JamieSilverstein

Those with Masters Arms chime in whenever. Here is the scoop as I know it. Many years ago, Cinema Products made the Masters Arms with elbows that had a sharp cut in the angles of the elbows. Apparently, this shape lent itself to cracking under load. As a result, many of us,. at our own expense went to the trouble of getting the elbows replaced. I have had my Masters arm for 7 or 8 years (I have lost count), with the rounded elbows, and there is no sign of cracking anywhere. You should note that this arm has flown mostly 35mm cameras on the rig, and had all kinds of add ons as well (rain shields, obie lights, zoom lenses.....), putting the arm damn near its limit. Not a problem with any aspect of the arm under load. Had it serviced about a year and a half ago and it is a great arm still. So if you want to keep the arm, get the elbows replaced by Tiffen or Rob Luna and keep the thing clean. Jamie.

Recently Alec Jarnegin was bemoaning the fact that his new A&J case kept arriving to his NYC home damaged. Each and every time, UPS delivered the package in a different state of disrepair. The first time a large scratch, the second time, and actual hole in the case! Each and every time, A&J has diligently tried to undo the damage by trying to make it right, finally sending a brand spanking new case via FedEX. I went over to Alec's house yesterday, and I must say, I have never had a case of case envy before, but THIS is an awfully nice case. It was nice to see that A&J stood by their customer and made sure that he was finally satisfied. So the moral of the story is that if you want to really protect your sled (that vast investment, your meal ticket, your child's college education) well, it might just be worth the extra expense to get a really great case, with a precision cut foam insert that fits your sled like a glove.

Charles; Regarding the Modulus 51 case....... I used walk around with my Selmer MarkVI in a nice foamy gig bag, until it cost me $600.00 to have it untwisted. The Pelican 650 case fits the PRO sled profile well, why not go with that option? And you don't have to wait for A&J to destroy several cases in the process. Jamie.

I have had a Masters Green Screen, a Transvideo Cine, and I have finally arrived at what I consider to be a really great LCD (at least for me). I own a Hummingbird Blackbird, which is the unmodified version of what Howard sells. It's plenty bright in any kind of situation, it has mass ( about 4.5 Lbs.), and the viewing angles are not bad at all. I have had it for well over a year now and I have absolutely no complaints. And the price is very good. Just my 2. Jamie.

Peter; I'm on Criminal Intent on Thursday. If we are on the stage, I'll stop by, if I can actually see you that is. I guess I'll just have to wear my glasses. To hell with vanity. Jamie

In an effort to keep all of my batteries on charge, I was wondering if anyone out there has a Slave module for a 2702 charger sitting around their stuff gathering dust. Thanks Jamie

I have a bunch of Proformers, some of which have been recelled in the past, some still with the original cells. One of the recelled ones has suddenly refused to be recognized by any of my chargers. I scraped the terminals on the battery and tried the charger ports with other batteries, everything worked, execpt the Proformer. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any and all advice. Jamie.

I have just finished a tandem unit of SVU, and the DP had batteries that seperated from the LED units, so we used extensions down to my vest from the light. I attached the light to my lowmode plate using a mini cardolini (sic) clamp to a small wonder arm, and it sat very rigidly right over the guns of the Panatape. It was an easy set up and it made the DP very happy. I must say that the light balanced out well and the camera flew just fine with it on, so it was a good experience all around. In the future, I might suggest getting a cable made up to either go to the video/power port, or to an anton bauer tap. These two ideas are only so that I don't have to have a cable hanging from my vest to the sled ( very thin and flexible nonetheless ).

Erwin; Truthfully you didn't help, but I did enjoy reading your insights. I have been doing a lot of work as the A operator on Criminal Intent and SVU of late, and I am finding it harder and harder to see focus. Episodic is, as you all probably know, a quick medium, so I sort of have to see focus really well so that I can help the assistant out as much as possible. At least thats what I like to think. I usually use my glasses on the first take, and then when all is looking good, I take them off for comfort sake. It works, but its not very elegant. I might bite the bullet and buy the expensive ring. After all, it is my career........ We gladly spend a ton of cash on Steadicam stuff, some of which we don't really need, but think might help our careers. I am pretty sure that this will, if not help, secure my spots as much as possible.

Thanks for all of the advice and direction pointing...... Now if I could only find my guide dog..... "Here Spot, here spot" Jamie "Helen Keller" Silverstein.

I know this is a bit off topic, but now that age is catching up with me, my eyes are not as sharp as they used to be. At this moment in time, when I operate conventionally, I have to operate with my glasses on to insure focus. Obviously this option is a pain in the ...... eyeball. So where in NYC does one get a diopter made for use in an eyepiece? Also does anyone know if I have to get one for both Panavision and Arri, or does one diaopter fit both eyepieces.? Thanks in advance for any tips and info. Jamie.

Considering that the WRC 4 never really worked very well, not too many.

The connectors that would be most helpful for those who use PRO or PRO compatable equipment would be the PRO style Lemo, as well as a 4 pin XLR for power, and BNC outs for both channels. Depending on the size, weight and cost, the monitors could be used for playback, reference, and possibly as hand held units for directors/clients.

Several weeks ago I sent an inquiry to Hugo of Steadyrig regarding the pricing of the Silver Springs Arm. I was going through my inventory and earnings this year and trying to think about what I needed to upgrade or have more of. So I began to think about a second arm to supplement my Masters Arm. I was intrigued by the Steadyrig arm. The thing that appealed to me about the arm was that it was very modular, easy to assemble, and made of rust resistant materials. All of these things are not true about the Masters Arm. I haven't the foggiest about assembly, it sure isn't modular, and there are lots of rust prone things about it. Shortly after I posted the question to Hugo, he called me and told me that if interested, I could use a Silver Spring Arm that was in New York. I could hold on to it for several weeks and put it throught its paces, at home and on the job. What did I have to lose, I said ok. When I got the arm, it was unassembled. Undeterred, I went to the Steadyrig site and looked over the instructions and went ahead and built it. It took me 20 minutes to put the springs in the arm tighten them and place the covers on the bones. And it wasn't hard at all. I was impressed, and I liked the idea of being able to take apart an arm to clean and maintain, instead of sending it out to Tiffen or Rob Luna. Then I set up the arm and my sled with my cage on it and tried it out at home. The boom range is pretty much the same as the 3A, which I think is a tiny bit shorter than my Masters, and even shorter than the PRO. but sufficient just the same. I liked the bearings on the post hole, but I think that feature would take a little time getting used to, and even if I didn't , I could keep it locked all the time. Either way, it was there if I needed it. A nice feature. What I really liked about the arm, however, was how smooth it felt through the boom range. I took some time balancing the bones to each other so I expected it to be pretty good, but it was alot smoother than I expected. All in all a nice arm at home. I then took the arm to work with me, filling in for Andy Casey on Kidnapped. Sled, Arri LT, Cooke S4, Cine tape, and Steadicam mags. Once I balanced the arm (which for me, a Masters arm guy, was a different procedure) and put the sled on the arm, I felt as though I had been using the arm for a long time. It became an old friend quickly, doing what I asked of it, and never complaining. The shots weren't that tough, but they required that I go through the full extent of the boom range, and the arm was, again, very smooth. I took it over to 6 Degrees where I was operating A camera on second unit, and Francis Spieldiner was doing steadicam, and I let him use the arm for the day. He is a very good no nonsense operator. His gear is old (PRO Sled, 3A vest and arm) but in very good condition. He replaces the bells and whistles of lots of shiny gear with just plain old good Steadicam operating....... He used the arm for one shot, and then told me that he wanted to use it for the rest of the day, which he did. I feel comfortable saying that he was very impressed with how the arm responded, how easy it was to take apart and clean and as important in the whole equation, how reasonable the price of the arm was considering the quality. Thats the kicker, and was the majority of our conversation for the rest of the day centered around price. At less than half the price of the PRO arm, it becomes very attractive to those not ready to spend $22,000. Bear in mind, its not the same as the PRO arm, or the Masters for that matter, but at around $10,000.00 it is alot of arm. An arm that will be more than able to make just about any shot that you can imagine. We went through a lot of equations, and I think the conclusion was that if money was no object, then go with the PRO, or maybe the new G70. But if you have limited funds and maybe want a new back mounted vest to go along with a new arm, then for the cost of less than a PRO arm, you can have both. All things to think about when buying new equipment. Don't misunderstand me. I have tried the PRO arm and it is without a doubt the Bee's Knees. Would I like to own one? Sure. Do I want to lay out that much cash? I have two kids and their college funds are desperatly in need. So back to alternatives. Putting it as plainly and simply, the Silver Springs arm is a really well engineered arm at a really good price. This is not an add, I don't work for Steadyrigs, and I am not getting anything in return for writing this. Not even a hat or tee shirt! It is just my opinion. As I have always said, there are a lot of alternatives out there, be aware of all of them and then decide what you want, need, and can afford.

Jeremy; I know I'm chiming in late in the game, but the elements that I like about my Hummingbird Monitor, are of course the size of the screen and the brightness, but also the built in frame line generator. Its not as elaborate as the one on the TB6, but I get confused by too many lines anyway. Hell I get confused by most things........ But just another thing that a monitor should have and would make it very useable for me. Thanks Jamie

I had a series of posts that fit my Masters arm and my XCS Gimbal (same size as PRO) by Rob Luna. They are very rigid and he made Post sizes ranging from 2" through 12", in 2" increments.

Chris; Sorry that I couldn't make Adam's get together. Let me know when you get it, and maybe we can set up a viewing. Jamie 917 796-4217

Regarding the "air case"...... I have been to B&H several times in search of cases, and I have to tell you that I would never fly with that particular case. It just isn't strudy enough for me to feel comfortable putting my sled in, and trusting to the baggage guys. I have an Encore wood and fiberglass case,much like the Anvil, and I still feel a little uneasy saying goodbye to the rig at the airport. The "air case" is far more flexible and lightweight than the Anvil style, so I wouldn't suggest the purchase.

When I have used the 900 with a video zoom etc., it generally weighs in at around 37lbs.. It is even heavier with a Panni zoom on it.

Mark; My quarrel with PRO is long in the past. I own a D Box 3, have PRO connectors on both ends of the post and have had work done by PRO on my sled. I have the utmost respect for George and PRO, and think that their equipment is some of the best out there. It never serves me to dwell on the past. Jamie.

Reminds me of Young Frankenstein: Gene Weilder: "Nice Knockers!" Teri Garr: "Why thankyou." Score 2 for knockers.

Adam; I'm not in the market for a new arm, but if you are doing a get together, I'd love to take a look at it. Hmm if I like it enough, I might just sell the Masters. Let me know where you will be. Jamie 917 796-4217

Don Juan is yet another tool in the repitore. You can use it if you feel comfortable or not if you don't. I use it on quick short runs and sometimes go from DJ to 'conventional' in the process, once the acceleration is over and the walk and talk begins............ I wrote about a shot that I tried to but couldn't do on a set of stairs a while ago, and even were I to attempt it in DJ I doubt that the shot would have been any good. DJ doesn't solve all problems all of the time. Now Goofy foot, is something that I simply have a terrible time mastering. Once I put my right hand on the Gimbal of my sled I become even more inept that I already am. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.

As an alternative, why not just put the sled on the balancing pin and hold it in position. I generally don't leave the set or the camera when setting up a shot, so I am glad to hold the sled place as the DP gets his frame lit. I only suggest this because it seems a safer solution and one that does'nt require modification of the docking stand. A modification that could prove to have pretty awful consequence if not done correctly. If I need to pee, or step off set for another reason, I generally can get the dolly grip to hold the sled, GENTLY, in place until I return.

Jim Bartell does not need any more promotion. His units are selling quickly, he's five bucks away from being a millionaire, and he's married to Jennifer Aniston..... Despite all his good fortune, I just thought I'd shout out a public thanks to him for taking care of a problem with my iris unit, not only in a jiffy, but with the proverbial smile (he being in LA and me being in NYC). I sent it to him on a Tuesday and got it back in full working order on Thursday. Not bad service considering the pony express takes a full day to get it there and back. IT fills me with a sense of security knowing that Jim is there, chatting, fixing, chatting some more and building away. Now if he could only fix my stinking Modulus!!!! You go Jim. Jamie.