep!
  11. +1 on LiOn Rechargeables - they last me almost all day.
  12. That's a good idea Janice - things like Umbrella Insurance are always good to have. Re: Other Deals - You can opt out of these clauses with a lot of major companies by going to their websites (Time Warner, for instance). That being said, you're correct in that you're oftentimes left with the choice of signing or walking away. I don't think arbitration is necessarily a bad thing (especially when it's voluntary). However, when the language is such that the arbitrator is chosen by the company you have a grievance against AND there is no recourse if the process goes south (Binding Arbitration), then you could have a real problem. Also, a lot of the arguments that arbitration is cheaper and faster are dubious at best - you usually need the same lawyers that you'd need if you went to court, and arbitration has been known to drag out for years in some cases. But yes, it's rare, hopefully none of us will be in a situation to go through these processes anytime in our careers. I'm lucky enough that I've been able to pick and choose my jobs lately, so that made this decision easier. Sometimes you just have to go on a rant for a minute :)
  13. Sorry, the medical example was a bad one - you are correct Robert, that would go through Workers Compensation. I'll gladly eat my words after following up on that. However, it is still true that you are signing away your right to access a court for any legal dispute with your employer under these arbitration clauses and that can be a very dangerous thing. So is it the consensus that this is just the cost of doing business nowadays? I only balked at this one because it was particularly aggressive and decided not to sign after consulting with a lawyer on the language. Some more light reading for anyone that might be interested - http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/31/business/what-the-arbitration-panel-didnt-want-to-hear.html?ref=topics http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105153315
  14. Hey Everyone - Today I turned down a non-union job because of a particularly aggressive ‘Forced Arbitration’ clause in the deal memo contract I was asked to sign ahead of time. • Some quick info - ‘Forced arbitration’ means that you waive your right to sue or take any claims to trial by judge or jury. Instead you have to take your claim to an ‘independent arbitrator’ who will decide once and for all what the outcome will be. If you don’t like the outcome, too bad, you have no other recourse. • Here’s what that could mean for us - Let’s say you’re in an accident on set and you have to sue to pay for medical care, lost earnings, pain & suffering, etc. Instead of suing, you’re forced to go into arbitration with an arbitrator who has been approved by the Production Company you’re filing a claim against. Instead of a judge or jury, they’ll decide how much (if anything) you should get. If they deny your claim, too bad, there’s nowhere else to turn to. This deal memo was with a big company and the producers said they were not allowed to change any language. Same line as always - ‘everyone is signing this: if you won’t sign, you can’t work.’ So everyone, thoughts? I turned this one down because it was particularly bad, but we sign things like this all the time. I don’t think you have to worry about it on union jobs because the basic contract covers it and the union will, hopefully, have your back. Has anyone one else challenged this and succeeded? A little more background info - http://tinyurl.com/pnulpnr
  15. MōVI operating rates are on par with Steadicam operating rates - they both require very specific (though very different) skill sets. To believe the marketing and think that someone can just pick up a gimbal and get perfectly framed shots would be disingenuous at best (notice that most of the demo reels are in slow motion). As far as rental goes - MōVI requires a LOT of accessorizing, custom pieces and R&D to make it work flawlessly on a real world union set. In addition to that, the gear is constantly changing and improving - it's following Moore's law and requires constant re-investment (like DITs do). I find in reality that MōVI rentals have to be higher than Steadicam rentals to make the math work. If it doesn't pay itself off in less than a year, you're losing money. Related to the conversation above - I think the future of MōVI is definitely body-mounted solutions. Most of the rigs out there right now are a little ridiculous, but we're working with a really good company with some ingenious solutions in prototype. Should be a very cool NAB!
  16. I've had a GPI Pro for Steadicam the whole time. For MoVI, we're transitioning to a new prototype system from the guys that make the Ready Rig- it's incredible. Should be a very cool NAB :)
  17. Hey All - Complete Zephyr for sale, in great condition. Originally purchased from Todd Williams last year. Planned on using the vest and arm for a MōVI system and have moved on to different options. Has had almost no use for last four months and is in great shape. I'm posting the details as he posted them when I bought it. Feel free to ask for more specifics or pictures. Located in LA, asking $7500. Feel free to PM or call/text - 727.798.9428 Zephyr Sled System Camera Mounting Dovetail Plate 1/4-20 Camera Mounting Screw 3/8-16 Camera Mounting Screw 2 Section Post System Low Friction Gimbal Zephyr Arm System 7" LCD Monitor 7" LCD Monitor Cable Gold Mount 12V Battery Mount Counter Weights (x4) Middle Counter Weights (x4) Docking Bracket BNC to RCA Adaptor RCA to BNC Adaptor 7" BNC Video Cable 12 Volt Power Cable Operating Manual Hard Case w/ Wheels Low Mode Kit
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