Alec Jarnagin SOC

Eric, "Having held it on Steadicam mode with it's recoder but no lo-mode bracket it's the same weight as a straight Millenium maybe a touch lighter." I don't suppose you mean the Millenium XL by chance (keeping fingers crossed)? Oops, just say the word "Straight" tucked in there. Oh well. Not the end of the world. Thanks for the help the other day.

Chris, "What is the gear pitch for zeiss superspeed lenses?" 32 Pitch for focus 48 pitch for iris (note Heden claims that .5 is the same as 48 pitch. In reality, close but no cigar. You might get away with it, but there is a good chance the gear will slip off because it is not exact. True 48 pitch works a lot better) Panavision: 32 Pitch for focus 64 Pitch for Iris

Marc, Yes, a F.A.Q. section, etc would be great. This is why I was suggesting that David direct his efforts to getting various articles posted here rather than making a new site (or adding them to the Guild Site). Nothing against the Guild, but everybody seems to end up here, so why not put useful info here? As for moderators, as long as they don't censor, etc. that is fine with me. They should just shuffle things around so they are in the right place and so they can be found easier at a later date.

$500/12? At this price, you ARE working for FREE. Which, on occasion, may be called for when you are greener than a well manicured lawn. Just be sure to watch what kind of project you do this on. Student films, etc. are okay. Don't risk being in over your head or taking work from someone just because you are cheap. Oh, but you said $500; not free. I repeat, you ARE working for FREE at this rate. $500 pays for your equipment rental (although Production in getting a HUGE break; maybe 1/2 price depending on your package). Never forget this. Make sure they know this. You don't have to rub it in or anything, but make damn sure they know this. And, because you are working for free, you are only willing to give them 10 hours (maybe even 8). The more you force them to respect you, the more they will. The more you let them walk over you, the more they will. Here in NYC, I've noticed a disturbing trend of guys who just bought rigs hopping on Indie features, which can afford generators, street lock ups, etc but "not Steadicam". Therefore, the new operator thinks he is not taking any work away from others when he works for a few hundred bucks. I know times have changed, but I seem to recall doing similar sized films for $1000/10. Again, that was gear rental. Since I was working for free, after ten they had to pay my usual O.T. rate. $150/hour for the first two; $200/hour thereafter. Believe it or not, I made this deal on a number of films. So, don't just give it away. By the way, an A.C, makes more than $500 a day. And I think going rate for ops today (with gear, national average) is closer to $2000 instead of $1500. Obviously, it depends on the market you are in, etc. My point is, don't assume you are not worth it. If you do, they most certainly will. I can even think of some commercial clients who chuckle when someone quotes a rate too low. They automatically assume that you don't know what you are doing and they move down the list.

Jamie, Will (Jamie, you've disappeared! Will, good talking with you the other day). When it comes in, we'll all go over to Abel and do some tests running an actual zoom motor and then an M-1 focus motor.

CKF, Thanks for the kind words (and you too Charles, especially cool coming from you because you got me into this mess!). CKF, I hope you understood my sense of humor and realized I was just being a little sarcastic with "the hire an op." I refuse to use those damn little smily face things in my posts, relying on my writing skills to keep me out of trouble, but considering all the languages and cultural backgrounds here, perhaps I'm just fooling myself. I have not flown the Flyer, but I have flown the Mini with Garrett Brown's version of the arm (which is similar/identical to the flyer arm). What an amazing set up! I'm half tempted to buy a Flyer for those occasions I see DV. The existing Mini is a neat little rig too, but the production version of the arm leaves much to be desired (as does the LCD monitor). If you can swing it, The Flyer will be great. I did rent a stock mini (no, I take that back because it had a Cinemonitor II on it) once for a shoot, exploring "The Hi-Line" here in New York. This is the abandoned elevated train that runs from 34th Street downtown, that many wish to turn into a park, as it is becoming overwhelmed by nature. They had already shot a bunch of footage up there with their staff cameraman and a hand held Glidecam. The results were awful, so they found me. Wanting to walk the entire length of the tracks (approx 1.5 miles) on one of the hottest days of the year, shooting with the little Panasonic 24P, the Mini was the way to go. At one point, I had to take off the rig, pass it through a hole in a chain link fence, crawl through myself and then re-don the rig. It was actually a very fun experience. While I can't post a picture in this thread, I posted some at www.steadicenter.com (under Operators) some time back. The thing to remember with any of the rigs, is that in the end, it all boils down to the operator. Practice, practice, practice. Best, Alec

"If it were you what product would you buy for under 5000?" A real Steadicam Op & gear for two days! Sorry, I couldn't resist. Umm, I think if you check the archives, you'll find some info. Also I'm not sure what it costs, but the new Tiffen Steadicam Flyer looks way cool! I think it is only a bit more than that (?) Good luck.

Mike, There is an old saying in the biz that I have found to be 100% correct: Good, fast, cheap - pick two. As for your pain, it sounds like you may be experiencing it when the sled is farther from your body (which you may be doing while you are shooting Don Juan - as for the term, see other strands as it is a current topic on this forum). Does the rig run away from you in a side to side fashion? If so, you may find that you are having an easier time man handling it back into place while operating in the missionary (shooting & walking straight ahead). But when you go to Don Juan, the pain starts as you are letting the rig slip farther away. This is because the angle of the arm is not set correctly, but there is one big problem here. The SK arm does not have an adjustable socket block, so I don't know what can be done about it - maybe adjusting the vest a bit. SK owners please chime in. Good luck.

Brad, I know it can get old having people say this, but... No 100% video on that beast, fine; no Steadicam. Not just a weight thing, that camera is tall. Even with the 100% video, your gimbal will be at the top of your post (and your post will be extended). With the additional weight of the optics at the top of the camera, it moves the C.G. even higher. Time or money? Must be money (or the lack there of). The swap between optics and 100 finder is very quick (much quicker than a Moviecam, but obviously slower than a Panavision XL). Other than that, the camera flies well (with 100% video). Power hungry on start up (amperage wise), but not as bad as a 435. If I recall, you have a Master Series, and still use a 12 to 24 Volt converter. You should be fine with this, assuming your batteries are in good shape, but having never owned a Master series, this is a bit of a guess. When I had a 3a with a DeRose converter, it would not turn this camera over, but the Master converter is much better. Power cable is the same as Arri's other 24 Volt Cameras (435, etc). As for motor mounting, I usually use a Hill (or Cinewidgets, they both have a version) mount that slides into the shoe on the right side of the camera body. This allows a square to round rod to be anchored to the body of the camera and a motor to drop onto the focus ring, keeping gravity on your side. Of course, with optics attached, this will be trickier because they will get in the way. Likewise, mounting from the low mode bracket is not an option (nor is low mode) because of the optics. See why you should insist on the right tools? Oh, there is no rosette either. So, you'll have to come from the bottom (i.e. your dovetail plate) but this will be a pain because of the mirror housing, so makes sure you have some dog legs. You will be able to do it and you will get through. Bright side? Good for lock offs. Brant Fagan calls it the BL-5. Good luck.

That explains a lot. Today, I got a call from an acquaintance, who just finished the workshop, bought a model 3a (in reverse order actually) and has his first gig this coming Monday (a student film, so no freaking out anyone). Anyway, Peter Abraham had graciously offered to lend him a hand in going through his gear to figure out what he needed for his upcoming job. Unfortunately, Peter had to back out last minute, thus the call to me. So, I told him to come over. Upon seeing his cases filled with snarls of cables, a custom junction box, a loose 3a stage (didn't anyone notice this at the workshop?), etc., I made the pot of coffee and got out the multi-meter. Hours later, he was on his way and I was left wondering where the hell my day went. Now, I see... Ted taught Charles who taught me. That crazy lack of "oh, I can't help him; he will be/is a competitor" is one of the best things Steadicam has going for it. I am so glad that Ted lived by this and passed it on to some many others.

Fred Davis is the man. He frequents here. Fred, you got his one?

Dave, Glad you got your stuff back. Stories like that make me want to sell all my gear and get the f*ck out of this biz! What are we doing?

Nikk, Send it to Robert Luna as well. Before you spend too much on the SK2 though make sure you won't outgrow it too soon.

David, How, um, modest of you! And to think I threw out several hundred outdated business cards just a few weeks ago. Good luck, though. Who knows, there are enough wack jobs out there that someone might just spend a fortune on it. Then again, with your phone number in the picture, think about all the wack jobs that now have it. Sleep tight.

Will was nice enough to come by the other day and show me his new vest. What can I say? Walter has outdone himself. This vest has come SOO far since the first generation - lighter, more adjustable, and far more comfortable. While Will is something like 14 feet taller than myself (okay, slight exaggeration), I still managed to don his vest with some success. The air bladder is such a great feature, as it fills the void of less than perfect padding. The drop down arm refers to an arm that incorporates a built in angle to it, so over the length of the arm, it declines two or three inches. As Will mentioned, his arm has a two inch drop, which I fond sufficient with the set up we had at my house (steel practice cage and a camcorder). With the vest arm set to the lowest point, I found it very difficult to reach the end of the Steadicam arm's boom range (using no J-Bracket). Very nifty trick this thing. In short, very cool. Walter, what a job you've done. Amazing piece of equipment. Thanks again Will for showing it off.

I'll second that one. He works magic with both 3a/Master style arms and is a great guy. If you should ever have a problem, turn around time is beyond quick.

Oh, one more thing. If you want to be able to distribute larger files (PDF), ask Tim for a way to do it here.

David, I have to agree with Gnespolo. The great thing about having the info here is that we are an International community. I know other groups of the Guild could start up, but the way I see it, information belongs here. The idea of multiple Guilds with criteria to become a member just seems so... un-community, un-Steadicam like. Don't get me wrong, the get togethers and demos are great, but I think the buck stops there. Info. etc. should be here. Multiple web sites is just a pain. Remember the AOL days? The SOA site (when it had its own forum instead of a link to here). That is why this site was started. Have a link to here (if you don't already; see how much attention I already give your site - no offense - as an East Coaster?). Best, Alec

Stephen, Both kinds of plates work well with it. Having a longer footprint, makes the thicker plate less necessary as more of the plate is cradled, but I have to say that I'm rather taken with the rigidity of the XCS plates.

It has the same four mounting screws as the 3a. Two sets, actually, so you can mount it farther back if using Anamorphic lenses, etc. It is indeed an evolutionary step. One that I had convinced myself I didn't need, but as I beefed up my rig, and looked at the other options out there, I kept coming back to. Very nice piece of gear.

http://www.g-controls.co.il/ At the end of the day though, I still opted for Kenyon units (http://www.ken-lab.com/), They are the tried and true. Well crafted; solid buggers. The word on the Israeli ones are that they just aren't built as well. Also, for me, it is nice to have the manufacturer in the next state over (they are made in Connecticut).

I've darn right refused to buy one of these vibration machines because I'd be afraid that I might get tempted to use it! Seriously, low mode cages are notorious for this.

Fred, My mistake - I tend to always think Lemo when it comes to Steadicam (PRO J-Box owner). Should have gotten the rest of it right too, as I have an Arri cable from you with the light weight end, but I still use the regular Panavision cables. Sorry for the mix up.

I have seen this little bundle of joy - held it in my hands, for the first time, giving actual thought to buying a camera! Yes, it is about half the size and weight of a 435. MOS with forward speeds up to 60 f.p.s. (Reverse speeds are not an option - they are finalizing the design in a week or so, but as of now they are leaving out this option to keep the price down.) The tap is indeed a simpler version of the IVS. There is no 100% video available, but the optics do come off in their entirety - there is no way to divert the light to the tap though (as with the Panaflex XL), thus leaving the 80/20 split. Not a huge deal in most situations, considering the quality of Arri taps these days. There is a rather neat 200 foot magazine designed for hand held - very Aatonesque. No onboard batteries at this time though, as the camera draws high amperage, like its big brother, and Arri's designs for one (to date) have fallen flat. 400' magazines from the 435 are accommodated, too, so you are not limited to the 200 footers. On this note, when I asked about the vertical Steadicam mags, they said they would work, but be slightly off true vertical. So, playing the skeptic, we put one on for the first time. Glad we did, as the angle is more than a little pronounced. Making matters more interesting, the angle places the bottom of the mag towards the lens - meaning if it was mounted on a Steadicam, the bottom of the mag would be angled right in on your center post (more than likely interfering with long dovetail plates) . Arri was cool about this and took a bunch of photos to come up with a solution - most likely they will come up with an adapter kit for the 435 vertical mags that would swap out the throat, so the rental houses could just alter the mags before they sent them on a job (an adapter is not possible because it would mess up the loop size). Power connector is the standard large two pin Lemo. They considered opting for a smaller connector, but in the end they didn't want to lose compatibility. I told them about Fred Davis' cables that leave the metal shell off in exchange for a shrink wrapped smaller end. Voltage tolerance is the same as a 435. Handles detach from the top via a few Allen screws. They already have one beefy handle that it outfitted with 3/8-16 tapped holes to accommodate low mode. Groundglass is compatible with existing 435s, but there is no Arri Glow system on the camera, so they will be offering specially painted ground glasses (ala BL-4s). Movement is a single pin pulldown claw - it is from a previously designed camera that never made the light of day. Very compact compartment. As I said, fell in love with the little guy, but didn't have too much time to play with it, as we were really there checking out the new digital D-20. This one, I'm afraid, I can't talk about as we had to sign all sorts of nondisclosure agreements, etc. This I found funny, since, it was on the floor of NAB (so I hear; I wasn't there).

I think it was Larry (but it might have been Janice) who once talked about the frames between the frames. Meaning that a Director or DP will most certainly give us the broad strokes; the major points to hit within a shot. It is what we chose do with the frames in between, getting us between these points that often makes or breaks a shot. I think about this a lot - these are our frames to play with, to add our input and compliment the Director's vision. Now I have goose bumps.