Howard J Smith

Erwin (how are you?) sorry, again - Where do you get your facts? Guys who read the forum -please if you want to know anything re the MK-V A-R system please contact either myself or Chris. (see below) Yet again it is not the 'alien' - it is the 'Revolution' (A-R) and therefore has nothing in common or to do with the XCS system at all. These postings have gotten more and more fictional and biased as they have gone on. I have sat here in silence, but even I can only take so much misinformation. We sell the Chroszeil topstage as standard now as it is THE best barr none. (yes much better than the DB3, we tested both fully and the chrosziel wins hands down for many reasons. And to be fair, better than the MK-V topstage also) The MK-V A-R and Nexus are a solid and fully working package. I am sure Chris will post re his latest shoot in NZ for the new "Macy's" adds (+ India "Brad Pitt" and Vancouver " Mercedes" ) when he gets chance. Sorry but I am sick of reading all the BS - and I am sorry guys, but is it biased BS. Please YET again Erwin get your facts straight, this is not the first time I have had to pull you up. You're a great guy, and I like you a lot, but please do not post on what you do not know. Yours respectfully Howard If anyone would like to talk here are our email addresses. - all the best howard@mk-v.com chris@ar-mcguire.com

Hi Morgs Thanks for the post (hope your well?) Hi Guys OK we have a few places left in anyone is interested - Due to the re-sounding success of the December MK-V Workshop. We will be bringing forward the date of our Spring Workshop because of work commitments. The new date will be the 19th of February 2007. The week will endeavor to give participants an all round grounding in both the Beginner/Refresher aspect of 'Steadicam' and also optionally introduce advanced working's with auxiliary equipment including; Aero crane Step on/off, Hard Mount ATV etc... But also developing a more controlled way of operating. Also, the AR induction day will be held on the Friday, to introduce and allow one-on-one interaction for Operators and Assistants with the MK-V AR. (Once Operators and Assistants have attended the course they will be automatically added to the MK-V AR resource list.) Check out the Website to see exclusive footage of the 2007 MK-V December Workshop at; www.mk-v-workshops.com Please contact Anthony at MK-V Workshops on +44(0)1204 570380 or email: ant@mk-v-hire.com Take care Howard

Hi Will "Panavision has put together a great little integral down converter that snaps into the empty mag port. This allows 422 out for the NTSC output and retains dual 444 out to the deck. Geoff Shotz turned me on to a lovely mod whereby we have an Anton Bauer dual plate mounted in place of the deck and therefore maintaining a fairly good dynamic feel to the camera whilst shedding the 14lbs of the deck. Nice. " Yes I know about all of these - And the battery on to the camera mod is mine, it is what I came up with for cinegear. It makes a huge difference to the way the camera feels on the sled. I flew the camera on the test day before the show and it was not good, so I designed some plaltes and they (PV) kindly made them for me. At Cinegear I had a PAG mount and L95 on the Genesis. It flew great and all the ops (inc Geoff) who flew it said it made a huge difference to the camera. - And it is still lighter than an XL like this. I am well on the case re all the new kit (inc the genesis, D20 etc.) and watch this space for the new stuff. The Nexus works great with the genesis and even better with my little mod (to the camera not the sled). Hope this helps, all the best Howard

Hi Jeff How are you? The Nexus works well with the Genesis - we had them together on the Panavision stand at Cinegear and it worked and flew great. This said - I have a design that makes the Genesis much more "Steadicam" friendly - Please email me off forum - howard@mk-v.com and I will tell you all about it. All the best Howard

Hi Will / Guys Sorry we are changing to a new server and it is meant to be invisible.... <_< So it will be back up very soon and the ALL new MK-V site will be up and running very soon as well. Which seems like a good time to ask ALL MK-V owners - if you have any photos or video clips please email them to us and we will put them up for you (with a link to your own site) Should be back on very soon. I look forward to seeing the photos All the best for 2007 Howard

Hi Dave / Guys So glad you enjoyed the workshop. Due to the re-sounding success of the December MK-V Workshop. We will be bringing forward the date of our Spring Workshop because of work commitments. The new date will be the 19th of February 2007. The week will endeavor to give participants an all round grounding in both the Beginner/Refresher aspect of 'Steadicam' and also optionally introduce advanced working's with auxiliary equipment including; Aero crane Step on/off, Hard Mount ATV etc... But also developing a more controlled way of operating. Also, the AR induction day will be held on the Friday, to introduce and allow one-on-one interaction for Operators and Assistants with the MK-V AR. (Once Operators and Assistants have attended the course they will be automatically added to the MK-V AR resource list.) Check out the Website to see exclusive footage of the 2007 MK-V December Workshop at; www.mk-v-workshops.com Please contact Anthony at MK-V Workshops on +44(0)1204 570380 or email: ant@mk-v-hire.com All the best for 2007 Howard

Hi Mark How are you? Yes this is not a problem, we can add this for you quite easily. On the new monitors we have added a new video DA which has also helped with the PRO sleds. We can add all this for you is you wish. Please contact us off forum. All the best Howard

Hi Guys Very sad news - Both Kelly and I knew him well. Our thoughts are with the family. Howard & Kelly

Hi Thomas / Jeff No need for any of the re bore etc. Jerry Hill already makes it for the 2" 4 stage post. You want the 2.125" (I believe), this was desgined by Jerry and myself to sit just under the MK-V dock, but still on the metal, so you loose no height. - You use the normal 2" for low mode. Please see Jerry Hills site. Please email me off forum if you need any more info. (howard@mk-v.com) All the best Howard

Hi Guys If you would like to try the MK-V Hummingbird LCD then I think you will find it will answer all your questions as it did for Chris. We have some demo models available and also have these in stock. It is availble in either PRO or CP mount, so if you would to try one please email me - howard@mk-v.com I have been using this monitor for over 3 years now and everyone who has seen it (and bought it) loves it. For more info please see - www.mk-v.com All the best Howard J Smith

Eric This is utter BS and you know it! H

Hi Mark How are you? Yes I have a few of these with and without socket blocks - please email me off forum howard@mk-v.com speak to you soon Al the best Howard J Smith MK-V

Hi Walter Yes this is all possible - please email me off forum - howard@mk-v.com All the best Howard J Smith MK-V

Hi Walter Yes we can upgrade your 3a - please email me off forum howard@mk-v.com many thanks Howard J Smith MK-V

Hi Guys Re ? ?Or don't if you live in the states. The FMG-6 can only be sold and serviced by 16x9 in hollywood due to their EXCLUSIVE marketing agreement? Just to set the record straight ? yet again Band Pro were the agents for the original FMG motors, but this ended about 5 years ago. These NEW motors are made 100% for MK-V and MK-V are the world distributor/agents for them. The NEW motors have new improved gearboxes and motors, which produce almost 50% more power to the original FMG motors, but still keep the motor whisper quiet. We have just under 100 motors kits ready to ship. If anyone would like to try these New motors, Please contact MK-V info@mk-v.com All the best Howard J Smith MK-V

Hi Guys many thanks for the kind words, both Rowan and Kelly are doing fine. He maybe only one week old, but he can already 'walk the line' I have high hopes for him. Take care. Howard :D

Hi Guys It was the XT version and the op is Simon Wood, we (MK-V) have been working with him to get this ready for the golf and if anyone is interested we have this package available for hire/rental. He was soft mounted and had a Klassen vest, PRO arm and Deluxe MK-V Nexus. He got some great stuff and even more attention than any of us thought he would. If anyone has any picture or comes across any good pictures please can they email them to me howard@mk-v.com We have been flying the AR a lot with the HT and getting some amazing shots. It is the future... For more info please email me off forum. All the best Howard

Hi Jon (how are you?) You a totally right re you need to be a good camera op first, before you become a good steadicam Op and the same is true with the AR you need to be a good Steadicam op to use the AR. I am very interested to know all about this please can you email me off forum to Howard@mk-v.com As I have not heard anything from my pioneers re this. And of course as you stated if there was a problem that needs to be sorted, I can't fix it if I don't know about it. :) The AR's are very reliable the only problems we have had were caused from - color coded cables being plugged into the wrong color or input and also leaving it 'booted' on the stand for hours on end. Take care and see you all soon at Cinegear All the best Howard PS - Are there any shots anyone would like to see the AR do?, please email me direct on Howard@mk-v.com

Hi Matt For the record. The Boland's we do are modified for us and have an extra power converter built in. The standard 8.4" is for 12v only - most rigs with the new batteries can pump out 17+v So a standard Boland which is designed for studio work etc. does have a problem with the excess power. This is why we had them change it for us. Therefore the one I have had for 2+ years has been fine and I have had no problems. Hope this helps Cheers Howard

Hi Guys Hi Erwin I do not know where you get your info??? re: "There are rumors of: " Not working units. NOT THAT WE / I KNOW OF? Of bad costumer service. YEH RIGHT, WE PRIDE OUR SELVES ON GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE. Refusal to accept returned Units. WHAT UNITS??? Operator that have low balled other fellow operator by throwing in the AR for free. NOTHING TO WITH US, BUT WE DO STRESS THAT ANYONE WHO DOES THIS IS ONLY HURTING THEMSELVES (AND EVERYONE ELSE) THE AR IS NEW AND THERE IS NO NEED TO DISCOUNT IT. Operator that got fired because they could not hold an even horizon... NOT HEARD THIS ONE EITHER. HERE IS AN EMAIL I GOT FROM JOHN "BUZZ" MOYER (FROM THE SET OF THE NEW EDDIE MURHPY FILM) Howard, I was very impressed by the dailies we saw the other day after an AR shot I did on a feature here in La. It was one of those low mode shots that needed to boom up to eye level of two kids, one of whom was on a bicycle. Because standard low mode didn?t allow the camera to get high enough we used the AR. I chose to run backwards with the camera off to my left as low as possible. Because of the Klaussen vest I was able to lean forward and get just that little extra bit lower. We all were running pretty fast to maintain the proper distance from the actors. Starting on the front wheel we reveal the two kids by booming to there eye height. After about 40 yards of sprinting the kid on the bike falls out of frame and we find the other kid looking down across the lens in a close up. I was very happy with the video playback the director was happy and we moved on. The other camera body was being prepped for the crane so we picked up a low mode shot in seconds for coverage then we picked up a reverse, high mode shot in seconds and where out of the scene in minutes. The impressive part to me was in dailies when the shot came up on the screen. I was expecting at least a little vibration a some point in the shot due to the speed I had to run. Running backwards in a field for 50 yards is a true test of a solid sled set up .the AR was all I had hoped it would be. The frame was rock solid the equipment worked as designed and the shot was performed as the story boards were drawn everyone was happy we have 8 more days scheduled with it I?ll keep you posted. Great seeing you and thanks for the pointers Thanks man John ?Buzz? Moyer ___________ Sure there have been a few teething problems but this is the same with all new technology. The main problem was people were leaving the system booted while docked, and now they know this is incorrect, things are much better. The AR's work very well, you only need to see our demo reel to see this. As with anything if you do not set it up correctly then it will not work. Same as if you have your sled top heavy with the arm & vest set up wrong you are going to get a bad shot. Re the weight - the AR on a Nexus with and LCD (like a panasonic) weights around the same as a Steadicam Ultra with CRT. If anyone would like to know the real facts please contact me - howard@mk-v.com Or see www.mk-v-ar.com All the best Thanks Howard

Sled 1 - NO arm or Vest Steadicam Ultra Cine Sled w/Ultra Bright Monitor: List Price New US $44,950.00 System Includes Below Items (NO VEST OR ARM) Ultra Bright Monitor Composite Telescoping Post 28? to 71? Tilt Head Motorized Stage w/remote Version 2.0 24 Volt system Built in Frame line generator Built in Artificial horizon 4 x 24 volt batteries 1 x 24 volt Single Pag charger 1 x charging cables 2 x long dovetail plates Low Mode F Bracket (new Style) Hard Case for Batteries and Charger Hard Case for Sled and Monitor Spare Fuses Dovetail Accessory Plate 1 x Docking Bracket Cables: 2 x 12 volt ARRI cables 2 x Panavision 24v non xl type 1 x panavision 24v xl type 2 x monitor cables 2 x 24 v moviecam cables 1 x modulus video and power cable 1 x HD Cables for Ultra Bright Monitor 1 x Bnc Video cable Sled only - £18,000 / $32,000 or best offer ___________________ Sled 2 Steadicam Ultra Cine Sled w/24Volt Green Screen Monitor: List Price New US $44,950.00 System Includes Below Items (NO VEST OR ARM) 24 Volt Green Screen Monitor Composite Telescoping Post 28? to 71? Tilt Head Motorized Stage w/remote Version 2.0 24 Volt system Built in Frame line generator Built in Artificial horizon 4 x 24 volt batteries 1 x 24 volt Single Pag charger 1 x charging cables 2 x long dovetail plates Low Mode F Bracket (new Style) Hard Case for Batteries and Charger Hard Case for Sled and Monitor Spare Fuses Dovetail Accessory Plate 1 x Docking Bracket Cables: 2 x 12 volt ARRI cables 2 x Panavision 24v non xl type 1 x panavision 24v xl type 2 x monitor cables 2 x 24 v moviecam cables 1 x modulus video and power cable 1 x Bnc Video cable Sled only - £18,000 / $32,000 or best offer For more information please email me howard@mk-v.com Sleds based in the USA. - but can ship anywhere. All the best Howard

Hi Guys I totally agree with you all, Stairs AHHHHH! But in my younger days, the worst shot I ever did on stairs was a full out run chase scene down a sprial staircase at a tube station in Don Juan with a Moviecam, the worst part (as Neal pointed out) is counting the stairs, as these were 10 stairs then a landing then 10 stairs etc all 170 of them. And I had stunt men falling down the stairs as the actor I was filming was pushing them, he was running 2 stairs at a time, so I had to not only get out of the way of the falling stunt men, but also get them in shot. The film was called "Honest" - it did not do very well, but I did some very fast don juan running that day. (totally f***ed the next day!) I just took my own time and to be fair they did offer not to do it if I was not comfortable, but I just spent about 20 minutes building my speed up, slow then fast, then fast but looking over my shoulder then slowly with the sled and then balls out! I also wore a lot of pading the stunt guys gave me for my fore arms and elbows etc, just in case. And the shot that almost finished me off, on another picture (The Parole Officer), running Don Juan full sprint up a stair case with a Millenimum (Not XL) with Primos etc, 17 times for the actor! It is like drugs - Just say NO!. Have a great holidays All the best Howard

Hi Ron No problem, we are all fine, thank you. You are right Lynn and I do have an agreement. But the AR as it stands today was concieved, made and designed in the UK. So you were half right. Like I said I have the upmost respect for Lynn and I look forward to seeing him and Roxanne soon. What shots would you like to see, let me guess, a Red Hummer going off road, could be good.... Hope to see you soon All the best Howard

Hi Marc How are you? I saw this and thought of you. http://cgi.ebay.com/Steadicam-Battery-Rebu...1QQcmdZViewItem Hope this helps All the best Howard

Hi Guys Thank you all for your kind words ? it has been a long and hard road. It was a great night and also wonderful to have an in depth chat with Ray Harryhaussen, my hero and reason for being in the film business. The BSC award was for ?my continued advancement of the ?Steadicam? system as a whole and also for the ?AR?. As voted for by the board of the BSC (of whom some I have worked with since ?The Saint?) therefore it is a great honor to be acknowledged by my Peers. They also made me an Associate BSC. Thanks Ron (how are you?) for your points, but the award I got is for the MK-V system, and the ?R? part of the ?AR? system. (Re: Lynn please see below) Regarding working; Will did a stunning Job on ?Rent?, though sadly it is not out here yet and I have to wait until I get to CT at Christmas to see it. Jeff Mart has shot a feature and loads of promos with his AR, from the new ?Pepsi? duelling Violins to ?Black eyed peas? promos. Guido Lux has been very busy with his as well. As have Mike O?Shea, Grayson Austin and of course Chris McGuire and the other pioneers. We will shortly be having a page for each of the AR pioneers on the AR website and CV?s (resume), agents, mini Gallery etc and their showreels to download. (so Guys please email me photos and showreels, resumes, etc.) I feel (yet again) I have to set the record straight. ?The Revolution? system was designed without any knowledge what so ever of ?The Alien? system. 2 1/2 years into the project, I heard here on the forum of Lynn?s wonderful achievements. After I recovered from the shock, we started to correspond. I never saw Lynn?s system or even knew how it looked or worked, until I had a working system my self. We then showed each other our systems. I was very surprised when I saw ?The Alien? as it was so Alien, and not at all what I had imagined or done - still very nice though. As my concept was based around different needs and cameras, I had done something very different and I hold 5 patents for this system. Also as I had approached the system from a completely different viewpoint, I also had to completely re-design the platform (Sled) from the ground up so it would work the way I wanted it to. Hats off to Lynn, who I have tremendous respect for (hence the ?Alien? part), but the system you see today and I was awarded for is 100% MK-V. And I look forward to standing side by side with Lynn for the Oscars next year (fingers crossed??). Lynn has the patent for the Alien and I have the patent for the Revolution. (As even though the AR is not the Alien in any way shape or form), if there is anyone on the planet that knows how hard it is to do, it is Lynn and therefore I wish to share this with him. Regarding Erwin ?shaky on the facts? Landau, I have nothing against you in any way. But I do wish you would get your facts straight before posting. The ?AR? is the Revolution 100%. You were never a part of the Revolution development whatsoever and therefore know nothing of what went on, or what is what. The first time you saw it is when we demoed the prototype to selected ops. Because we were working in total privacy on our own thing in the UK (unaware of anyone else attempting anything similar), people were totally unaware of our progress, ideas, etc. etc? (and still are!!) The bottom line is - The Revolution (AR) would still have existed exactly as it is, even if Lynn had not done the Alien. I designed it because I was fed up with changing modes. Unlike in the USA, here in the UK we rig our own sleds 100% (unless we have a full time assistant ? very rare). I was also DP-ing a lot of 2nd unit on features as well as being on the Main unit as an Op. The whole concept was for speed and being able to rig the sled once in the morning and then be ready for what ever they threw at me. Then I got carried away?.. Also we have updated the AR site www.alien-revolution.com and have all the demos in full to download and keep. We are going to be shooting some new AR demos soon, so if there is anything you would like to see in them please let us know. AR@mk-v.com All the best to you all and Happy Christmas. I look forward to seeing you all in 2006, have a great time. Howard J Smith MK-V