William Demeritt

I'm eager to hear some advice from the seasoned operators, as it seems on every shoot I operate, I run into this problem. You start a job, and you haven't worked with the DP before. Or, perhaps you have, but the situation still comes up. You're giving input, they're taking it and giving feedback. You're really collaborating, getting excited about the shots, adrenaline starts to spike. Eventually, though, you reach a new shot, and the DP talks you through it... and you're just not into it. You understand the story, the moment, the camera logic and intuition, but something about the shot the DP is telling you... just... doesn't feel right? Perhaps you know exactly the change you think you should offer, but it's dismissed in favor of the shot you don't particularly connect with. What you're being asked isnt' necessarily "bad", but you just don't connect with the shot, and perhaps you just can't offer an idea as an alternative. I can think of a few situations in the past where that exact problem arose, and I still operated the shot and they got what they wanted. You don't want to be the guy who just refuses to operate if he doesn't understand the shot, or why, or do you? Perhaps this question goes together with the typical diplomacy you learn on set, or feeds the personality by which you're known. I'm sure some people are known as the "I'll get your shot no matter what" types, and others "won't budge unless they completely agree with the shot" type. What's worked for you? Did you regret just giving in and performing the requested shot? Were you surprised, or happy you did?

Don't trust the paper numbers, I'd really encourage you to spend a full day in the rental house playing around. Power the camera off 1 RED Brick and see if it really hits "almost 2 hours", or barely stretches past 1 hour. I've worked with the RED enough to feel hesitant at the claim the RED One can run in idle mode for almost 2 hours, let alone recording for 2 solid hours. Are you thinking of powering the camera and monitor off the sled (2 RED Bricks), and maybe using a RED Brick mount on the body to power the Preston (via D-tap)? What type of dual mount are you planning to use? Considering the RED camera body with all the gak, numerous batteries, Preston + 3 motors AND the Optimo 17-80 lens (Angenieux website claims 11lbs), I think you're officially past the weight range of mid-level rigs like the Archer2, and you will probably wind up with a top level rig like an Ultra2 or a Pro with 70lbs arm.

I'm sure you're going to start performing all sorts of tests, but I would think your first technical hurdle to overcome is power. I believe RED claims the RED One draws 75wH, but I think most say it's closer to 90wH. A RED Brick sports 140wH, allegedly allowing the RED to run for almost 2 hours in idle or recording. Whether that's accurate or not, you're going to have to figure out a way to power the camera AND your sled with monitor, plus the Preston. That's a whole lot of juice. Might want to head to the rental house with a stopwatch, build up the obvious configurations with the sleds available and let the camera record 110 minutes of footage. The whole time, you'll need to be periodically cranking the FIZ motors. Do you know which sled you're likely to use? What's available to you?

How long until we get a newborn subforum? :P Congratulations Aaron! He's beautiful! EDIT: Whoops.

Congratulations Mike! Great way to wrap up 2009! Cheers, brother!

The Google Reader mobile site for iPhone is a very capable RSS reader, and it's free. Other than that, there are many RSS reader apps, but with RSS newsfeed, you just get the topic, not replies. Ultimately, the reader will just be a heads up that there are new topics, and a handy link to the new thread.

Someone already wrote an app to allow users that log into phpBB forums to directly interface the database in a "mobile" format instead of viewing the webview frontend. Check me out Granted, that app was written with phpBB in mind, so it works only on phpBB forums, whereas SteadicamForum runs on IP.Board. To make something really useful, you'd probably have to write an app that functions similarly to something like TouchBB Forum Browser. Simply, you'll need to learn coding for the IP.Board forums, then learn to code for the iPhone, and then mix the two. No easy task. I'd just contact the makers of IP.Board (Invision Power Services, Inc) and see if they're considering creating an app for their board software. Maybe express an interest in collaborating with them?

Tilt the screen up, and you can even shoot some footage of your hand on the gimbal with the built in iSight!

Thank you all for the feedback so far. Matteo: I definitely need to figure out some practice moves to help minimize my walking. The slow moves remind me of when I would have an issue with "seeing my footsteps" in normally paced walks. Next time, I would very likely recommend the rickshaw for the last half of the video, since there was a small staircase splitting the move in half. If you have any practice suggestions, I'd appreciate it! Charles: Yea, I don't think I've given proper attention to the good ol' line dance on a long lens in the last few months. Definitely going to give that some attention in my practice sessions. Regarding the color correction, I'm not sure if the online version of the video will differ from the broadcast version. The sunlight was a huge player in the video, I would have liked to see the warmth of the setting sun way more. Brad: I agree with you, I wanted to give a more balanced and appropriate framing. However, we also wanted to keep the sun and sunlight in the frame to flare out at the right time. I just wish the online video really showcased the light hitting the lens a bit moreso so the framing didn't feel so bottom-heavy.

A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to do Steadicam on a music video with a crew I've worked with in the past. When I arrived, my earliest premonitions were confirmed: the whole music video was a oner. The resulting video finally debuted last week, and you can view it here: Eels, "Little Bird" Now, the whole video is indeed a oner, and the song lasts somewhere around 2:40. However, the move took place over approximately 40-50 feet. I'm getting a good sampling of operating practice either working normally or running in a variety of locales (suburbia, Mojave desert, downtown LA), but I don't think I've properly practiced the "extremely slow" move. So, I performed the whole move in 1:20 to the song set at double speed. The DP and director were eager to have the sun in the right spot (breaking through the tree branches towards the end of the video, right up to setting on the horizon). We shot on the RED, and I used an Archer2 with Bartech, low mode. Any critique is appreciated. Many thanks!

This just in, reliable sources are reporting that film is, in fact, completely dead. In other news, due to high demand, the price of pack mules has tripled overnight.

A huge Happy Birthday to you, Amando!! Hope your day was filled with beauty and fun!

Perhaps a new business card photograph?

I'm sure the instructors will show you this at your workshop, but at the beginning of mine, Jerry put on the rig, got right into the "sweet spot" and said "This is Steadicam". Walking around with the rig extended away from your body, or square in front of you or in other orientations will tax your back quickly and exhaust you. Wearing the post right in the "sweet spot" is important. Even when you're pretty tired, checking to make sure the rig is right at that spot makes a world of difference.

While the easy solution to that is to turn off the cellular network but keep the wifi on, something still tells me you'd get strange looks on set. The good news is that you've got countless transmitter backups on set, what with the DP's iPhone, and both AC's iPhones, and a couple of the grips' iPhones, and those PA's playing Scrabble on their iPhones, etc.

By the definition, a large group of operators getting together to agree to a minimum price would create an actionable position, since it would be "...an agreement among firms to divide the market, set prices, or limit production." The only saving grace is that it isn't as egregious as an enclosed industry with very limited competition, i.e.- the airline industry. If all the top carriers got together and said "flights from JFK to LAX will always be minimum $350 round trip", they are guilty of anti-business practices, limiting competition and creating an oligopoly. As more operators perhaps embrace the minimum rate, the group's collective decision to limit that price would become more and more auspicious, gaining the attention of anyone seeking to enforce it. As more producers hear about it, you can bet people would report operators supporting that "minimum rate". Producers are determining how to spend their budget, and it's considered pro-business for them to maximize the use of that budget. Imagine if producers were not permitted to go find deals on production equipment, or couldn't create a relationship with a post house that maybe cuts them a deal down the road? Price fixing is, unfortunately, anti-competitive and anti-business. I don't know if there's an easy solution. I think that perhaps a total re-evaluation of the situation is wise, as the other operators have mentioned the newer, cheaper technology, the lighter rigs, the increase in our workforce. I know lots of people who paid to law school, studied and became lawyers. I also know many who dropped out without a JD. Perhaps the key here is to similarly certify Steadicam operators much like how law school or med school works? Sure, I can pay for my workshop, maybe buy a rig, but how about if I qualify my skills with veteran operators? What if the Steadicam Guild had a certification system, multi-tiered, where you prove your skills as an operator, and advance. With those certifications comes a designation as a quality Steadicam operator, and THAT is something you market to producers or clients. Then those clients don't just see another operator owning a rig, calling themselves a Steadicam op. Then they see where the premium price goes: experience, endorsement, intuition and involvement. Create a "brand". Steadicam Guild Senior. Steadicam Guild Master. Create a system that relies on more than credits on IMDB. As people get certified, perhaps then those people are encouraged as to what their "normal rate" should be. Make them aware of the historical price, the current price, and teach them to use their reasoning to determine if they can "do a favor". As I think Robert would agree, if you teach people a sense of business through that system ("if you cut someone a deal your first time working with them, chances are you'll be fighting a long time to get above that rate for any future gigs"), you get a smarter Steadicam operator/rental business owner. That benefits us all. Ramble ramble ramble... William "yak yak yak... get a job!" Demeritt

Happy Birthday, Alec! Thanks for all the advice and time you've taken to help me out! Hope your day treats you well!!

Is the Hold Harmless agreement from the City Bomb Squad or city you're working in? Or is it from the production asking you to hold harmless the production company? If it's the city bomb squad, I'd make sure that you and your gear is protected by the production insurance (I would assume so, if the city bomb squad is setting off the det then you're obviously permitted for it, and the permit wouldn't come without insurance). If it's the production that wants you to sign away your protection in the event the detonation goes wrong, I'd be concerned and seek further explanation for why.

Definitely feel ya, Janice. I think we've all been in the bind where it's an "easy shoot", "nothing too crazy", "small crew, real simple". I'm in my 2nd year of operating, and it seems most of my shoots are what you describe. I guess it comes down to finding the line between giving your best work and realizing you're being abused, and that comes with an understanding DP. Everyone else just thinks the rig weighs a few feathers. Some people will realize how hard you're working, and others will wonder why you need to rest so often. A few takes becomes a dozen takes, and all you need is a "few minutes rest" before trying again. If they pull it all off in a single day, then their decision to go ahead without sufficient budget was "justified", although that Steadicam op probably won't take a job with them for anything less than a full rate (and the gamble is that they'll someday actually get a budget to pay you... but they remember how cheap you were, and they'll probably skimp you next time around even with a bigger budget). If they don't pull off the day, it was a comedy of errors and you were probably the largest personnel expenditure on set, making you expendable if there's a reshoot. They don't know the difference between you busting your butt, giving a good day, or dragging your feet. If you try to avoid the abuse, you're a prima donna. If you can only do "so much", you're not the miracle worker they were expecting. In my experience thus far, most of these guys don't know how to spend the money right the first time, meaning the best middle between qualified crew and least amount of "waste". Or, the producers have an arrangement where whatever's left of the budget is their fee, so they're a motivated cheapskate.

Well not now that you've gone and blabbed about it on the internet! Sheesh. Amateurs..... Jim "and I really wanted that pickle" Bartell Time for some undercutting... Jess, I'll kill anyone you like and for only a small cup full of pickle slices. Or some jalapeno poppers.

So, does this mean we can expect a 1400nit Tiffen UltraBritePickle soon? Half the power consumption is good, and when the shoot is over, just eat the monitor.

I don't work for Indie Rentals, but a few friends do work as service and repair techs. They gave me the heads up that they're selling off some used gear, and thought I'd just share the info. http://www.indierentals.com/?page=story&id=1350064 A quick list of the items on their site: PRICE ITEM 850 Red Handheld Kit - handlebar, 2 grips, univ mount, shoulder dovetail baseplate 6500 P+S Technik mini35�s with whatever camera connecting kit is desired 5500 Canon XL-H1 (plus custom case, 3 batts, charger) 1200 Double-Sided Cinetech Follow Focus w/ 15mm mini-rod connection 800 Single-Sided Cinetech Follow Focus w/ 15mm mini-rod connection 950 Cinetech 4x4 Swing Away Matte Box 750 Firestore FS-100 (for HVX/Panasonic) 750 Firestore� FS-C (for Canon) 500 Sony 4:3 8� CRT 950 Fostex FR-2 Digital Recorder 250 Varizoom 5� lcd w/ Battery 11000 Canon 150-600mm Zoom 350 Century Optics Super Fisheye adapter for Panasonic DVX 350 Century Optics Ultra Fisheye adapter for Panasonic DVX 350 Century Optics 1.6x Teleconverter for Panasonic DVX 350 Century Optics .7x Wide Angle converter for Panasonic DVX 950 Century Optics 2x Teleconverter for Panasonic HVX 450 Century Optics .6x Wide Angle Adapter for Panasonic HVX 650 Century Optics .75x Wide Angle Adapter for Panasonic HVX 1250 Panasonic DVX-100A with Case, 3 Batts, Chgr 850 Redrock Micro Cinema Lens Adapter w/ PL Mount 850 Redrock Micro Cinema Lens Adapter w/ Nikon Mount 2000 Sirio 4k HMI Fresnel Kit with Ballast 1500 2.5k HMI Fresnel Kit with Ballast 3500 Cinemills 12k HMI Fresnel Silver Bullet w/ Ballast 2900 JVC GY-HD100U Camera w/ Lens, Mic, Chgr, Batts, Custom Case 3250 JVC GY-HD110 Camera Bundle w/ Lens, Mic, Chgr, Batts, Custom Case 5500 PD-1 Dolly 45000 Arri/Zeiss Variable Prime VP-1, VP-2, VP-3 70000 Ultra Prime Set - 16, 24, 32, 50, 85, 135 1950 Canon XL-2 w/ 20x -or- 3x Lens w/ Chgr, 3 Batts, Lens, Mic, Custom Case 350 Panasonic 8gb P2 Card 120 Panasonic 4gb P2 Card 350 Optex 72mm Anamorphic Adapter 250 Cobra Crane II+ 5000 Microdolly Jib w/ Extension, Tripod, Accessory Kit 2500 Microdolly PowerHead Remote Pan/Tilt (non-electronic) 2000 Hollywood Lite (Now Varizoom) Steady System (2-12lb cameras) 500 Tascam DA-P1 DAT Recorder (1 unit w/ Accessory Kit) 350 Ewa-Marine Splash Bag for JVC-HD100/110/200/250 Cameras 4500 Steadicam SK-2 System 750 Desisti 5k Tungsten Head 250 Portabrace Rain Slick for JVC Cameras 2500 Optex PL Mount Periscope/Boriscope System w/ Lenses

You should take a look at this app, I use it very frequently and I think Apple should just include it with the iPhone: Happy Hour Finder http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore...327691&mt=8

Hey Erwin, wanna throw some low budg... DRAT! Really digging all the information in this post, thank you all for sharing the tips. Over a year since I relocated to LA, building DP's and clients doing G&E work. I finally cut a Steadicam demo reel, loaded it onto the iPhone and waited. Now, I've got a free moment on set, I show off my reel to the DP's that know me from my G&E work. They see my reel, and say: "Oh wow, I didn't know!" So, my lesson learned: you've got a client list, a list of DP's, people who can hire you... they're the first and best group to approach with your service. Don't be shy!!! I'm going to go book next week with dentist appointments, doctors visits, UPS deliveries and ask a few ladies to dinner. Bring on the work!

I prefer to never make vest adjustments while under load. If I strap in and then put on the rig to find that my waist needs adjusting or something similar, I'll typically dock, adjust and mount up again. To me, adjusting the vest while under load seems like it would take as much time as docking, fixing and mounting up again. Just my preference, really.