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BJMcDonnell SOC

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Posts posted by BJMcDonnell SOC

  2. Now this is a Highly Anticipated new Product.

    in Sled

    Posted

    Sounds like a killer upgrade. Speaking of the Alien Revolution, has anyone in the Los Angeles area recieved theirs yet? I am curious because I still want to give it a try and I have heard nothing about it for quite some time. If anyone has drop me a line. I want to check it out.

     

    BJ McDonnell

     

     

     

     

    Last Monday after a hellacious ordeal with Fedex international (They seem to have forgotten to load the plane....) I received the first MK-V/Pro II conversion Kit. This kit is everything to allow you to retain your battery base and Donkey box but upgrade to a 2? Carbon four stage Center Post.

     

    This center post has a built in superpost allowing it to go from 22.5? Collapsed to just over 6 feet fully extended. When in normal working lengths this is the most rigid post that I have flow. Having a combined wall thickness of almost 1/2? makes for an amazingly solid rig. Extended with a SR3, 3DM?s a Canon 11-165 zoom and a few other accessories it?s much more solid then the existing 1.5? pro Superpost.

     

    The Center post is only part of the story; Included in the conversion is a new gimbal. This gimbal is slickest most rock solid gimbal ever. There is absolutely ZERO play in any of the axis. Finally a gimbal that feels the same in lo-mode as it does in High-Mode. This gimbal is so slick that there is a bit of a re-programming curve for the operator. I found myself overshooting fast pans and stand-ups the first few times due to the lack of friction. You will also find yourself constantly re-trimming as the slightest weight shifts in the camera. The gimbal has a built in wrap grip that is just right feeling in your hand, nice and chunky, with an aggressive yet comfortable knurling to provide excellent traction.

     

    Included is a new monitor support that is the same strong two post and slider system that MK-V and XCS use.

     

    Also included and this was a bit of a surprise basically because I gave it no thought is a new upper J-box. This is a beautiful, VERY thin and low profile J-box. Literally only as tall as a Lemo #2 shell (Power plug) And here?s a nice feature, it?s Pro Standard wiring that allows you to retain your existing cache of pro cables

     

    How does it fly? Like a dream, totally invisible gone are post whip issues. The gimbal is so smooth and light that you simply forget that it?s there.

     

    Even if your not going to upgrade to the Alien Revolution (These parts are required for the conversion) Pro Owners really need to look at this conversion kit and get it, it just makes the Pro Fly soooo nice.

     

    If your in the Miami Area and would like to see it I?ll be there from the 27th until the 9th of Feburary on a feature and I will have the rig built all the time with a Panavision LWII if you want to give it a try. After that I will be in New Orleans (10th to the 28th) and Las Vegas (3/1 to 3/16). Los Angeles Folks you can play with it after the 16th of March when I wrap the feature that I?m on.

  5. Benz 5000

    in Follow Focus

    Posted

    Yes I too would like to know where Ben Fisher is. I am waiting on my FBX box. Hey Ben, where are you and where is my FBX BOX?

     

    BJ McDonnell

     

     

     

     

    Anybody know where is Mr Ben Fisher?

    maybe in some Workshop or exibition, I think...

    We can´t find you!

    Ben, please contact Mariana Fernandez for the Benz 5000 Follow Focus.

    Thanks a lot!

     

    Gus.

  13. How do you buy your first rig?

    in Steadi-Newbies

    Posted

    I worked my arse off for about two years to complete my setup. I bought most of my sled used. I would work and when I had the money to buy a certain piece for my rig then I would buy it. The cycle took a long time but I don't have any loan payments and I now have a pretty friggin nice rig. Of course I started out with older gear but upgraded later on. Make sure this is the career you want to do before you spend alot.....ALOT! of bling.

     

    BJ McDonnell

  14. NIGHTMARE SET!!!!!

    in Journals

    Posted

    Hey Everybody,

     

    I just thought I had to post here that I just worked on the gnarliest set I personally have ever worked on. For those who know the Universal backlot should feel my pain. You know when you are working on the backlot and you walk into the building mock ups and look at the interior. It loks like a MC esher (hope I spelled that right) painting with all the stairs, curves, etc.... You see this and think to yourself......Man I am glad I don't have to run up and down these stairs. Well, That was exactly what I had to do all night last night. I was chasing a girl following and leading from one end of the set to the other and back again up and down the stairs. Three levels of unlevel stairs.Not to mention the very tight corners that I could not see when leading the actor and my spotter having no time to get me out of the way. I felt like a pinball because there was no room to move and I hit corners and walls like crazy. Good thing the shots are not supposed to be oners. I tried to have the actors work with me and they tried but it never really helped. The director and D.P. wanted so much out of me and wanted to do take, after take, after take. I of course at the end of the day was nowhere near satisfied with my operating. So I am sure you guys have had some crazy experiences and nightmare sets so lets here your stories!

  17. Skate/Snowboarders Past and Present !

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Actually the winter season here is great for surfing and snowboarding. It is no Canada where you guys have some killer boarding, but we have some pretty cool mountains here also. Surfing here in the winter is cold but the waves are much better. I hit up Costa Rica in august and it rocks! There were no crowds and the waves were up. The water was warm so it was board shorts all the way. Let me know if anyone is gonna hit up SO Cal or if anyone wants to surf or snowboard.

     

    BJ McDonnell

    323-868-7330

  18. steadi-4X4

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    NO Ron you got it all wrong, The movie is called the "WHO DONE IT?" You will have to call me to explain that one to you. Next sunday homie and we are going 4X4 crazy. Beer, Guns, Chics, Firetrucks, and molotovs. Ok maybe just a BB gun.

     

    BJ McDonnell (Batwing master)

  21. Who owns their own 35mm camera?

    in Cameras (Film/Video/HD)

    Posted

    Hey Michael,

     

    I knew that most operators did not have their own cameras for all the reasons everybody had stated on this topic. I just had to be sure I was not misinformed or insane. I really like the jib operator comment. I will have to give that a whirl next time I get bamboozled by a producer. Thanks to you guys for reassuring my knowledge on this topic.

     

    BJ McDonnell

  23. Who owns their own 35mm camera?

    in Cameras (Film/Video/HD)

    Posted

    Hey Everybody!

     

     

    I am just curious to see how many of you own your own 35mm cameras for your steadicam package? I just got off the phone with a producer of a music video I am going to work on and she kept stressing the fact that I did not own my own 35mm camera. She made it sound like a big deal that they had to pick up a second camera for steadicam for the music video shoot. Through most of my experience I have never had to provide my own camera. She tried to cut my rate because of the rental of a second camera and it got a little bit tense on the phone. I worked it out but it was just odd. So, do any of you guys have your own 35mm cameras? I just want to make sure I was not arguing with her for no reason. Holla back.

     

    BJ McDonnell

  25. rain gear

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Hey Janice and Alec,

     

    Along with my rain gear from Rocksteadi I did use the cling wrap on my preston MDR. It totally works like a charm. Hey Alec, hows the weather in NY? Have you seen your old IIIA arm with David Ellis? I told him to be on the lookout for you.

     

    BJ McDonnell

     

     

     

     

     

     

    How are you? Log time? Welcome; I'm so glad to you decided to join us again. Please stop by more often.

     

    Yes, cling wrap works great - I usually use it on the camera, but I like having a made to fit cover for the battery cage to expedite battery changes (although I used cling wrap for years).

     

    Another trick I do is to use a piece of Visquine sandwiched between the camera and the camera plate. It hangs around the J-Box like a skirt (clipped at the bottom around the center post), helping keep water out of the junction box.

     

    As far as camera plates slipping? Greg Bubb turned me onto a wonderful 3M anti-skip rubber material that I put on my plates (I use his plates too because they are crazy rigid). It works VERY well. He tells me that some Home Depots carry it, but mine only carries the kind with grit in it, making it like sand paper, which of course is a deal breaker.

     

    Cheers,

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