David George Ellis

Just want to chime in and add a few others for their great products and service: Noel Llaw @ Transvideo California Tim Moynihan @ Rock Steadi Gear Girvan and the fine folks @ AbleCine Tech NYC

I second the Hermes... Has done great for me once I found a good channel to work with here in NYC. I use ch 37.

In honor of Danny Vermin from Johnny Dangerously, I flew the G2 once... ONCE. I had the pleasure to step up to the beast and I was not prepared for this. They originally asked for a Millenium, but never got it. Too late to find out by the time I got to Vermont. On top of that, nothing from the G2 was stripped down, so it was at full slut-nut. At first, I was having problems balancing it. WAY TOO TOP HEAVY!!! I tried everything to to get the C of Mass into the gimbal, but it was lost somewhere in the black hole of cameras. So after all the eyblinking and looking over, I just said "Frruck it!" Got into it and it hurt like the first time. Went to set and that's where shit hit the wall. It was not steady, it was assisted handheld. The DP who fortunately for me, was a prior associate and really understanding, kept asking me if I could be more fluid. I said I'd try. Un-fucking-wieldly!! I did the best I could and we broke to change setups. Got on the phone with a buddy of mine and he told me I was fucked. I agreed. Went back inside and moments later, my physical arm started to go numb. I hung it up and pulled the DP and AD and told them I was in pain. The Prod. Cord. who was a friend of mine was asking me if I was ok, and I said no. The AD who I worked with b4 asked if there was a difference in weight between the G2 and the Moviecam SL and I said... With that, I ended up with a very bruised ego and spazzing forearm. As a consolation, I got a premium burger for my attempts. Very apprehensive to another experience, but like everything, I'll try anything twice. Once to hate it, and another to make sure I hate it. I'm Lucky I didn't end up in surgery. P.S. For the other newbies reading this, this is an exact example why we should always go to camera preps at the rental house if working with a camera for the first time.

This may be a little encouraging. One of my favorite people in this sector, Mr. Peter Abraham, had a back injury which I don't think is a secret to you all. He used to fly the big rigs like the II and III. After some healing, he went back on the grind when Tiffen developed the Flyer. Not sure if he used anything before it, but you guys get the drift. From there, do an IMDb and you'll see his career has lifted off, and, AND he also teaches at the PA workshop and does seminars at learning facilities. All that on top of being an Emergency Medical Tehnichian (EMT). Now granted, I don't know what the severity of his injury was, nor do I know how long he is able to fly at one time totally, but if the man can come off of an injury and do the opening and closing ceremonies for the 1996 Olympics, that says a lot about having injuries and the desire to continue doing what you love so much, that where you run into lemons, you make lemonade. Instead of flying heavy rigs, you may have the opportunity to play with the lighter stuff and still look like a champ. Unless you are wheelchair-bound, then that sucks. Regardless, don't let back pain get you down. Know your limits and try to fly under them. If it becomes unbearable with the film rigs, don't fret, there is a HUGE DV market out there that's been blossoming since the inception of the porn video industry. There are more one and three chip cameras being produced and sold than there are 16 and 35mm cameras. And now we are getting lightweight HD with Sony, Panasonic and soon, Arriflex. So buck up fellas, there's a lotta ponds for us fish to get big in. If you really want it, you'll do it. Event those who can't find ether huff paint or glue. Take care. David

Hey Dan, You might want to try finding Osvaldo Silvera. He's based in the Miami Lakes area. I believe he does training sessions down there. If not, he may be able to point you in the right direction. Really cool guy. And has one bad ass 4X4. You can find him and his contact info in the members section with a search. Give him a call and shoot the breeze. Good luck. David

Hey Thomas, Where do you feel the numbness? Sometimes it could be that you need to inflate/deflate the air bag or change the position of the arm itself. Whether up/down, in/out, there is a sweet spot and it may change from camera to camera. I've marked off an area on the arm mounting bracket and then tweak it a little dependent on where the pain is. Doing that has given me some guidance to where I like the vest and I can make adjustments between shots. It doesn't take much though, as I have painfully found that out. I, too have a bit of beer muscle myself (ladies love it), and it can get funky when I begin the shoot, but a few minor relocations of the arm and I'm good to go. Try contacting Mr. Klassen and tell the doctor where it hurts. I'm sure he can prescribe something to help. Either that or start drinking more beer. Good luck. David

Hey Richard, I did a currency exchange and at the standard of 1 GBP = 1.82728 USD, it figures that 3,000.00 GBP = 5,481.85 USD. That's very close to what the market demand is. It's around what I'm selling mine for. You're looking in the right places. It's the timing that will muss things up. ONE, David

Ben, Cheers to you! If you can, get the "un-posted" transferred footage so we can judge how bad it was. Don't forget (I'm sure you haven't), if you are as passionate about this craft as it seems you are, you will be your HARSHEST critic. It may have been just nerves as well that could has caused you some of this stress. In any case, practice will make perfect. Congrats if the Director is still happy, and FU*K'em if they can't take a joke. Take care. David

Ben, Totally makes sense... Hey, shit happens, and... I have heard of a few operators who shoot this way as thier normal method. I could theoretically see it working, for you don't have to think too much about your pendulum action, but I believe you still would have to work any kinks outs to get that down pat. Then again, it looks like you would have to be feathery on the operating hand so's not to alter your horizon with any minute hand movments, b/c it will want to go where you put it knowingly or otherwise. At least you know you have one axis mostly under control when the rig's bottom-heavy. When I do a linear track switch like you mentioned from clock to counter-clock, I feather into the switch pan, let go of the post (look ma, no brains!) and sidestep the rig into a linear track the other way, recapturing the post at a lucky moment. But I also have a very forgiving XCS gimbal. I'd say try the neutral balance and see if it caters to your preference. Let us know how it goes. I tried it once and felt more at ease doing it the ole' fashioned way. But it did make my up-tilts feel equal to my down-tilts, though. Maybe with a little more practice it will come in handy. Good luck. David

It always gets worse before it gets better. Your shots may be more steady, but your framing could end up suffering. Especially if you are shooting with tight lenses. Grimmet's comment about horizon issues will require practice to perfect unless you are a natural, maybe. Best bet is follow Mr. Neufeld's advice and go to a rental house you are friendly with and see if they are able to let you fly, supervised. Or, if you're patient, save the money and wait to go to a workshop so you can get that supervision you need in order to learn good operating habits instead of trying to go it alone. Good luck. David

Hey Ben, It sounds like to me you did as good of a job as you could, given the circumstances. If you were having horizon issues while operating, it seems like you may have had to make quick starts and stops or panning adjustments while operating. And probably something I haven't thought about as well. I'll use the bosom approach to help figure out the problem you had shooting. How was the rig in juxtapose to you? Were you shooting in a linear track (rig directly in front of your body and lens facing action), or was the rig flying away or crashing into you in Missionary or D.Juan? Did you feel the rig wasn't in static/dynamic balance with what you were planning to shoot? Were you allowed to do rehearsals? And if you were, did you make equipment/operating adjustments to get the shot right? And now, my story. I had a series of shots similar to what you had described (wide and tight), on an SR3 as well. During the rehearsals I realized it was tough to track around talent clockwise and maintain a distance as they danced in counter-clock circles around each other in a freestyle fashion. Everyone was dizzy by the end. I took a beating reacting to the "choreographed" spontaneity. Instead of walking my marked lines which talent wasn't forced to abide by, I figured to widen out or tighten in a little and maintain headroom. It was more of an elliptical orbit. That way I wasn't so concerned panning with my operating hand as much and causing a conflict with the sled and it's momentum. It seems to me the more I diddle the post when moving, the higher the chance I stand of altering the horizon in an unwanted order. But if I alter my body positioning, the less I have to think about making that little pan motion to keep the frame composed. I didn't have to adjust too much, though. Just enough to have them filling the frame to the Director's satisfaction. I won't lie, it wasn't all perfect. The actors fell out of frame a time or two. Either from fatigue or fear of fatigue. Since the Dir wanted to keep talent justified to one side or another on the tight shots, I told him it was more ORGANIC to have them fall a bit out of frame, but not disappear. Turns out he ended up using those shots. I got lucky I guess. I'll leave you with this last piece of advice you may have heard before. A well-seasoned veteran once told me right before I bought my PRO the four primary objectives to operating in order of priority: 1: Make sure you get what the Dir wants to see at the beginning of the shot 2: Make sure you get what the Dir wants to see at the end of the shot 3: Make sure you get what the Dir wants to see during the shot 4: Make sure your horizons are on the level Looking forward to your feedback and I hope some of this helps you self-diagnose. You might wanna try doing that same shot in your spare time with the rig in different balance techniques to find what works best for you. Good luck. ONE, David

SOLD

Gerard Houckegeest was a painter of imaginary church interiors and Renaissance buildings. His first known depiction of an actual Church interior is his "New Church" in Delft... In the "New Church" Houckgeest shifts his position to the side to give an angle of 45 degrees to the priciple axis. I'm guessing there was a movement in Dutch art where paintings were given this new perspective that eventually was adopted by the filmmaking community to create a new dynamic so we could have really cool disorienting shots to make Adam West's Batman seem more energetic. I feel the "bosom" approach has failed, George. We patiently wait for your personal feedback. David

Click on the KinoKamera link below George's post. Interesting approach indeed. Even more interesting was your operating stance during your credits sequence. I watched those last seconds over and over to get an idea of how you do your do. George, I would like to know how you feel about the rig positioned that way in reference to your body. That may open more doors to help you explain. ONE, David P.S. I like this "sensitve" approach to giving feedback. Like two milk-heavy bosoms welcoming an infant to suckle through the sense of touch and comfort. Great idea, Chas!!!

averde

I now know what I want for Christmahanukwanzanukah!!!!

Hey Leigh, Sorry. I wasn't aware of your circumstance. In that case, keep practicing till you feel comfortable and confident with what you are doing. It must be hard to try to make shots without having Steadicam as your primary source of concentration. But I would say if you can, save your money, plan a vacation from your job, look for a workshop in AUS, UK or the US and just do it. Sometimes you gotta say, "Fu<k it!" And that way you get to kill a couple of birds with one stone. You get to really learn from pros in a pro environment, have an opportunity to get away from your regular life and be outside instead of cooped up in that cold, artificial lonely room with all the other rocket scientists. If you get to go to the one in Chester Springs, PA, USA, try the Eggs Benedict. They're delicious!!! Good luck and keep practicing, David

Hey Howard, I know you're looking out for the Westsiiiiide, but what about taking the tour to the East Coast? Perhaps NYC? We'd luv to see the Revolution here, too. Just wondering. Bejota, WUSSUP BEEE?!!! David

I too had a chance to fly the 235 at CSC in NYC. Really cool. The on board battery is so cute and mounts on the side like the Aaton. I tried it with the shoulder mag as well. The thing is Arri has designed vertical Steadimags for the 235, but they only hold 200 ft of film and the camera house will have to purchase them and special necks to carry them. Either that or, there is a special neck that Arri made for the 235 that will allow you to carry 435 Steadimags which most camera houses already have, but the way it sits doesn't give you the vertical stance you've grown to love. It goes more diagonal. Seems a little counter-intuitive to me. It looks like an executive decision of the camera house as to which way they'll go. I spoke to Phil who runs the War-Room at CSC and gave my opinion. I felt that unless there is no problem with us having to constantly rebalance the rig after every take, the 435 + neck combo. But in all honeslty, to make life more manageable, I would go with the 200 ft and neck combo for it's more ergonomic for our uses. The best for us, a neck that will allow us to fly the 435 mags in a true vertical. Wink wink, nudge nudge. We'll find out more about it later probably around or after NAB. But the jury is still out. It all depends on how many Steadicam requests camera houses expect to get for the 235. I feel it primarily was made to alleviate the DP's shoulder whose had to wield the bucksome 435 for handheld 35mm and secondly, Steadicam. Some sort of weird byproduct of the lightweight design. And then maybe late this year, early next year, Arri has their DV/HD camera to throw into the mix. That looks pretty solid. Lots to think about, eh?

Workshop... 'Nuff Said. Not to be a dick, but it's one of those "hard to explain, easy to demonstrate" things. Do yourself a favor and take a workshop. I tried to tell you all of the things that could affect your framing and levels in an earlier post on this thread, but that can only help you so much. What you need is someone experienced to look at your form and physically show you what to do. You can't learn the practical art of kung-fu by reading about it. Only its fundamental theory. You need a master kicking your ass all day to show you the basic instructions. I don't see why you seem so resistant to taking the workshop. If it's about humility, everyone goes through that. If it's about trying to beat the system, you are treading unfriendly waters. If it's about money, that's understandable. But by all means, take the workshop. Therefore, you won't appear to be self-conscious looking for our approval. And you'll be too busy perfecting your craft to post links until you are sure of what you're doing. Once again, good luck and take a workshop. David

Hey Ozzie, I bought my PRO through Rick Givens and company over at North American Capital back in January. Very good learning experience. I was forced to establish my business and run all over Brooklyn to get up and running. It seems as long as I keep making the payments, I should have no problems with them. They seem to be legit and fast on funding, so I would give them the thumbs up. I also know that they come highly recommended by Mr. Whitehouse cuz when I did my deal, I had to go through a vendor and not a private sale. Makes sense. Good guys, didn't feel rushed or being sold. I'd say if you have the chance to get something, do it. Good luck!!! David P.S. How did everything work out with the arm situation? I hope you didn't get screwed. When I spoke to Randy, I told him it's a Production thing and they needed to resolve it. I hope they listened.

DALE!!! I've seen pictures you nasty f**k. G'day right back at ya. That shit you're doin looks pretty damn fun out there. Don't forget to crack peppa on all the birds with your purple war hammer skin helmut.... You know what I mean. Too early in the morning to remember you show and telling me at the workshop. Good luck! Keep us posted. David

Hey Meg, I'll try to keep it shorter this time as per the last time I replied to your post. No promises, though. In defense of Meg, I've worked with her before and she is a good kid. Just hungry to make a difference in her life and the life of the production. Hands down Meg, the best thing for you to do is take the workshop. Everyone else has posted already that it is the most useful investment you can make at this stage in your career. Not only that, but the personal relationships you can form are breathtaking. The people and references I have developed came initially from two people outside of taking the workshop and became solidified after such. I know you respect those of us operating at the present and I respect your decision to want to be an operator, but that becomes an experiencial mutual respect after you take the workshop. I hope you can understand why Rob, Eric, Michael and others here will make stong, yet true remarks. I don't know them personally, but I'm sure they are honest, hardworking guys. And you have to understand they are protecting the integrity of what so many before us established. They are here to give you the real shit. Yes, you may attract flies with honey, but shit works just as good. Anyone can give you sweet words about what we do, but this isn't a sweet industry. One of the things you get from taking the workshop is belief from the community that you are serious about performing your craft correctly from the start. You get that not from seeing ops on set and having them give As to your Qs, but from being there, breaking your back for week and getting a sense of what it's like to be part of the fraternity/sorority of operators. Even though I buried myself in the Gran Prix shot, Jerry was there to keep me from falling down to complete the shot. That is what taking the workshop is all about. This forum is a virtual extension of the workshop, but it is not the place to get the answer to what is inside you burning to be a Steadicam Operator. You do what it takes. This becomes your life. Another thing about the workshop is that you're immersed in the objectivity of learning to feel yourself in the rig and becoming one with the "movie making machine" (low southern drawl). You're there with 10 - 15 others, learning from your and their mistakes and the instructors are there to keep you flying right so when you are able to get your own rig, you have the basic principles to do it. Plus, if there ever is down time and you are working with Steadicam on a set, the operator may be a little more inclined to allow you to step into the rig and check it out knowing you took the workshop. That's where settiquitte comes into play. Results may vary. I'll leave you with this. Take everything with a grain of salt. You know the Internet is a cold place. You need tough skin. Sympathy can not be displaced by sensitivity. These guys have been where you are. And they made it through to become some of the most respected crew members on the set. You will make it if you keep that tough skin and persevere. You can't feel insulted by what people write here. When the DP grabs your sled without your permission to "tell" you where he/she wants his/her frame to be is when you get insulted. Until then, save up for the next workshop and you will not be disappointed. And if you are, then you didn't spend months, years scratching to get up enough for something you ended up unsatisfied with or overwhelmed by. Good luck David

Not to be a bastard, Rob, but for us Yanks here in the U.S., I have Mike's cage and it is badasssss. Not just for practice. It comes with two congruous plates connected by 1/4" threaded rods along with additional 1/4" screws for camera. I love its modulararity because I can remove the rods and stack the plates using 1 1/2" long 3/8" slotted screws for those video jobs that the cameras don't exactly fit in. What's great about that is that it still retains the normal height of a normal camera without destroying the tops of doorframes. It has saved my bacon!!!! Made me look like a genius.

Hey Will, I always wondered why it felt like I'm in an episode of Fear Factor whenever I have to roll the rig around, trying to dodge pebbles. Thanks for the even better tip!!! David P.S. Hey Tom, could you hook me up with the web address to American pretty please? When I Google it, I get all this patriotic mish-mosh. Thanks brah