BJMcDonnell SOC

Hugo,

So sorry to hear about your loss. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family.

I drive in LA everyday...so, you know, that's pretty near death.

 

Oh, and this one time, I was out drinking with BJ, and we almost died. Pretty standard.

 

Oh, and I saw Ron's splinter! OMG! I rubbed some Lisigav on it. Poor Ron.

Ah yes think of all the stories we will have to tell when we are sitting at the ol folks home lol.

Brad I just realised I didn't get back to ya the other night and I apologize. Totally slipped my mind and I owe you some drink time. Didn't miss anything. Of course usually shit hits the fan when you, me, and Ron end up in the same place but hell I think it is time. Anyone else care to join in?

You guys have been the best in the BIZ.

Anytime ive had a issue it was solved no questions and no wait time.

jack rocks and glad it is him but of course George you will be missed.

Ashley and Deb you two have always been so rad to me and always very truthful and to the point.

I still love my PRO sled, Arm, and Vest and I'm sure Jack will keep the good product going for everyone and future operators.

LOVE to you all and hope to stay in touch.

I got a splinter once

OMG RON! :o

A little while before my 18th birthday I was a passenger in a car crash which was a head on collision at around 60mph with another vehicle mid-corner....amazingly I walked away with not a scratch on me.

 

 

 

I did manage to pick up 5 fractures straight all the way through the bone in one leg, post-accident compartment syndrome in the other leg (I was about 2 hours away from losing the lower section of my right leg), a concussion that lasted nearly a week, multiple fractured ribs, and a few minor wounds, but hey other than that I was just fine and dandy :blink:

The freakiest bit was waking up, upside down covered in blood and glass unable to breath for a nearly a minute due to the impact my chest had taken (could have been shorter or longer my perception of time and space was pretty skewed by the concussion), I think at that point I had submitted to the fact that I was probably going to die, though thankfully just after this I managed to take a breath, at that point I perked up a bit haha.

Made me re-evaluate my life and get some firm focus on what I wanted to do though.

For what was only 2 years of recovery I think that was a relatively good deal I guess, every cloud has a silver lining eh :P

Dude thats intense!!

Please tell me you got to take the slide, that would make it all worthwhile :P

 

 

Josh

No we took the stairs :angry: But we lived so Im ok with that.

And Will I loved your post lol.

Yea, well the airline scare was pretty crazy. It was the second time American Airlines has done me wrong. The other day while flying home from a feature in Cape Cod we had to do a emergency landing in Kentucky because a lady started having a heart attack. We landed and got her off the plane. We sat on the tarmac for 3 and 1/2 hours till we could take off again. Thank god they got the lady off the plane. Well after we finally took off headed to los angeles about a hr before the captain comes on the radio and announces that a couple of the rear right wheels had fallen off and that we may have a crash landing. So everyone on the plane starts to freak out and the stuardesses started showing us all how to prepare for a crash landing. They are freaking out as well as all the passengers. To make a long story short we do a fly by the tower so they can look at the damage. we fly over the ocean and it sounded like they dumped fuel or something over the ocean. I dont know if thats what they did but a loud spraying sound came from the plane. Then we circled back around and the captain announced he was going to try to land and everyone needs to brace themselves for a crash landing. There was a very strange calm and silence as we approached the runway. I braced and looked out the window. Right as we touch down sparks engulfed my window so that freaks everyone out including myself. The sparks grow bigger and brighter and then finally they diminish and go away and the plane comes to a stop. Everyone cheers and claps and the feeling of relief was awesome! Fire trucks and emergency vehicles surround the plane and spray it down with water. We then evacutated the plane. So happy to say im here and that was the worst and most horrifying flight ive ever been on. Oh and the 5 hr 40 min. flight turned into a rocking 12 and 1/2 hr flight with two emergency landings.

In my opinion conventional operating with the 3D rigs is fine. I see it more and more now that when it comes to Steadicam people are shooting 2D to convert it and everything else with the 3D conventional rigs. Unless it is the paradise small rig then it's ok. I know there is a huge debate on converting 2D to 3D but the conversion companies are getting way better. I vote for this style. I don't mind the 3D rig on dollies or techno crane. It's easier to just Steadi 2D though. Make the shot look good and not fight these "lite" rigs with cables yadda yadda.

Damn I really needed this for the feature I did in Russia. I couldn't get the rig balanced well at all. Whip pans, forget about it!!

Yea Nick I agree on the Rates having to be raised. Come on guys these rigs are stupid to destroy your body. They are heavy heavy rigs. We need to charge more for productions wanting us to fly these beasts! I've done a bit of 3D work and it is way more strenuous on your body and your gear.

I'll try to drink enough to represent Ron Baldwin and BJ. Someone please notify the ambulance?

Lol well yea I hope you guys have fun. Represent us proud William. Damn this is the 2nd gathering after cinegear missed. Bummer. Just make sure you get brad Grimmet and get in a fight later that night. Have fun guys I'm on location and can't make it.

And as for the badmouthing other operators, Don't even get me started on what I heard. Makes my blood boil.

Hey Charles, amen to what you just said. You also happen to be at that rate meeting. Again if this comes up at meeting remember there is one side to the story and te other person isn't there to give their side. Good thing is that some of us are man enough to confront the situation with the other person. By the way Charles give me a call soon so I can give you my side of the story since I wasn't present at my lashing. And why would I low ball anyway? There is no reason for it. I've kept my rates pretty high except for the occasional job for friends which is always at scale or above with full rental. lowballing only kills the future for all of us. I don't need to take a cut to get a job. Whatever happened to having a skill and good work ethics? Is asking for a low rate to get the gig ever a good idea, NO!

Yea haha they aren't all bad. Well most of them are but there are a select few that are cool.

That is true unfortunatly

I have another thing to add to all this. I've been shooting in Louisiana a ton and recently found out a fellow operator told some other operators I was low balling to get jobs. I hear this and of course I call that operator and ask what the Hell is going on? One job was mentioned in particular that I did and I did it for scale but got my full rental for Steadicam per week at full rate. Why did I do it for scale?, because it was a favor of a friend who is a producer. We all do this from time to time. I have a great agent and he negotiates my deals and gets me great deals. So with all this said, before people go to a meeting about rates and start saying so and so is taking cut rental or working for cheap maybe talk to that person before you slander his name. Sometimes there are favors to be done for friends and you don't know the situation. It just causes people to get all up in arms before they go to the source. It's a problem I see all the time with gossip about rates. Anyway that's all I got to say. Fly safe y'all.

This is the first time I'm looking at their stuff. I own a "3A" type Arm right now with the six spring and pulley system and haven't tried on any canister style spring systems cause I don't wanna like it so much I end up hating my current arm. I just got a PRO Sled (which im stoked on)and common sense tells me to get a GPI Arm. But Hugo's product like an option too. I would guess you own both. Do you have a preference for any reason at all BJ?.....before I start shopping.

Hey Scott,

Hugos arm is awesome! I own a PRO arm now but I used his arm for a very long time. I just happened to have the funds to buy a PRO arm and I went forward with it. I'd say if you want a killer arm at a great price his Arm is very good. I just personally always wanted a PRO arm so I finally went ahead and got it. As the jobs got better I upgraded a lot. I also owned a IIIA arm. It is similar but functions way better than a IIIA. It's also easy to take apart and clean.

Anybody got a used XCS dovetail plate they wanna sell? Hit me up if you do! Thanks.

Got a call from Hugo yesterday. Great chat with him and great to hear that his wife is doing so much better. Great news! He also informed me that his company is gearing up to start making some new products in the near future. As for now he has re done his website and is offering his arms and battery hangers for now but new products to come soon. Check it out.

www.steadyrig.com

I'm waiting for extra potent lisigav to hit the market.

Charles bud I consider you as my Obi wan in the steadi community. You were the one who gave me inspiration to proceed to become a Operator and you've always been a friend. You will rock as a DP and congrats on the jump!

Still looking for that MDR. Anyone?

The rig with the epic on it looks like the best I've seen. I hope this is maybe the answer to a lighter weight 3D rig that isn't a major pain in the arse. I know they are using it on spiderman 4. Until I try this rig I still have no love for the current 3D rigs lol. I hope this one changes my outlook on it. I'm stoked I actually have a feature in two weeks shooting film!!!! woo hoo!!!!Pedro if you are testing the epic rigs at all in the next two weeks I'd love to check it out.

My ultimate goal once I get into my final market is to buy an MK-V Nexus2, and maybe the AR (haven't decided on that yet), but we'll see how things go.

 

 

First off I'd talk to some people that own a AR before you go wanting one.... and I'd also look at other rigs, there are better, much better availble

I have a PRO and a AR. AR is really not a everyday use tool. You are better off with a standard sled and get your skill level up with that first then later maybe if you really need a AR then go for it. Ive done some really great things with the AR but honestly I do 95% of everything else with my PRO. LISIGAV and just say no to sobercam right Ron?