Garrett Brown

Looking for two experienced camera operators who want to add Steadicam skills to their resumes. I'm running a quick workshop for a DP friend from Denmark, using Steadicam Flyer and Clipper... possibly starting as soon as this Sunday, ending Wednesday night. Room included, Air fare to Philly and cost of meals is on you. E-mail Garrett Brown to apply: garrettcam@aol.com

Looking for two experienced camera operators who want to add Steadicam skills to their resumes. I'm running a quick workshop for a DP friend from Denmark, using Steadicam Flyer and Clipper... possibly starting as soon as this Sunday, ending Wednesday night. Room included, Air fare to Philly and cost of meals is on you. E-mail Garrett Brown to apply: garrettcam@aol.com

An old friend from the Shining Days now teaches at LA Film School and asked me to recommend a new op with equipment to shoot most of an exciting in-house feature film for them for deferred salary. Please contact Ariel Levy directly with your resume. I suggested maybe several LA ops could tag-team this to coordinate to work around 'real' jobs. Here's his e-mail: Subj: Steadicam Operator Date: Thursday, January 12, 2006 5:16:46 PM From: ariellevy@adelphia.net To: garrettcam@aol.com Hi Garrett, Good to catch up with you and my apologies for intruding into your vacation. My movie is called, "After Midnight" and starts shooting on Monday or Tuesday for 4 weeks. It is a psychological thriller which we will make in two buildings I have the use of, in Hollywood, opposite the Arclight Theater. The key people are professionals, the second positions are gifted alumni of the LA Film School, and the bulk of the crew are currrent students of the school. Bob Stevens is the cinematographer and a mad Englishman by the name of Rob Walker is the director. I am looking for someone who might relish the opportunity to develop their skills by working throughout the movie, most of which we would like to shoot on the steadycam rather like you did on the Shining. We have no money so are looking for a person who would agree to a deferred deal to the sale of the movie. Any thoughts please contact me on: 310 948 2113-cel or 323 468 3014-office or e mail. I much appreciate any help you can give. Ariel Levy

Check it out at www.ulik.com/handsfree Click on Steadicam and video and stream Patrick van Weeren shooting a Marching Band Competition. It was two and a half hours of work, riding on our 'Handsfree Transporter', Ulik and Reinhardt's brilliant modification of the Segway. Patrick in action was shot by Chris Fawcett. Inspiring! We'll ask Patrick to report directly on his experience. His e-mail to me suggests that it was a perfect technological match... smooth, precise, fast and much easier than being on foot... looks like he travelled miles! GB

Thanks for all your comments/reactions. BTW: Both the G-50 and the G-70 can be user-disassembled... the spring backs off easily to zero tension and the trunnions unscrew giving access to all parts... We'll look into providing a manual that describes the procedure. The G-50 doesn't even have any spacers. GB

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Dear colleagues, As I got back to the hotel last night from NAB I bumped into a young fellow in the elevator with a Skycam shirt and ESPN pass... turns out he was on the crew setting up Skycam for boxing tonight from Caesars, on at 7 or so EST... small world! Anyway, Ruben Sluijter's new CG video: "Skycam and the World of Tomorrow" is up on www.garrettcam.com for your enjoyment. Ruben is amazing. (If only I could have done the real thing without wires!) Ruben and Steve and Kevin and Jim, thanks for a great job in the Tiffen booth all week! best regards, Garrett Brown

To: Ruben Sluijter and Patrick van Weeren: Dear Ruben and Patrick, I just had the joy of screening your wonderful "Celebration of 30 Years of Steadicam" for Ellen. (She admired it greatly and found it quite emotional to watch) I really enjoyed seeing it again myself (without the shock and awe!) It's artful and thoughtfully made and I was able to appreciate a number of touches I missed earlier. I was once more moved by the remarks of the interviewees and laughed out loud at your very sly juxtapositions of image and word... it's very...uh.. Dutch! ...that is to say democratic and eloquent and european (and SO not Bush-eoisie!) My deepest thanks and admiration to you guys; not only for the work, but also for the incredible boldness with which you fooled Jerry and me! (It's bit of a worry -- anybody could sneak into America and do anything they wanted and we wouldn't even notice!) I'd also like to express my gratitude to the Steves: Poster and Burum and Tiffen, and to Paul Taylor, Mike O'Shea, Dan Kneece, Larry & Jimmy McConkey, Chris Haarhof, Terry West and (unwittingly!) Jerry Holway for sharing stories and wisdom and singular insights, and my thanks to all others who contributed support and historical memorabilia; and to David and Irwin and George Paddock and Greg Bubb and our colleagues in the Guild who come out to raise a glass and us help celebrate this remarkable anniversary. After 30 years, I can report that the best result of having invented the so-called 'noble instrument' has been the chance to know and work with and hang out with such a congenial and uniquely gifted collection of souls -- including, most congenially, Ruben and Patrick. Cheers to you all, and here's to another 30 splendid years. Yours affectionately, Garrett Brown

I have lost six friends in six separate film-related helicopter crashes: two hit wires, two ran out of fuel (!), one main shaft frozen, etc. I won't go up in them any more. Garrett Brown

Just saw "A Very Long Engagement" my friend Valentin Monge's work is amazing. (Valentin did some amazing shots on the "La Traviata" production I worked on in Paris in 2000, including a 10 minute shot that was partly shot on his knees!!!) Garrett Brown

Charles, thanks for posting that news... We heard about his birth via vhf radio at anchor off NZ, and managed to see him on the way through LA. Ellen and I are wild about this kid! I could go on... best, GB

Just to recap the logic of my 'front mount' back mount vest, here is the gist of my request to Walter. I disliked the 'sticking-out' aspect of the present design, also the reversed socket block and the outboard position for the arm mount. I believe the range and usefulness of the arm is greatest when mounted in the position (and direction) we have used for so many years... which evolved for some good Darwinian-type reasons... But, Walter believed that a front mount would be inherently 'different' feel than a back mount. I therefore asked him to imagine the following: -take the present back-moount, reduce the clearance between carbon arm and vest... still works. -reduce clearance further until they touch... it still works -reduce further, until they merge!... of course it still works. with the extra stiffening and your new rigid hinge, the vest becomes the arm and voila! it works the same! but doesn't stick out, etc. It seems clear that if one is willing to give up major adjustability of the mount up and down and settle for right-side-only, or left-side-only versions, it is a valuable alternative. So I paid for Walter to build what he calls the 'Garrett Version' (though he gave me a really great deal, since it involved a lot more stiffening work on that side of the vest!) When it showed up, Walter had tried to make it more versatile and had nailed it to a central mount, but it wasn't rigid enough, so I made the piece you saw and mounted it in the position I described above, and now I think it's quite good. Walter says Tiffen can sell it as a special garrett-version, with customers of course going to Walter for fitting as usual. Walter and I will work out the particulars of the deal we'll announce how it will be marketed. thanks to all who came by The Tiffen events to give it a spin. Sorry I missed the get-together Saturday. Let me know what you guys think. Regards, Garrett Brown

FYI from Garrett Brown to the Steadicam Fraternity: Since we are adept at moving cameras and many of us are technically inclined, here's an opportunity coming up in August: Skycam Pilot-Operator Skycam, LLC has immediate openings for all pilots, operator and technicians. Qualified candidates will be considered for in-house training August 18th ? 28th at our Hatboro facility. Our state-of-the-art, 48,000 square-foot Training and Development Center is located in Hatboro, PA, just 30 minutes from Philadelphia. The facility serves as a proving ground for new system designs and concepts, as well as a comprehensive training for Skycam Pilot-Operators. Engineer In Charge-Crew Leader Skycam, LLC has immediate openings for seasoned Broadcast EICs. Qualified applicants must be computer literate, have the basic knowledge of electronics and able to use test equipment such as scopes and meters. This position demands a leader who can communicate on various levels to include Skycam clients, local labor, Skycam crew and industry affiliates. Remote robotic camera or Steadicam and basic rigging experience are helpful. Travel is required. Please email resume to: rpatton@winnercomm.com

Dear Ed, We in the fraternity of Steadicam owe you more than can be expressed. In 1974 you welcomed an outsider to Hollywood and embraced his improbable contraption. You gave it its name and sent it out into the world to change the way movies are made. Your integrity and warmth and wit and innovative zeal have been a beacon ever since. You will be with us as long as cameras move. I miss you... Garrett Brown

Thirty years? Wow. Seems like yesterday. Cheers! I raise a glass to all of you, on seven continents! (or maybe six... I haven't heard from the guy in Antarctica lately... ) If there's a party at Cinegear, count me in! I have been having a great time writing a book about the whole adventure, and though its only half finished, I wouldn't need much more than a single malt or two to read a couple excerpts. Warm regards, GB

Hello all, I have a request from the Deutches Filmmuseum. They wish to display a vintage Steadicam and pictures of me using it to shoot "The Shining" That was in 1979 and the rig was the prototype of the Model II. so.. Does anyone have a Model II and the old arm and vest stashed away in a closet, or kept as a backup? I would like to borrow it and make it available for the duration of the show which initially will run from March to July 2004, and then might travel further, including perhaps eventually to the US. If any of you can help please e-mail me asap. Thanks! Garrett Brown