Lawrence Karman

Thanks Mitch.

Dan, just what the hell is he talking about? Was the game broadcast in 3D? Was he doing an IMAX HD film/video? Did I miss Janet Jackson's boob in 3D? And while I am on that subject; A "wardrobe malfunction"????? What is this, rocket science? "NASA engineers are working on the hardware problem and should have the breast covered in 2 to 3 weeks". Maybe GPI could come up with a better bra.

Thanks for the insight Larry. I always get something useful out of your posts. Like the tip about the quick learning exercise you do before takes.

Lawrence

I just shot off of one of those flat bed golf carts. The grips rigged a mitchell plate off of speed rail that went across the bed and was held down with ratchet straps. You could do the same with a sheet of plywood or a plank with a high hat bolted to it that is ratchet strapped to the cart body or chassis. I don't recommend sitting in the cart wearing the rig as the g forces could easilly throw you off. It is just too simple to rig a hard mount.

Larry, your story regarding the cherry picker begs me to tell of what happened on a shoot I was on a week ago. Between takes on a night shoot as I docked the rig I heard a terrible noise. As I looked up I witnessed a 60' Condor with 2 18k lights and an electrician fall over, hit another unmanned 45' Condor and knock that over as well. Lights, 4X frames,grip rigging and tree limbs went sailing through the air and crashed to earth making a series of terrible sounds I never wish to hear again. The electrician survived with a broken leg, ankle, and orbital bone. Lucky to be alive and miraculously no one else was hurt. Most unbeleivable thing I have ever seen on a set (with the possible exception of Dolly Parton's breasts). Still no explanation as to what caused it. No wind and on level ground.

OK here'e the word from my brother in law.He's a doctor and longtime backpacker. The numbness is caused by pressure on the median femoral cutaneous nerve of the thigh where it exits adjacent to tensor fascia lata. He has personally experienced this from long back packing hikes. As with my experience it only happens to him with heavier loads. It can be mitigated by spreading out the load at the pressure point with more or different padding. I am curently experimenting with some different combinations of padding and it seems to have gotten slightly better.

Just remove the screw and it will work just fine. I got a 435 from a Hollywood rental house recently and the 100% video top didn't even come with the screw.

While this last post is way off the Steadicam Forum subject matter, (it's not even motion picture film they are talking about) the article quoted is eroneous according to an article in the LA Times business section; Kodak will still make the APS film. Just not the cameras.

I saw that film back in 1977 and I have been wondering just what it was called for years now. Thanks for reminding me!

Erwin, hope that didn't come across as me being a smart alec. I was just trying to suggest a more cost effective alternative.

It is a spanner type wrench. 2 little pins about 1 cm apart that stick out of a flat piece of alluminum. You could probably get it off with a circlip plier.

Spot The Operator In The Movie Trivia Time !!!

 

1. The Stunt Man. Who was operating the Steadicam-35? He appears very briefly in two different shots. Heh heh.

Ok Peter, I think I have half the answer. Ron Vidor operated the Stunt Man. At least so he claims.

And I am gonna guess Ted Churchil for the other movie.

Anybody read that add about the weighted vest at the bottom of this page. Seems like a good way to keep in Steadicam shape during down time. And for us Americans it might stop a bullet or some shrapnel. Code orange! Strap on the vest.

Erwin, for only $100 I would be happy to sell you a pair of plastic thumbwheel screws you can use to attach your MDR to the PRO brcket for a tool-less "quick Release" to replace the allen socket cap screws. I will even throw in a spare in case you drop one in the 10 seconds it takes to unscrew them.

OR I'm sure you can find these at a hardware store for about $2.

I've got #68 and I just love it. I can carry more weight than before with my PROvest. Lock-offs are better. Generally less fatigue. The best thing about it is being able to push the arm away from you without the exponential increase in demand on your lower back muscles and being able to hold that position for long periods. That was something i could only hold for a ashort while on the front mounted vest. It nice to be able to tighten the shot at will after you have settled into a stoped position.But I do have that tingly feeling. More of a numbness on the outside of my left leg which I find comes more with a heavy camera package. I have discussed this at length with Walter who was kind enough to make some adjustments to my vest. This has not helped. Last week I brought the vest over to my chirpractor who feels that it is not pressing onto a nerve as it is riding fairly high. He seemed positive that when I lock my leg in a lock-off position there are muscles that work to stabilize the leg left and right and they are being over worked in this position. The muscles' reaction is to shut down feeling in this area. This kind of makes sense in that I am more likely to feel it only with a heavy package. Who knows. I am also trying to stand wuth the weight distributed between both legs more and this seems to help as well.

I will say that I did put on my old vest once to compare the 2 after using the DSD for several months and my back muscles had atrophied somewhat and I felt alot of soreness in that area. I don't think it too practical to jump back and forth between the 2.