Brian W. Hall

Hello all, The producer I'm working with has asked for some Bar/Club steadicam POV broll to intercut with a reality show. I told him I'd be glad to give it a shot. Obviously my concerns are that...well... its a bar. Has anyone done this or have any sugesstions? My plan was to scout out the bars the night before to get a feel for crowds and what time would be best. I was thinking of having some plain clothed spotters to walk in front of me and form a path. Other than that I'm just winging it. Any ideas? I'm not completely crazy am I ? thanks Brian

I am a new steadicam op flying an MK-V lite on a 3a arm with a Walter Klassen vest. I have been trying to get in a workshop but my schedule hasnt been matching up. I camera operate full time so getting a full week off is rare. I'm curious if anyone has or would be willing to fly to Denver and train me for a day on the MK-V. I feel comfortable setting up the rig,balancing and shooting but want to make sure I dont form any bad habits early on. I would be willing to fly to LA for a day and do the training if that works better. Ideally I need someone who owns a full size beta or comparable camera. Let me know if anyone is interested or has any sugestions.

I've got a job this week where I will be flying a panasonic varicam. all my previous jobs have been with the Sony XDcam. This is my first time flying an HD camera. Are there a lot of differences? I have the Boland 8.4inch HD monitor so I'm assuming I wont have any problems there. My arm is a 3a, and I'm on a Mk-v lite sled. This may be a silly question but I just thought I'd post to see if there were any weird quirks about flying HD. thanks Brian

I'm leaving for a job on tues morning and need 2 anton bauer hytrons and a charger.Im leaving out of NY so if anyone in NY has 2 anton bauers I can rent from them for a week I would appreciate it. thanks. Call or respond. Brian 847.530.1681

Im a new steadicam op. I have a Walter Klassen Vest which I love. I did a shoot last week doing beauty shots of an interior house. Anyway my lower back started to hurt after having the rig on for 10 minutes. This was my first time in the rig in about 4 months. My question is... is my back hurting because Im not used to it and need to build up my stamina? Or is my Vest not fitting me properly? I noticed there was some space in between my lower right back and the vest. Enough space for me to fit my fist inbetween.. any thoughts would be appreciated. FYI i was using a MK-V lite with a steadicam 3a arm. Flying an XDcam. Brian

I'm a new steadicam op and interested to hear what everyone thinks are some of films greatest steadicam moves. What are the moves that inspire everyone? I did a search already on the forum and didnt find this question so I hope I'm not repeating a question... Brian

Afton, I dont think I was asking if the gear was good or not but rather is it a compatible system? I've been doing a lot of research and trying to read as many previous posts on this site as possible. I feel like a lot of steadicam ops are always trying to talk new steadicam ops out of getting into the business. Not sure why that is. Fact is I'v been in the business long enough to know this is my passion and its something I want to do. ITs not like I just woke up and decided to do steadicam on impulse. I think I'm going about it the right way, sorry if you misunderstood my post. Brian Nobody can tell you how to spend your money. All the gear you listed is top of the line and would make any operator quite happy. The fact is, if you have to ask if certain equipment is good or not, perhaps you're not quite ready to be buying it. I think that was one of the underlying points made in your previous post. With prices like those in this business, research and education should really be as thorough as can be before you purchase. And that's education in addition to the necessary practical operating education. I'll say that I'm still quite green in the industry myself, but this is some of the better advice I've learned here and elsewhere. Patience pays off, literally. Best, Afton

I'm in the process of buying my first steadicam rig and am still in the research phase. I plan on doing mostly television including reality,sports, and documentary. I have come up with a hypothetical rig that I think will work. Let me know if Im way off or overlooking something. Heres what I would like to buy -XCS ultimate rig without TB-6 monitor -Walter Klassen back mounted vest -G50 arm -TBD $3,000 monitor since Im starting out with video i dont think I need much else maybe a operator controlled zoom and focus but I think thats it right? thanks Brian www.brianwhall.com

How much is the G70 going to be? Also if anyone wants to sell me their G50 I'm intersted in purchasing one. Let me know... Brian

Thanks for your comments. I understand that a lot of operators use a lot of different companies components. can someone tell me the websites of these other steadicam comapanies? ive done some searches and havent found them. The problem with mixing components is that I dont have a basis to go from. I figured it would be best to get a complete system from the same company so that I know everything is there and works together. then down the road selling and upgrading to different arms or sleds if i see fit. Is anyone willing to help custom build a package for me? I'd love to save some money if I can but more importantly I want a rig that will last and I'll be happy with 5 years from now. Im hoping to have a rig by mid january because I have some potential jobs coming up that I'd like to practice steadicam with. thanks for being patient with me and all of my amateur questions. Brian

Can I mix and match gear? For example buy a Steadicam Vector but without the arm and buy a Glidecam Gold arm? Is all gear compatible with other companies? Thanks Brian

Hey everyone. This is my first time posting. I am interested in buying the Steadicam Vector with a cost of about $45,000. Im wondering if this rig will be able to handle every kind of format. I plan on doing mostly video using XDcams and HD but want room to grow into film if my career takes me there. Im a first time steadicam buyer but I have been operating camera for over 6 years. Ive played around with some smaller steadicams and know this is something I want to do. I know I should have posted in "steadi newbies" but I wanted to make sure I got the most response from everyone. Is the Vector a good rig? And will I end up having to spend an extra 10k on accesories? Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. Brian www.brianwhall.com