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ChrisCunningham

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Everything posted by ChrisCunningham

  1. Looking for a Female Socket Block for use with a PRO arm. Feel free to call me. Enjoy the day. Chris Cunningham (310)968-2296
  2. Hi Josh. Is your battery rack still available? I left you a message so you can contact me. Thanks. Enjoy the day.
  3. Hi Michael, my two Modulus 3000's are still sleeping soundly in their case. The last time either of them awoke was in September of 2014 when the last images coursing through that antenna from the tap of an Arri 416 was this video: Both units remain dreaming of yesteryear at channel 37, my go to channel for much of their days, shared of course with my Transvideo Hermes receiver that was last awoken by those same images, along with my Casio EV-4500 that still sports my custom monitor shade and a piece of green tape to steer you right to my sworn by channel…how modern, clever, and slick we felt with the advent of those slim little handheld TV's! While my back up unit has a serial number of 9213, my younger uber modulus sports a serial number of 401349. On hot summer days I burned my share of power supplies which led me to Hamlet's garage for some Modulus repairs and experiments. I certainly don't miss that aspect though I often do miss having my focus puller within sight! So often they now disappear into the image from my already outdated Bolt 2000! In a full circle we've returned to the 3000! Luckily that number now refers to distance in feet and not a 3rd try. -Chris
  4. Hi Kit, I thought it may be relevant for you to read my response in an earlier thread when asked if I operate goofy: Hi Brendan, short answer is yes, I operate goofy…but as I'm sure many other "goofy" operators out there would agree, the use of "regular" and "goofy" in regards to stance is quite an anomaly as used in our relatively small community of steadicam operators. Considering that the reverse is true in every board sport and striking sport I wonder how long this steadicam specific use of those words will be relevant. My guess is there is no reason for it to change within a community of this size, especially considering the nature of our introduction to the gear….not quite as simple to be sure as kicking a ball or stepping on a skateboard. Like most of us I took a workshop and was not given a choice as to which side I operated on…I was only allowed to switch to what was natural to me in the last two days. I get it, its more efficient to run a workshop this way…we're just learning basics here anyway, free to move on and make it our own. To the extent that our introduction to stance with steadicam equipment is a matter of convenience, our use of "goofy" and "regular" is imposed in workshop isolation, arbitrarily based on the evolution of the gear as one man of great genius evolved his one handed operating technique to a two handed method…a man that ironically had no one to tell him he was "regular" or "goofy" when he began his quest with his left foot forward and right hand on the post. His orthodox stance was eventually challenged with an arm already mounted on the right side while discovering a two handed technique. He became a southpaw through ergonomic necessity, giving birth to a community of southpaw operators that consider themselves "regular". So I guess Brendan, my long answer is still yes, I operate goofy, only because I presume you are a fellow steadicam operator. To anyone who is not a steadicam operator I would have to say I have an orthodox stance, that I am regular footed…otherwise I would be misleading them. It's not that I find being called goofy to be a bit left-handed, but certainly a bit left-footed. -Chris
  5. While I have made some attempts at spreading a rumor that I no longer utilize my monitors image feature, I must admit that this is not entirely true. I use it for rehearsals. I apologize to anyone who has been approached by VTR only to be forgiven for still needing that two dimensional confirmation and all the cute little colors blooming and swirling within a frame that speaks a language of mistrust. I apologize, but I implore you to trust your hand and let your monitor run cool and dark. Ok, unfortunately that rumor only made it as far as the next operator VTR worked with the very next day, but I enjoyed basking in my temporary illusion of Jedi grandeur. I had just completed a commercial consisting of four spots, 90 percent of which was shot with no viewable image…a 5D mark II firing away stills at about 1 frame a second. Don't ask me why. Believe me, it made no sense to me either, especially when each shot would be performed again with an Alexa into which the stop motion would seamlessly finish with in the edit. I know your thinking, "why not pull frames?". Don't ask why… at least thats what I was told as I embarked with the task of shooting long moves for three days with no image… but like I said, I use it for rehearsals. Funny thing is I felt totally prepared for this. When I used to practice steadicam on my own I found it invaluable to practice with my monitor off, focusing on the actual subject and my rigs relationship to it. My monitor was still very important to look at, but as a three dimensional object who's flat top surface is still my main sense of level, especially when panning while tilting…it never begs you to overreact. It also teaches you to trust your hand with bigger moves and whip pans because your comfortable looking away from the monitor and trusting your hands ability line up objects, not just images. To this day on every walk and talk and also every shot that threatens to reveal a step I make it a point to watch the frame of my monitor move through space… I watch it move smoothly with an even speed and in that moment I trust what the rig is doing. I can see its glide match the speed of the actors feet, I can see it graze along a wall at a constant height, and all this I suppose is to get me to operate less…to doubt less…to overreact less, and if possible, to operate without operating. Obviously I wish to have spent more time basking in my illusion of Jedi grandeur so I spread a rumor, I wax poetic of a monitor that runs cool and dark.* *In reality I'm probably so afraid of messing up that I can't bare to look.
  6. Hi Brendan, short answer is yes, I operate goofy…but as I'm sure many other "goofy" operators out there would agree, the use of "regular" and "goofy" in regards to stance is quite an anomaly as used in our relatively small community of steadicam operators. Considering that the reverse is true in every board sport and striking sport I wonder how long this steadicam specific use of those words will be relevant. My guess is there is no reason for it to change within a community of this size, especially considering the nature of our introduction to the gear….not quite as simple to be sure as kicking a ball or stepping on a skateboard. Like most of us I took a workshop and was not given a choice as to which side I operated on…I was only allowed to switch to what was natural to me in the last two days. I get it, its more efficient to run a workshop this way…we're just learning basics here anyway, free to move on and make it our own. To the extent that our introduction to stance with steadicam equipment is a matter of convenience, our use of "goofy" and "regular" becomes arbitrary, based on the evolution of the gear as one man of great genius evolved his one handed operating technique to a two handed method…a man that ironically had no one to tell him he was "regular" or "goofy" when he began his quest with his left foot forward and right hand on the post. His orthodox stance was eventually challenged with an arm already mounted on the right side while discovering a two handed technique. He became a southpaw through ergonomic necessity, giving birth to a community of southpaw operators that consider themselves "regular". So I guess Brendan, my long answer is still yes, I operate goofy, only because I presume you are a fellow steadicam operator. To anyone who is not a steadicam operator I would have to say I have an orthodox stance, that I am regular footed…otherwise I would be misleading them. It's not that I find being called goofy to be a bit left-handed, but certainly a bit left-footed. -Chris
  7. Thanks Osvaldo, Job, Joe and Mark for your comments, and Emre for pulling me out from under the radar where I tend to dwell. I certainly agree with you Mark about the soundscape which is not expected at this level in a music video. Osvaldo, I'm not sure if you recognized my name but I purchased a used PRO vest from you back in 2006! I have subjected it to much abuse but it has stayed with me to this day, including the day it carried the weight of this video. After talking to you back in 2006 I tried to emulate your operating from a bicycle. I thought that I who practically lived on bikes in my earlier years, racing both road and mountain bikes, surviving as a messenger who loved flying down stairs, crossing the US, Western Europe, and parts of southern India.... I was sure I could pull it off. My conclusion was... not brave enough, and that my imagination of the sound my rig would suddenly make upon the ground was slightly sharper than average. -Chris
  8. Sure, I'd be honored if you find these to be useful examples for your workshop Emre. - Chris Cunningham
  9. Hi Emre, Thanks for your kind words regarding my work in this music video. Funny thing is, after setting the apple boxes I took a look from camera through the tables and chairs where you can see them for only a brief moment and I distinctly remember thinking "the only person in the world who will possibly notice this is a steadicam op".... and so some 80 million views later your astute attention and Brian's keen eye have done just that. The original plan to create this rise was to remove a booth and put in its place a 4x8 ramp for me. This of course would have required a wipe and separate takes but during rehearsals It was seen how close I could get to what was needed with my boom range....and tiptoes! Only trouble with that is I created an obstacle course of sorts for myself as I had to step over those apple boxes twice before ascending them (there was no time to sneak them in), all the while keeping the camera as low as possible. Part of the original plan was also to follow Anna back into the kitchen and with the apple box solution we could then have done a true one take without a wipe, but it was decided, and I agreed, that it would be better to lead her back into the kitchen. Sure it was the better thing to do but I was also a bit terrified at the Idea....the spaces where extremely tight including one spot with no more than an inch of forgiveness upon my monitor and batteries and the second shot demanded that I got through it backwards. I had to place so much attention to my navigation that I didn't get enough takes to refine the framing (head room especially) before they where already happy with a take. I think Jason Moore, the director, did a great job editing the jump cuts (also shot on steadi ) and audio in the opening of the video and Sean Kim, the DP, made it a very steadicam friendly scene to shoot. Incidentally the very following week I did shoot a true oner music video. Here's a link if your interested: ▶ Herb Alpert - Puttin' On The Ritz - YouTube Only two hours where scheduled for shooting at the end of the day to my surprise! The choreographers and dancers did an amazing job and I wish we had more time and manpower to deal with some more obvious shadows. Some compromises had to be made for sure to pull off the door gag at the end with such a wide lens... believe me I didn't want to be that close but we succeeded in pushing a door in behind me and then hiding all the dancers behind it even with a mirrored wall on one side. Honestly I probably would not have posted this one before Dave created a stage (thanks Dave!) where people could more safely share work, even if it's not technically perfect.....but wait a minute, was that a Movi Cam shadow? Happy Thanksgiving! - Chris Cunningham
  10. Just noticed another take that I shot of the Guitar Hero spoof of the "Baby baby baby" video on Youtube... check it out. Fat Man's performance was on fire for this last "go wild" take... and the beautiful thing really... we where done before lunch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uDrFEXcg_A...feature=channel -Chris Cunningham
  11. Hey guys, I did this spoof on the "Baby Baby Baby" music video for Guitar Hero on steadicam. Had I known I was shooting four naked girls on the Third Street Promenade I would have gotten better rest the night before. Check it out. -Chris Cunningham
  12. I'm selling my 3A arm made by Robert Luna. The arm is in excellent condition. It was purchased brand new in 2004 from Robert who makes the entire arm with his improvements... this is not a refurbished arm. His titanium springs in this arm are calibrated to carry a load from 34 to 70lbs. The socket block is titanium and has never been used with a rear mounted vest. Included is an arm bag that has never been used, a six and a twelve inch arm post, and two spare vertical axle pins. - $6,000. I am selling this arm because I have upgraded to a PRO arm. I am in Los Angeles and can be reached at (310)968-2296 or email me at ccunningcam@yahoo.com Have a beautiful day! -Chris Cunningham
  13. Yes, a viewer! I hope this means you just happen to be selling PRO 1 batteries. . . and a Charger? Great! Any leads? Any clues? Any one want my money? Chris Cunningham ccunningcam@yahoo.com (310) 968-2296 Mobile (310) 839-1847 Home
  14. I am looking for a Pro 1 sled. Please call me at (310)968-2296 Or E-mail at: ccunningcam@yahoo.com
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