Brant S. Fagan SOC

For the most accurate information, why not give PCS a call and speak with Alanna? She can answer all of your questions with factory-backed knowledge and even get you on the phone with a PCS Technician if necessary!

Russ--My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you all move through the recovery process! Having just dodged a close one on my recent tv pilot, I can fully appreciate just how daunting the road to recovery can be. A few years back I had my appendix blow out while on a show in New York so I calmly walked the 14 blocks to the hospital and had it out the next morning. While the actual medical care was fantastic, the follow-up paperwork and heartless attitude from insurers can be disillusioning. Keep on with your recovery and you'll be a much stronger person when you complete the process. Don't give up hope, there is light at the end of the tunnel, which incidentally leads to Crew Parking and the road home to family and friends!

I can see producers jumping at the chance to hire something like this that uses more manpower, is weight/size limited, and is of course, brand new. Let's see how the years treat it. Can it be scaled up to accommodate large frame cameras? Time will tell all.

Don't forget the Boland 8.4" HD Daybright! I love the product and have used them (I own two!) for almost five years now with excellent results.

Well played all around! I agree on the rush of the live shoot having done a few myself over the years! They do think it weighs nothing since we move so effortlessly and make it look easy to the casual observer which in turn bites us in the a$$ over the long haul of the broadcast shoot day schedules of late.

Kyle--Your 3A gimbal is in need of a shop service and new bearings. Not something you could likely handle without a machine shop with precision measuring tools. If you would like to schedule a service, please contact me off-Forum via email and we can go over details.

Your gimbal is not centered and your post is likely out of round as well. Most, if not all, aluminum posts are by nature not truly round unless they were centerless ground during manufacture. When combined, these conditions will make it challenging to make it pan flat. What type of gimbal do you have?

This is a great development! Major advancement of the art and science of data collection and transportation! This thing will save us up to seven (7) pounds of carried weight--fantastic!!

Yep, that pro-rating stuff is out there and my Deal Memo shows them EXACTLY what a day equates to in the 'weekly' rate and portions thereof. Put it in writing. Stick to it!

Yes, specialty items like a Boxx Meridian HD wireless system are an additional item and constitute an additional rental. Check the pricing to purchase a system like this; you'll see that forms a large percentage of the rationale for making it an additional item. Never use the term 'extra' as a producer will view that as just that: something that isn't probably necessary and therefore less likely to get paid for. Try it out. Never make things harder for yourself when making arrangements up front by using the term 'extra.'

Remember that your HD-SDI monitor must be able to process and display something other than PsF as the F65 sends out a different monitor signal. Great heavy and difficult, too!

EVERYTHING interferes with the Sound Department. Welcome to life on set.

Tell him that when you have to stand there as a 'meat pod,' he has to have a 35-pound sandbag in his lap for the same time period.

Better yet, give him a brief test drive and let him wear your gear, fully freighted with batteries, too. Does wonders for how directors perceive what we do all day.

You can run the Alexa on just one battery just fine! Try it! That's how I manage the weight even with a Codex attached, also running on 12vdc (nominal).

Gents--Now we're all saying the same thing! The grounds are shared and thus backfeeding and over-volting the device. Vote for Pedro!!!! Which Olympic team has brought Pedro to London?

Regardless of how the unit was mounted, clearly there is a problem with the power flow, either from stacking or a new wiring path not intended for that voltage.

Sure, you are attempting to route your power through the Boxx unit to make 24vdc (series circuit) and it won't accept that voltage. Boxx TXs like and must have only 12vdc (nominal).

Here's how I built the pieces for my recent setups. Note position of components. Codex is being fed 12v from battery on bottom of sled via custom cable to Anton Bauer battery pins even though the Codex is mounted on the camera's battery plate.

Show me this in some form of written documentation and I'm in on the billing! We work for that rate and earn that money, not someone at a desk!

Here's my latest build. Felt great, just like a film camera used to feel, except no emulsion smell on reloads!

I second Rob's thoughts about localizing yourself and gear. Sure, we all need to work and sometimes we need to stretch to make things happen but the line must be drawn clearly.

You might have avoided all the negative press here by simply not stating your actual operational plans but merely asked about traveling gear on aircraft, but because you mentioned it, you get what comes your way.

Since you are "helping" production "finance" their job by not charging the traditionally agreed upon fees for basic logistics, you could have asked them for the Key Grip's contact data so as to introduce yourself and inquire about borrowing a stand instead of making a big deal out of traveling yours to NOLA. Hey, you could even "rent" one from the Grip by paying a "fee" in glass containers filled with a liquid of their choice!

For my own peace of mind, I prefer to ship my gear via FedEx and avoid the whole airport scene that comes with traveling with the gear. Mostly, production is expecting to ship the gear but some folks just don't realize what 8-12 cases looks like (depending on the job) in one pile. I have since taken photos of the pile waiting for a FedEx pickup and actually sent them to a couple of greener production types and instantly won them over. Making a clear statement and not whining about it can make for an understanding early on in the process!

In the past, I have shown my 600 card, my SOC card, and my business card just to show "professional" status. Each airline is different and it does help to carry their stated terms in case a local agent wants to work you over.

Anyone have a G3 board for a Preston MDR-2 that they would part with? You can reach me at brant (at) brantsfagan (dot) com.

I picked up a HU-2 for a great price and would like to make a complete -2 system.

Thanks!

Boxx Meridian is the best on the market today.

You would typically have less hits indoors because these systems actually use the reflections of their transmissions to improve signal transference.

Line of sight, yes, but outside you do not reap the benefits of signal reflections off structural components.

The two biggest absorbers of RF, especially this portion of the spectrum are human bodies and large pine trees.

While it's nicely manufactured, I would refrain from using it in that configuration without a support for my upper body. Standing on a moving platform without support might look cool, but sudden changes in direction or unplanned maneuvers might lead to an unpleasant exit from the ride and surely 'not sticking' the landing. Safety starts BEFORE you get onboard!

On all my high-speed or high-stupidity shots on my or any Rickshaw, I prefer not to be belted in so that I have a better chance of bailing out if things get beyond stupid.

Yes, my version can be made for both hard mounting and standing with a body mounted rig. Balloons, too, for soft ground and other surfaces.

Still working on an onboard flan maker for Ron!