pbalsdon

The settings I used were based on information from Geof Boyle's reels at cml (www.cinematography.net) and from Phil Rhodes (he really is a very helpful, just a little misunderstood by some people I think). We did, however, play a lot in the edit suite comparing settings and the frame rate was a major consideration, anything slower than 25fps was a problem and introduced a jerkiness. We used Sorensen Video 3 for the compression and settled on a frame size of 240 X 180, a little smaller than I would have liked but I was concerned about file size and this and audio compression were the only places left to compromise. Having done all my steadicam files in a friend's Avid suite I then did all my DP files at home using iMovie and Quicktime Pro and achieved pretty much the same results. I also found that I got best results using Quicktime, I dabbled with Flash but found video embedded into Flash increased file size and the quality wasn't quite there. As I completely build and manage my own site it is now very easy to change things around as I please but using a Demo Reel Network would be a good idea for people without the time, knowledge or friendly web master to help them. I would however discuss with them the problem of frame rates to compress video files for steadicam reels.

The Aussie operator you are refering too is probably Rob Agganis, who did the steadicam on the first Matrix. He built his own rig, but it's no more a copy of a Panaglide than any other rig. Rob is very smart with engineering as well a great operator and is always improving his rig. He has however told me he feels he would have been taken more seriously as an operator had he bought a rig. I know this is true as a while back I was shooting on a commercial and the (American) DP said he was pleased to see an op with a real rig as the other day another op had brought a home made rig onto his set. Beats me, it was good enough for The Matrix and many other films.

Great site Paul, I especially like the design and color scheme very classy. I think so long as you let visitors know the size of the file they're about load (which you've done) it's fine. I've just been through this process for my site and optimising video files for steadicam is difficult as choosing a slower frame rate to make the file smaller creates a slight jerkniness in the movie (and that we don't want). I've also found the system useful when production companies have requested a reel urgently to show their client, so I direct them to the website and then let them know I'll courier a reel to them asap. Love the 'Auf Weidersein Pet' clip great example that things don't have to be over complex to look really good. Re. Russian Ark; the DOP you worked with may be confusing three shots with three takes. They abandoned the first three takes a short way in due to technical problems and left themselves committed to one final take. It is definately all one shot, the DVD has an excellent 'making of' with it. We spent a couple of evenings watching the DVD at the recent Melbourne Summer Filmaking School steadicam workshop and one of the topics we discussed with the students was if it was gratuitous doing the film all in one steadicam shot. My father-in-law is Russian and not so long ago visited The Heritage, where it was shot, with his wife. They both went to see the film and when I asked them about it they said that after a while they felt so much like they were actually there that a couple of times they found themselves trying peer around the edges of the frame to look for things that they knew were there but not shown. The one shot technique had totally involved them in the setting and I think therefore was a brilliant peice of film making. The DVD is well worth seeing with lots of interviews with Tilman Buttner and Alexander Sukorov.

Thing is Jamie in a country like Australia and many other countries that don't have the huge budgets of US films the cost of hiring a steadicam and op for the day (and many other "luxuries") at the rates you guys get in the states is prohibitive. I have many film credits for doing only one major shot (normally opening or closing) on local productions because that's all the film could afford. It is because of our local supply demand and budget situations and small population that we have to set a rate realistic to local situations. Then along comes some enterprising US producer who gets together with a local entrepreneur and figures hey these guys can supply a crew and the rest of the stuff for really great rates ( and hey what a great place to work for a couple of months at the productions expense). So what do we do set a rate for working on American films and another for Australian films and maybe another for Bangladeshi films. As I said in my previous post this situation has also affected the production of Australian films and currently we are further concerned about the US free trade agreement which will allow the US to dump as much Film and television programming as they like down here at low prices making it difficult for producers of local programmes to compete. The result of this is the death of our local culture. Down here we make films like 'Rabbit Proof Fence', 'Beneath Clouds' and in New Zealand 'Whale Rider', these films have a greater important message for the world than 'Spiderman' and 'The Hulk' but they're getting harder to make. This is not your fault or my fault but the result of production companies using the rates to their benefit. If we do set a rate whose rate do we use as the mean yours or someone elses? (there's guys in Thailand working for much lower rates than me)

I remember being pissed off when I bought my Masters Film back 1996 and it only came with one docking collar, thus requiring an allen key to reposition the docking collar when converting to low mode (so much for tools free). Also I was only provided with one battery to charger cable. The cost of purchasing these extras wasn't exorbitant but the cost of supplying them as a standard part of the kit would have been less. If you're refering to the little grub screws that hold the post into the 'F' bracket I had these come loose a couple of months after I bought the rig while riding on the front of a camera car at 80k.p.h. (50mph) I managed to just hang onto the rig and Arri 435 whilst a very experienced driver slowed rapidly and smoothly, jumped out out and relieved me of the weight, (left me with a severly bruised arm). The post that I use in the F bracket now has holes drilled part way through and the screws put in with 'Loctite'. I still check them pretty much every time I use the bracket. This was all back in the days of CP and I would have thought Tiffen, whose service has generally been excellent would have resolved these matters.

Reminds me of a friend who sent his wife and kids to a slow to pay company. They camped noisily in reception and everytime a client entered the building wife loudly complained to the receptionist about how long they'd been waiting for payment. Didn't take long for cheque to be signed. Phil Balsdon Sydney, Australia

Last year I submitted a posting to this forum about someone who disappeared with an Ikegami Betacam that I loaned him to practice with his new steadicam. I thought he had gone to India, turns out I'm right, and he's doing similar tricks there. On the Melbourne Filmmaking Summer School Steadicam Workshop we had a student, Chetak from Mumbai (Bombay), who had also come across Raze Mahani (first name pronounced like "razor") and he's yet to return some "borrowed" lenses to Chetak's boss. Raze may pass himself off as an Australian or Iranian, he is a smooth operator, very friendly, will do anything for you and then one day wants to borrow something and you'll never see him again. I also know he uses the internet as I found him listed on a crew web site, when I tried to email him the mail bounced back and his name disappeared from the site in less than a half hour. Hopefully he might read this, in which case I like to say, "small world isn't it" Raze. If anyone knows his whereabouts please let me know. Phil Balsdon Sydney, Australia www.steadi-onfilms.com.au

Hi Jake, The photos you sent me of your cage look great. As you said it'll also do as a lowmode cage. I also like Ron Waters (Melbourne 2004 student) set up that has a dummy full size camera made of wood to give you a feel for the size of the camera as well as the weight. Be sure that if you start making parts locally the materials you use are premium quality (aluminium comes in different grades) as failure of parts could result in an expensive accident. Good to hear you're doing well, I'm sure your positive approach and enthusiasim will bring you success. Teaching these guys in Melbourne was great. It's only the fifth course I've taught on but they were a great group. I thought at one stage we might have get a surgeon in to get the vests off a couple of them. Phil Balsdon Sydney, Australia www.steadi-onfilms.com.au

So is the problem with "Cold Mountain" the fact that it's an American story shot in Roumania or that it's American money being spent in Roumania, or both. I can recall many films made in the US about foreign places. I can recall stories that make Americans heroes in stories they have no place to be, eg. Last Samurai, some Japanese people might be a little insulted at this story (some might be amused by it too). Like Levis, General Motors, Nike, Carbide Union and many other businesses the people financing movies take there films elsewhere to use and frequently abuse the economic situations in other places. Read a book called "No Logo" by Naomi Klein (published by Flamingo) and it'll enlighten you as to what goes on in the world when a business exists purely to make money and take advantage others without a moral conscience. The situation with US movie production lies purely in the hands of US producers who take their movies elsewhere. The effect isn't entirely beneficial to the other countries either. The government in Australia continually tells us what a great benefit foreign films (mostly American) have been to the economy quoting improvements in dollar terms. The trouble is when they say $400 million dollars spent on feature film production in Sydney, up $150 million on 4 years ago they don't tell you that that $400 million produced 3 films and employed about three or four crews. The $250 million spent a few years ago made 20 or 30 local films and distributed the work among many crews. It's also the loss of our culture, when we find it difficult to produce our stories. Last year was one of the worst years ever, if not the worst ever, in terms of work for technicians in Australia, but one of the best in terms of budgets spent on films. Many very experienced people here can no longer make a living in the film industry. When this situation started here a few years ago many people in LA were having protests and holding up placards demanding US producers bring their films back to LA. A local DP I was working with suggested we all go to big Sydney park and hold up banners demanding the US takes them back! At the time it was funny, it's not anymore. The sports shoes you are wearing could well have been made by a young child living in poverty in the third world, who earnt less than 1% the price you eventually paid for them for their efforts. The company took it's footwear factory off shore for the same reason a film company takes it's production offshore. Sorry for rambling on but you aren't the only people suffering in the world. Phil Balsdon Sydney, Australia www.steadi-onfilms.com.au "Greed is Good" - Michael Douglas in "Wall Street"

Peter Pan, a story set in Neverland. Shot in Queensland, Australia. Post production in the USA. I don't think I can see anything inappropriate. :D Phil Balsdon Sydney, Australia www.steadi-onfilms.com.au

The 2004 Melbourne Filmmaking Summer School, Steadicam Workshop was a great success again, with students from USA, Canada, Korea, India and Taiwan as well as Australia. It's looks to have become an annual event, extremely well organised by Louis Puli, helped by his son James. Some overseas students used the opportunity to take a bit of a vacation before or after the course and see some of Australia. I'm sure it'll be on again next year. I've posted a full report and photos at http://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/steadicam_workshop2004.html with an email link to Louis if anyone would like to know about the next course. Phil Balsdon Sydney, Australia http://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/

You should really practice operating the alternate side to your preferred because ocassionally you'll have to do it. eg. Garrett's shot in the Indiana Jones movie crossing the suspension bridge with the steadicam over the rail. Very uncool to tell the director it can't be done! Phil Balsdon Sydney, Australia www.steadi-onfilms.com.au