Stephen Press

I'm using bi-focal glasses. It took me about 3 weeks just to get used to them for normal wear but no adjustment time for operating. I hadn't even thought about it. :)

Ah I remember a shoot… horses and pyrotechnics what could possibly go wrong? Just to add to the fun because there was not enough pyrotechnic crew the guy setting off and resetting for the next pass was just some guy they picked out of the public. Our show producer (who the year before had been a runner in the last series I had shot with the company) showed him how to do it. The guy gradually upped the amount of diesel in the mix to get a bigger bang until it was massive and set fire to the fire engine that was nearby on standby. That was especially relevant to me as I was supposed to be positioned between the fire engine and the explosion. The sound guy and I had a department meeting and said “hell no.” We set up well back on a long lens and the heat still melted the Rycote windshield. The horse bolted though a field and then a skate park knocking over a teenager and breaking his collarbone After the shoot we wrote a list of concerns to the production company and I never worked for them again. Later that year they set someone on fire, forgetting to put them in the flame retardant suit first.

Have you got a light stand? Do you have a clamp?

Lvsc this is a professional forum. I'm more than happy to help other professionals, but you can't even balance a rig. You don't want to invest a day in learning our craft. How much contempt for us and of what we do does that show?

hey while we are at it I just bought an airplane, never used one before but I don't want to bother with all those lessons and stuff, so could someone Skype me and talk me through this flying gubbins as i want to be up in the air making money as soon as pos. Thanks. P.S. anyone want to send me some of their clients contact as I want to let them know I'm available for a lot less.

I still think if he had been wearing a rig that had a lower center of gravity and had a monitor to look at insted of a viewfinder it would have been less likely to happen... and to be honest If he had been flying a stabilising rig insted of a ezyrig he could have just steped off the Segway when things got tight.

I don't know about you guys but my facebook timeline has been packed full of the Chinese cameraman on a Segway who takes down Bolt and somewhere in the comments is someone talking about Steadicams on Segways. But if you look it’s not a Steadicam but some kind of Ezyrig which to me is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. The center of balance would be too high and because he is leaning forward trying to see into the camera viewfinder he can't see where he is going. It makes me angry. What he is doing isn't safe for anyone. It’s the wrong tool for the job and whatever they think they saved hiring a cheap assed rig what would it have cost them if they had injured Bolt? https://youtu.be/Gk2YEugmNRY

I guess if I'm going to laugh at others it's only fair to put up this

Speaking of stuff on youtube has anyone posted this? Thought it was a gag to start with...

I hope you will be playing this... Newport :)

A good way to do better whip pans is to slow it down a bit when you do it. The temptation is to go as fast as you can and try to regain control at the end. If you take it a little slower it will still look fast on screen but you will be more in control through the whole thing so likely to get the end framing right on the money.

I used to run sideline for rugby games, 90min plus pre-match and post-mach iv's, one weekend I had three games in a row, Fri/Sat/Sun. By the end my thigh mussels were black from internal bruising... I could hardly walk, so I headed straight to the my hotel room's bath, while I could still hobble, yet I heard later the OB head of cams was pissed that I didn't stay back and help roll cables at the end of the last OB. He said I'm not a team guy apparently. Just arrogantly fly in and fly out. I noticed nobody offered to help me get my rig back to the hotel. :(

I've been shooting from rollerbades when I need to for over 15 years now but not with a rig. Nobody has ever asked and and it's something I would only be willing to try is I had a specific project in mind. Recently I took a fall while shooting on blades. When I say fall I was pushed over by some random guy in a hurry to get past me. I was standing there between takes and he just shoved the camera off my shoulder as he went by. Surprised, holding the camera up only by its lens zoom control and teetering on the edge of balance I managed to mussel the camera back to my body but my feet went out and I came down hard on my ass. It took about three weeks for me to walk without pain and I hate to think what that fall would have been like in a rig. I guess what I'm saying is even though I am confidante in my ability, you can't plan for every idiot out there, sooner or later you will fall, will you be able to deal with the consequences to your body and the equipment?

I coasted through most of my young life without any nickname other than "Pressy" then I was called a "Cameragod" by an enthusiastic reporter and the %$#@ing thing stuck like an albatross around my neck. Somehow it even followed me to the UK from New Zealand and 5 years later back again. I tried pretending it didn't bother me (which it did) by using it as an online persona... now ironically cameragod is better known in the world than me. My alter ego gets invites to speaking engagements and I don't. It doesn't annoy me as much as it used to, it's just when someone new finds out and tries to use it in every sentence. <_<

Thanks. I was sinking into the beach thinking, "Where is my chicken wire?" I'd have sent the crew to get some but then I was the crew. Bizarrely despite coming second in our region when they played the 30 "best of" on TV we were left out. Instead they played 3 of the films we beat. Nothing personal aparantly. I guess the fact the team was mostly all over 40 makes us not cool enough for the competition.

So this year I decided to enter our 48 Hour film comp. We drew musical and after much panic I think we did ok. My operating suffered because I was directing and my camera crew was… well me. But I was happy with the thing as a whole. Team: A Trick With A Knife Elements: Character- Alex Puddle, an exaggerator : Line- "It doesn't fit" : Prop- a rock 2009: "Call Me Al" (musical) City Runner Up #1 WINNER: Best Score NOMINATED: Best Actress-Emma Kinane, Best Cinematography-Stephen Press

:D Can you imagine what they director was saying in the controlroom though? “Can’t you go faster, your half a beat out… Watch your levels… wait camera shadow! Camera shadow!!! Where did we get this guy?” :rolleyes: Seriously awesome work. Just awesome!

Now I'm having flashbacks. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2541859494305587285 Make sure the actors have rehearsed it all as much as they can and know the cues. I had one guy who had just one line 40min in and he blew it every time. Also we had power problems. One location popped a fuse as I went in the door and we lost the light. I actually though it was looking better, freak bounce from a building next door... but the producer walked in and called it. I could have killed him, it should have been my call. One door way we went in locked behind us and we couldn't get out... the actor thought fast an improvised it in... worked. I was running sidelines for rugby games at the time so was in the best shape of my life but even so it was a long time to fly.

To me this is a lot about respect. Most here ponyed up a lot of cash, spent a lot of time and have used their body hard to get to where they are now. Their experience and knowledge is worth respect. People wanting reassurance that their $14 Steadicam is every bit as good as what we use should be looking elsewhere. Less clear is those of us flying alternative brands. I did the course, used a real Steadicam but because of the market I’m in ended up buying an Actioncam. I’ve had it for over 10 years, it’s never let me down and I’ve never regretted buying it even though I know not having the Steadicam brand on it has cost me some work and put me more into the low budget/indi camp. So while I haven’t paid as much as some for my rig, I have spent a lot of time and used my body hard and have learnt a few things I don’t mind shearing… I guess what I’m saying is while there are a lot of dumb questions there are no stupid ones, so as long as everyone thinks before they post and respects the valuable time of the film giants that swim here a good time can be had by all no matter the size of their gimbal.

I’ve got an older Actioncam and I’ve only flown a Red in low mode once… (why didn’t I think to take a photo?) It was very straight forward to set up. The camera had a pistol grip mount that could be fitted into the top front rod mounts. It had a thread that let me fit the snap plate directly to it. I was able to slide the battery mount and pistol grip mount so the plate was centered/balanced above the camera. Worked surprisingly well.

dumb question but are you flying a Red on it?

Make sure you include phone bills in that. The amount of time you end up on the phone? I have a minimum rate for freebies so at least I?m not out of pocket and if they can?t get the small fee I ask to cover the expenses then they are not serious about doing the project.

I get 'Movie not available'

I know that 'blurs together' feeling. Did you make it to Wellington? I'm always up for a drink, it gets a bit isolated down here some times. Yeah if I start now I should be able to get it done as a 20th anniversary present :rolleyes: