matthew pearce

I am just finishing a genesis job on my Choc Batts. I was able to swap out two batts pretty frequently and be OK but I would like to build a set up like the on Ron mentioned. Ron , do you have any pic's. Do you have one cable that works for genesis/F series camera's or can you change the cable? Any handleing/ cable placement advice? I'd like to have this in my kit and kep flying the old school batt's - also the c+ batts seem interesting. Any one else got more info on those. cheers

thx guys- its great when you can dig up an old post and answer a question you know many have had before you.

Hi need a rickshaw for an AFI thesis project I'm helping out on. Left a message for David Grove, any other idea's? cheers

Count me in. I own a rig and I'm in the Altadena/Pasadena area. check your PM cheers

Brand Park in Glendale/Burbank seems to be a good location to do this every week . Its got lots of varied terrain to offer - flats, hills, stairs, steps, benches , good freeway access , easy parking and lots of shade. All welcome to join, right now its a very informal self instructional group where we work on our own drills and act as moving target/actors for each other when resting. Saturday Morning 9 AM Practice session. BRAND PARK 1601 West Mountain Street Glendale, CA 91201 PM with your E-Mail if you are available and plan to join, matthew

If you end up looking for a used IIIA vest PM me, I have one I would be willing to sell. Best of luck Matthew

thanks all for the help and leeds. I no longer need to buy any batt's... in fact I have extra's to sell if anyone is looking.

while there is no substitute for a work shop there is also a DVD that tiffen sells that covers alot of the same ground. I believe its a remastered EFP workshop instruction tape that Jerry and Ted Churhhill put together. As a fellow newby trying to get in steadicam shape, I found cross training helps but two to three sessions with the rig per week was neccesary to get stronger with out getting injured (rather than one long session a week). I set mine up at work and would fly it over the lunch hour. For the first 6 weeks I didnt even turn the camera on, I just focused on form and horizen level. This may be an admittedly slow approach but I've heard more than a few stories about people jumping in super keen early on , developing a bad habit or injury and hurting them selves later on. good luck

Had a great practice session at a tree covered cool and shady park in Glendale last weekend. Hope to do it again this saturday but I would have to start early. PM if interested cheers

NON WORKING pro 1 batts? DEAD cells? Busted voltage meters? NO Problem, I'd love to buy three batteries so if anyone has some old ones sitting around let me know cheers matthew

I was recently asked about the possibility of mounting an underwater housing on a steadicam for a low mode shot that walks a swimmer through a building into a pool and then the camera "quick releases" off the rig into the hands of the underwater operator who finishes the shot. Obviously there are many reasons that I didnt think this shot could be done safely, technicaly and smoothly enough to do as a one'er but I figure I would check in to see if any one had any idea's on how to do this shot that I didnt come up with? Issues discussed... Weight- lots of lead in an already heavy housing. Have to operate of a moniter attached to housing. Large bulky housing compromising operating in low mode. Low mode would have to be so low to get to the water. Can you mount a quick release plate to the housing and or the rig? If it is possible to mount QR plate could you safely release the camera while bottom floor low mode? If you could safely release Camera would it be a smooth release or would it a tilt foreward then pick up release like lifting a camera off a dolly? Trying to do all this next to or in water is a safety hazard for the operator and equipment. Video assist? Limited / no ability to pull focus.? In short I told them to do it in cuts but they are currently sold on the one'er concept. Yes its a student film so re-inventing the wheel has appeal. Just wanted to see if there was an obvious solution that I may have missed- i recommended hand held or doggy cam type hand held angle. sorry if this should be in newbies. cheers

Snap zooms on the shield were done by hand, by the operators.

jerry hill sells this Arm Post Clamp Arm post clamp for 5/8" post with thrust bearing for Pro, 3-A, EFP,Glidecam. Anodized Blue. Part# APC ..................$25.00 what does the thrust bearing do? anybody have a picture of one? Will the thrust bearing allow me to insert a post into my 3a arm and have the post slightly loose allowing it to spin freely

thx Ron... Spoke to pro and will get some done this week. Please explain "maybe should have gone more exotic, with more power?"... I'm having a hard time finding some old used batt's and figured if I cant buy more I could at least recell some of them with the more powerfull internals but I'm having a hard time finding out who is doing those recells. Sorry if this is old news but I've scoured the net for hours only to find that the exotic/recell comment that I remembered was in my own thread...dohh

I need 3 PRO 1 chocolate bar batt's.... Called PRO, no luck - any idea's. I've heard that regular choc's can be re-celled to be more powerfull than conventional re-cell but with a weight penalty. Any feed back from anyone that has done this and how are they working out? thanks

SO as a newby I have my sled, 4' post, arm, vest, single channel FF, transmitter and reciever and two plates. I've seen many operator over the years go into their kit and pull out specialized pieces to allow them to accomplish a shot or a build. I'm looking to build up my own kit and was wondering if anybody wanted to share some of there "pieces or tools" that they wouldnt arrive on set with out. I figure first of I need a 6, 8, 12 inch post, a D / J bracket, Camera screws, the posts that screw onto the plate for the FF motors.? I'm primarily looking for idea's on the things I will need to be able to build the camera onto the sled. Hoping to shorten the learning curve. cheers

thanks for clarrifying... sent you a PM

mmm... I should have looked in widgets not in follow focus. So are you saying I can buy the wedge piece and a bracket that will attatch to my Bartec reciever that will slide into this piece on my sled????

The used pro 1 sled that I purhased came with a follow focus reciever bracket that I'm unfamiliar with. It looks like a piece attatches to the reciever allowing you to slide it off and on with some thumb screws to lock it down. Anyone know where I would purchase said piece and would it work with a Bartech. I'm off to Pro on monday but had time for some research this weekend. cheers

agree'd.... signed it.

my thoughts exactly. I figure at this early stage its like going to the gym. - Easier to motivate when you have someone else commited and more realistic as well. I am flying a practice cage with a mini dv camera so I figure I will shoot some footage and cut that up into a basic "Practice reel" It seems like even the student films that dont have any money still want to see something and this will give them an "actor" to look at.

I'm getting tired of just practicing on my own while I wait for some student films to come together. Any newbies want to meet up and practice and critique as we go? I have my own rig and free time right now while I am in between shows and helping take care of the new baby. I live in Pasadena / Altadena area so eastside or valley folks would be most convienent. PM me if you have some free time. matthew

thanks all...excellent advice,

as a new owner operator with out a reel what is the politically correct way to do freebies/ student films with out stepping on other operators shoes. I read a rant on craigs list where someone was put out by a $250 day rate for a 4 day gig flying a f900. I'm guessing that student films that truly have less on a budget and significantly less chance of ever making money deserve more of a break than a made for potential profit super low budget. What would a minimum rate be for one of those that would not be under cutting those that have gone before me. thanks for any advice

thx I was going to head down there in a couple of weeks, good to know I can add batteries to the list of things to ask about.