Brad Grimmett

Here are a couple of links. The first one is probably your best bet.

http://i500.nopdesign.com/apps.esiml

http://samsung.handmark.com/i500.php

Hey, if you want my phone just let me know. It's in great shape except for a dent or two. It's also recently been covered in a layer of Lisigav (much better reception)....which is nice.

God, I feel like I'm selling you the damn thing. Just come and take it if you want it.

Hi,

 

Looks like Russ McElhatton is going to help me out. He has very kindly agreed to fedex one of his follow focus units from LA all the way to England for me to use for this film, and I am very grateful. Just have to get the production to agree to pay for the shipping and hopefully my focus problem will be sorted.

 

Thanks very much to Russ McElhatton for helping me out.

Wow, that's really above and beyond. That's super nice of Russ.

See, you didn't even have to ask! Just shows how nice this community can be.

Good luck on the job Peter!

Or, are any UK ops reading this that have a backup hardwire focus system who can take pity on Peter and help him out??!

 

Mm unlikely I think but would be great if someone could :lol:

Not unlikely at all! Very likely I think if you just make a few calls. You might just get something for free or very cheap and show up on the job to an impressed, and very happy, DP. But you'll have to make the effort to contact a few people and be willing to owe someone a favor.

Don't cave Rob! I can only assume that a smart, thoughtful guy like you is a Verizon customer.

I think Sprint is the only provider with the i500. Best service in town....just not at my apartment.

"...I was a Flower of the mountain yes when I put the rose in my hair like the Andalusian girls used or shall I wear a red yes and how he kissed me under the Moorish wall and I thought well as well him as another and then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes. "

If I may go WAY off topic and add the proper ending...."and he pulled out the Lisigav and I said ye.....what the hell is that?"

Back on topic. I'm trying to decide how I feel about this shot. I LOVE the effort. And I love that they had the balls to even attempt a shot of this magnitude, but I'm not sure exactly how I feel about it. I guess I'm a bit ambivalent about it at the moment. I think seeing the whole film and the shot in context would be a big help in this instance. What I fear is that my ambivalence may just mean that, in context or not, I don't love or hate this shot, which probably means it doesn't have the weight it was intended to have.

Ya so what about my antiquated i-500 Samsung Palm Phone . . .I still like it ok . . . don't make fun . . .

That is by far the coolest, and smallest, Palm based phone ever made! I have one on my desk in front of me. Unfortunately, I also have a Treo 700 charging right next to it (had to switch providers, and Verizon doesn't support the i500). I think you just need to download (and pay for) a text program to insure that you can identify who's texting you. If that doesn't work and you need a new phone, contact me and we'll see if mine works for you. You can have it if you need it. I really miss using mine!

Peter,

If I were you I'd just bite the bullet and rent a focus system. The fact that the folks in production are being cheap doesn't mean that the DP and 1st AC won't think less of you if you show up without any way to pull focus. I would suggest contacting another operator that's close to you and seeing if you can rent their system. As everyone knows, steadicam operators are generally very generous regarding these types of things. Everyone will be happier if you have one, but if you don't you likely will never get a call from that DP again, and you'll never get a recommendation from the 1st. AND, you won't be able to do very creative shots because of the constrictions of not having the proper tools for the job.

So, in my opinion, your choices are:

A: Don't take the job.

B: Bite the bullet and rent a system.

C: Talk to the DP and try to get him to convince production to rent something.

Start with C, go to plan B if needed, and revert to A if all else fails.

Good luck.

Was that you who shot the Sarah and Matt Damon video . . . .? Wicked Funny !

They are shooting a follow up "response" to that video today. Wait till you see the cast of this one!

Good tips guys. Thanks. I'll do a little more trial and error and see what happens.

Thanks Chris. I'll check and see if what I did was close to what you posted and try it your way if not.

Alan, does that mean that I should use Chris' settings but change the bitrate to 4000? In some cases I had to rip whole episodes of TV shows. Will the file size be enormous if I use 4000? Thanks.

Hi Brad,

 

Have you tried http://handbrake.fr/ ? It's Mac only, but does a great H.264 rip.

 

All the best,

 

Chris

Thanks Chris. Yeah, Handbrake is what I used. I wasn't that impressed. Maybe I mis-used it though....any recommendations would be appreciated.

I think you're onto something Ron. I can hear the responses now.....

Producer: "Wow! You look so young! I would have never guessed that you were old enough to have worked on The Shining."

Me: "Uh, yeah, I've aged well."

I just recently re-cut my reel and I had to rip footage off of DVD's in a few instances because buying the DVD was the only way I could get footage. It's such a bummer because the ripped footage looks like crap. Point being, it's hard to get people to take even a few minutes to help you out and give you footage. You're not alone in having this problem.

I'm sure you'll be out all night drinkin' and smokin' with all your little buddies and their cheap, slutty girlfriends.

 

Jim "creaky" Bartell

I'm sure he wants to do something different for his birthday, not just the same old same old.

Happy birthday Geoff.

if they get more we get less, period.

rb

Maybe you're right...I don't know. I sure hope not. It just seems to me that if the producers beat down one union, it makes it easier for them to beat down other unions, which is exactly what we don't want.

Wasn't it the AMPTP that walked away from negotiations the last time? Do you have a # for them?

 

 

Don't kid yourself Brad, it's not the producers who aren't willing to talk and negotiate.

Kid myself about what? I simply stated a fact and asked a question.

If I didn't know better Michael, I'd think you were a member of the AMPTP after reading your posts on this subject.

And I'm sure that is what Steven Poster was referring to when he said this,:

 

"What I found most troubling was the fact that the AMPTP had broken off talks with the WGA due to the WGA's unwillingness to withdraw several of their proposals, including jurisdiction over 'reality TV' story editors and animation writers."

 

Both are jurisdiction of our Mother union, the IATSE!

So in a twisted way, the producers are actually protecting US and the IATSE in that regard!

I was under the impression that most reality shows were non union. How can they already be under a unions jurisdiction if they're non union?

The fact is, in the case of reality, the WGA wants jurisdiction over the editors because the WGA believes that they are essentially writing those shows. But I guess you'd rather keep them non union then have them join the WGA?

The WGA wants to steal control away from our union too therefore.

Michael, it really seems like you're just very anti union. I know the unions aren't perfect, but man, we'd be really getting screwed if they didn't exist. If the WGA gets screwed on this contract you can bet that the same fate will befall the 600. We have much less power than they do, so we certainly won't gain anything in our next contract if the WGA gets screwed on this one.

Again, I'm not saying the WGA is right for striking when they did, or right about the way they've handled any of the negotiations, but I sure am hoping they get a fair deal, for the sake of all of us.

At a certain point, we all need to think about the greater, long term good for everyone, not just ourselves, and not just the day to day situation we're currently in.

Wasn't it the AMPTP that walked away from negotiations the last time? Do you have a # for them?

I've never had a problem with space when mounting motors on my Master. I think you get used to dealing with the nose very quickly. I'm surprised to hear you've had issues Ron. Has it been low mode that has been the problem?

That's just Ron.

%$#@*!!

Ah, an important point! And so true!

with Lisigav all things are possible.

Ron,

Have you been drinking scotch again?

p.s. When can I expect the groupies to show up? I gotta get my Viagra prescription refilled.

I think Ron and B.J. can send some your way, but you better have some Lisigav handy.

Congrats on your new membership.

oh...there will be problems. Once you've dynamically balanced your rig and put it away, you'll have 7.5 hours remaining to hit on the hot p.a., get your cappy machine and bottles of scotch situated on the truck, and have a rushed 3 hr sushi lunch. If you are a skilled, seasoned operator, you'll leave the prep with 20 min left so you drive home on the clock (with p.a. in co-pilot's seat).

 

rb

This sounds like a joke, but this is actually an accurate description of every prep Ron goes to.

Secret video sneaked out of negotiations...

 

I was expecting to see a bunch of chimps bouncing around the room.

Also, something like 75 or 80% (semi educated guess) of the WGA members don't even make a living as writers,

 

mm.

According to the WGA numbers I've seen, 48% of WGA members aren't working at any given time. But if you look at the credits in the back of the ICG magazine and compare it to the membership book I wouldn't be surprised if those #'s are similar to ours.