William Demeritt

Chris, Great writeup! Got another question for you. I've flown the A2 with the G-40 arm, and was impressed with how easily it packed up into the single box. I take it the G-50 arm that comes with the A2 doesn't "come apart" for easy story, does it?

FASHION VICTOREEEEEY! Clicking the link gives me "ACCESS DENIED". Try this site: http://www.contemporaryinsanity.org/audio-...-of-genius.html These commercials are pure genius. I think my favorite is "Mr 80 SPF Sunblock Wearer" ("There are 24 hours in the day. You're wearing 80 hour protection. So if the sun fails to go down, you'll be ready!")

Roger, When you say the vest is "loose on the shoulders", do you mean there's a gap between the tops of your shoulders and the vest? Ideally, once locked into the vest, it should rest right on your shoulders with no room to get fingers in. If the vest is leaning on you, namely leaning towards the arm when geared up, then it sounds like the vest has excess space when locked into you. The vest should be snug everywhere it makes contact with you, but not to the point of extreme discomfort. If there's excess room at your shoulders, you should be able to lower the "chestplate". While not wearing the vest, loosen the red knob on the "chestplate", and then pull the silver pin to allow the plate to slide down. Push it down a spot or two, and try the vest on, see if that solves the problem. Also, try adjusting the velcro on the pads on the waist and the lats to make them more snug for you.

The Google OS could be interesting, can't wait to see more information about it. I went Mac back in 2004, and haven't really owned a PC ever since. I even built a hackintosh so I could have the performance of a Mac Pro at a price tag nobody can beat! But yea, just another instance of peculiar security controls in Windows that don't protect anything/anyone!

Appears you're not the only person with this problem. Follow the instructions here to disable User Account Control, and it appears that'll take care of the issue without any crazy reinstallation or removal and reinstallation. http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vis...-windows-vista/

Look for the "Options" box in the top right of the thread you're reading (it's on the far right of the bar identifying the thread subject). Click that box, and at the bottom you'll see 3 options for viewing the threads: "Outline" (which it sounds like you're currently set to, so it's italicized), "Switch to: Standard" and "Switch to: Linear+". You're likely looking for "Standard" or "Linear+".

"[steadicam] comes at the expense of operator fatigue, resulting in short takes, long rest breaks, or sloppy work when muscles begin to fatigue." I'm curious to know more about these "short takes". Around 5:10 in the video, they also start recommending the device for use as a muscle cart (help lug back lights and gear!), and apparently up to 3 people can fit on it.

David, I get the feeling that powering the BFD receiver (or any receiver) has to come directly off a power supply and cannot pass through the camera. I'd be interested in reading other people's experiences, but everything I've seen online hints that most receivers are powered off a battery plate with the P-tap. In fact, doing a bit of research here (and on REDuser.net), everyone seems to gently recommend you not bother with the accessory power ports on the RED and just P-tap into the battery cradle. I think some conversations have taken place about the max amperage output of the RED One (something like 1.5 amps). I can't seem to find anyone saying that the accessory port WON'T power a BFD receiver (controversy over the actual amperage draw, etc).

Created a second layer, created a layer mask, painted the area around you black on the mask (to leave you in but remove the lower layer). On the lower layer, selected everything and used Filters -> Blur -> Motion blur. Increased the motion blur level to like 4 I think, and changed the angle to match your tilt. After that, on the lower layer, I went to Filters -> Render -> Lens Flare, changed setting to movie primes, upped the numbers and placed it behind the Moviecam logo. Only thing that took me a while was creating the mask. Anyone else got pictures they want blurrified? p.s.- Mike: I'm a former Florida 2nd generation native. Born in Miami, grew up in Ft. Lauderdale (Plantation), lived in Orlando for 10 years.

Apparently, rather than get some sleep before I'm back on set tomorrow, I thought this would be a better use of my time. Photoshop has some nifty filters and effects you can apply, if you know how to create layer masks. Even added some bling.

My name is Will, and I'm a relapsing computer nerd. I've been without a desktop computer for over a year, and I was antsy. I've had a desktop computer since I was 14 years old, and made the transition to Macs when I was 24. Sold my G5 when moving from NY to LA, and living off a Macbook was OK... but I needed some power. A desktop I could upgrade, overclock, get nerdy with! Looking at the Apple inventory, you have these options for desktops: Mac Mini (starts $599): you CAN upgrade the memory and hard drive, but you need a putty knife and a reckless abandon for the warranty. Video is onboard, no upgrade. iMac (starts $1199): memory upgrades easily, hard drive not to easily. Video can't upgrade, it's onboard. Mac Pro (starts at $2499): typical desktop, side opens to reveal expansion slots, hard drive bays, PCIe video card ports, etc. However... $2499 for the BASE model. So, I took matters into my own hands. Ever since Apple made the switch from IBM PowerPC processors to Intel processors, a community of people started the OSx86 project. Basically, they've created simple ways to install Mac OS X on any number of PC's. They even keep a repository of motherboards that work, don't work, partially work, etc. I did some research, priced out everything I needed (and borrowed some spare parts I had laying around the house), and built my "Hackintosh". Specs are as follows: Motherboard: Asus P5N7A-VM (micro ATX board, onboard NVidia graphics with PCIe ports for later expansion, onboard HDMI, DVI, VGA, LAN, rear eSATA port, bells, whistles galore. Supports quad-core CPU's if/when I want to upgrade. CPU: Intel Dual Core Pentium E6300 Wolfdale 2.8GHz 2MB L2 Cache. RAM: 4GB DDR2 800 Video: currently using onboard graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9300 chip. Already had two monitors, a few spare hard drives and a new one (for cutting demo reel footage). Keyboard is the Apple keyboard, Logitech VX Revolution mouse. I won't say I didn't hit a few bumps in the road. I've fixed most/all the kernel panics. System doesn't sleep properly, or even shut down properly. However, Final Cut Studio runs like a champ, including rendering and exporting. Pulling dailies from R3D files cranks right through. I'd place my system's performance somewhere between the capabilities of an iMac and the scalability of a Mac Pro. My total cost for just the system (spare parts notwithstanding)? $435 I didn't necessarily want to take matters into my own hands, I just didn't want to spend over $600 for a desktop with NO upgrade capabilities, or $1200 for modest upgrade capabilities, and certainly not $2500 for a computer! For another $100, I can expand this machine to 8GB of RAM, or add another terabyte of HD space for $90. I love Apple computers, but I hate not being able to grow with need or demand. 3-4 years ago, I was importing P2 cards into FCP. Now, I'm importing ProRes files shot on RED. So, open up to discussion. Anyone else running a hackintosh, or toying with building one?

It's the natural tendency things around here, they quickly turn into a discussion. However, the discussion isn't necessarily a bad thing. For one, the thread gets more traffic which means you get more exposure. Second, discussion (no matter how heated or cynical) sometimes gets results. See XiaoSu Han's recent post: http://www.steadicamforum.com/index.php?sh...=10148&st=0

I've heard stories here in LA in the low budget world where RED owner/operators rent their camera package (body, aks and primes) with themselves as 1st AC AND DIT for $300/day, $400/day, etc. Why do the RED productions rarely seem to have money? Well, if it wasn't shooting on the RED, I think those productions would be shooting on whatever else was cheap and available. HVX200, Sony EX1/EX3, perhaps even Sony V1U or the Canon XH-A1? The phenomenon is that those cameras are a fraction of the cost of the RED (which itself is a fraction of the cost of a Varicam, Cinealta F900, etc). The market is flooded, indie productions love playing with the new toys, and they manage to get some cheap crew for the opportunity to play with the RED. The company is selling (my opinion) a great product that's coming together nicely. The people buying seem to think their purchase would pay off within an easy 100 days and start generating revenue. 2 years later, history seems to have proven otherwise.

I recall reading an earlier version of this story elsewhere, and you're right. From what I recall, the exec they mention, Amy Pascal, who was "known for taking a strong hand in the development of scripts" championed the script to Sony. From there, it probably became her reputation in the company on the line. Then, a week before production was to begin, a script was submitted by Soderbergh that was different enough from what she was previously involved in that they pulled the plug on the project. I guess it becomes conjecture if this is a sign of economic times? I mean, don't projects get yanked like this frequently when the director decides last minute to change the script? The article says Sony already spent an est. $10 million on script development. Sounds like a financially prudent decision, recession/depression or not.

Happy Birthday, Erwin! or, if you're an Aqua Teen Hunger Force fan: "Happy Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary!"

The Player directed by Robert Altman, starring Tim Robbins? EDIT: beaten by 1 minute!

Here's a few apps I've found really helpful: - Evernote: The new 3.0 software now supports syncing of Notes through the Notes app, but the downside is you have to sync it manually via the cable. Evernote syncs your notes with the Evernote server through a free account, and you can access the notes from the Evernote app on your PC or Mac. Furthermore, you can create image notes, text notes, voice notes and more. Best of all, the app is free both on desktop and iPhone. For a fee, you can increase the size of your sync space on the Evernote server. - Eventful: Go to the website and sign up for an account, and it interfaces with your iTunes library to note your "favorite artists". Then, you can view upcoming concerts on the Eventful app, mark some as interested or if you're going. I discover concerts all the time just by opening the app once a week. - Air Sharing: This $4.99 app allows you to mount your iPhone as a wireless drive over a Wi-Fi network, and upload files directly to the app's storage. Files you can open include most image files, PDF, RTF, numbers, pages, Excel, Word docs, etc. Comes in really handy if you want to take a PDF document somewhere without emailing it to yourself. There's a PRO version just released that allows you to email the files as attachments, zip or unzip files, print, etc. - Now Playing: Find movie times based off your GPS location, ties in to review percentage via Rotten Tomatoes, and even lets you control your Netflix queue, all for free! - Pandora Radio: Based on the Pandora project, this app functions just like the desktop version. Tell it a song, an artist, or an album that you like, and it cross references other music similar to your input to create a custom radio station. The app then streams the music you might like, and you can rate it higher or move on to another song. I've discovered a lot of new music this way. - Wooo! Button: All it does is shout "Wooo!" at you when you press the screen. Amazing what we can do with technology, yes?

Not sure if it's any dirtier than releasing a 3G capable GPS enabled cellular phone a year after the first phone is released? Apple's never made any secret of the fact that they often release new products that completely depose their previous product that you may have bought 1 month prior to it's launch. Voice activation throughout is a nice feature, but compared to the 3G, seems like a huge luxury item. Video recording... well, like you said, those of us who've jailbroken have enjoyed Cycorder for months now. We'll see if pressure does anything for enabling the video camera and video editing app on the iPhone 3G in future 3.0 updates. However, in my opinion, the 3G-S update is a lot of sizzle, very little steak. A tweak here, a bump there, but I personally don't consider any of the 3G-S exclusive upgrades to be dealbreakers.

Very cool, love that motion blur feel. I wanted to contribute a similar shot, just one of many running shots I did this day... you'll barely be able to make out my subject up the hill, almost on right edge of frame, just above the equator.

So beautiful, no words... should have sent a poet!

Well, as of the latest round of rumors, AT&T's exclusivity contract with Apple expires in 2010. Furthermore, many people are already complaining about the hefty upgrade prices for AT&T customers on existing contracts. If I had to guess, I would say that come next summer, we'll see just who will make the iPhone available on their network. People starting out with AT&T to get the 3G-S will be bound to AT&T for 2 years, and as an iPhone 3G owner, I gotta say that the 3G-S doesn't make a very strong argument to upgrade prematurely. HSDPA 7.2Mbps data speed = AT&T won't have this available most places until late 2009 anyway. Voice command = there's an app for voice dialing already. Otherwise, it's a luxury I can afford to ignore. Digital compass = if I was in a serious need for a compass, I'd probably own several analog compasses. 3MP camera = small, compact and cheap digital cameras are in abundance starting at 3-4 times that image size. Video camera = is this a real deal breaker for your cell phone? For some people, I think yes. So, they haven't created a very compelling reason to buy the 3G-S aside from the "whiz-BANG oh wow Apple has a new phone!" factor. Since it's a GSM phone, they could easily port it to T-Mobile, Alltel or what have you. Apple will need to create a CDMA version of the iPhone for it to be eligible on Sprint or Verizon (and those networks will also have to ease up their policies on approved software running on phones active on their cellular network).

Today kicked off Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference, and the keynote address was held at 10AM PST this morning. A common place for unveiling new products or trends in Apple's lineup, today mostly confirmed rumors of upcoming products with no real surprises. The big thrillers were: iPhone 3G-S Features not included with the upcoming 3.0 firmware and exclusive to the iPhone 3G-S include: HSDPA (data at 7.2Mbps, twice the speed of current 3G service), video camera, focus-capable built-in 3MP camera, video editing capability, voice command throughout the phone ("play songs by The Beatles" or "call Mom")... and the potentially useful digital compass (I'll hold out for the digital astrolabe). Apple indicates the 3G-S will show base performance increases twice that of the 3G, notably in app launching, message launching and Safari browsing. Also, battery life is said to be improved. Also, Apple will maintain the iPhone 3G 8GB model for $99 (new contracts price). The 16GB 3G-S is available in black and white at $199, and an all new 32GB 3G-S is available in black and white for $299. Important to note: the HSDPA feature is included in the iPhone 3G-S, but it's rumored AT&T will not support wide HSDPA rollout in North America until end of 2009. 13" Aluminum Macbook is now the 13" Macbook Pro Price starts at $1199, base starts with 2.26Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, 160GB HD and 2GB RAM. Comes with integrated NVidia GeForce 9400M graphics chip (separating itself from the other Macbook Pros, as they come with the GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT chips). Most noticeably, the 13" Aluminum Macbook will now feature the non-removable battery featured in the 17" MBP, bringing the battery life to 7 hours (under optimal conditions). This drops the price from $1249 to $1199 on a 13" Mac Laptop, and now features a built-in SD card reader (as will the 15" Macbook Pro, but not the 17"). Also note: other Mac notebooks have dropped in price. The base of the 15" Macbook Pro is now $1699, and the Macbook Air now starts at $1499. Something tells me the Macbook Pro 13" will sell quite well this summer. Great price, great computer gets better, etc. iPhone/iPod Touch 3.0 available June 17th We have an official street date of the 3.0 firmware. The wide variety of upgrades are available in the link above. Important to note: AT&T has announced that while the 3.0 firmware will debut June 17th, MMS functionality will not arrive until "late summer". When the firmware goes live for the rest of the world, everyone else will get it. Also, all other carriers are publicly supporting the tethering capability, but AT&T seems somewhat silent about it for now. Interesting new feature I don't think anyone previously mentioned is the "MobileMe Find My iPhone and Remote Wipe". If you lose your phone, you can log into your MobileMe account and see on a Google Map the current location of your iPhone 3G/3G-S. If your iPhone 3G/3G-S is stolen, you can give a command via MobileMe to remotely wipe the device (you can restore it from a backup previously made during a sync if you recover it). Theft and loss of iPhones seem to have finally caught the attention of Apple, and this sounds like a great, secure new feature. Snow Leopard debuts in September, 2009 Snow Leopard has a release month, but not a release date. Internal tweakings will help boost the speed of the OS, but also decrease the overall footprint of OS X by over 6GB. Important note: Snow Leopard is ONLY available to Intel-based Macs. Sounds like Apple is finally forcing anyone keen on continuing with Apple into an Intel-based Mac so they can kill off Rosetta and Universal Binary support. $29 for existing Leopard users to upgrade. Safari 4 officially released Now available today, the final release of Safari 4 for Mac and Windows. So, fellow gearheads and tech geeks... what thrills you? Any new temptation crop up in this keynote address?

I will defer to the wisdom of the elders regarding handling the producers and the decision to shoot. As someone who's injured his back a few times over the years (years of being a gym rat takes it's toll on occasion), I recommend getting generic ibuprofen from Walgreens, CVS or your preferred pharmacy. Whenever my back acts up, I will take 3 as soon as I wake up and 2 more every 6 hours throughout my day. Also, avoid sneezing at all costs. If you must sneeze, stabilize your back against a wall. My sister had a bulge in her spine repaired years ago, and her doctor told her that sneezing is the most traumatic thing you do to your back on a regular basis.

I just went through a job where I quickly learned the RED One, in most real world scenarios, is too much camera for Flyer LE. The CF cards aren't a luxury item, they're a necessity for flying the RED on the Flyer. If you're not flying a wireless follow focus, and you've got the CF cards, then you'll probably be in business. Strip the RED One down to just the body (no rails, nothing), add the lens and maybe request a clip-on mattebox. You're flying bare bones, but you'll fly. However, that's with a prime and nothing else. Your equipment list seems to include a zoom lens, a standard mattebox, and you mention you'll need a downconverter. "These are my first shots at getting some Film credit on my resume, so obviously I want to be the most prepared guy on the set. I like when nothing can possibly be blamed on me" If you want to be the most prepared and blameless, I would think maybe arranging for a heavier rig would be the very best preparation? I made the mistake of thinking a production would arrive with everything I requested to be able to fly with a Flyer LE (lightweight matte box, CF cards, etc), and I had to scramble to borrow a heavier rig to complete the job (many thanks to those that helped!). I know Alec wrote a great thread a few weeks ago about his experience flying the RED, and how flying just the RED turned into flying the RED, some unexpected accessories and some LED Litepanels. I didn't heed that kind of warning, but I lucked out and completed my job. I'm pretty new to this game, so please take with a grain of salt. However, having learned this firsthand, I gotta say: you can crunch the numbers and the theoretical weights, but if you're anywhere close to the maximum weight on paper, chances are you're going over in the real world. **On another note: they're only getting 2 RED Bricks to power the RED? Do they realize what a power hog that camera is? You'll probably be out of power and running off an AC tether after 3 hours powered up.

I'm in the gym usually 3-4 days a week, and have routines for each day (legs day, back/biceps day, chest/triceps day, shoulders day, etc). On my days off, I will jog for 30-60 minutes, depending on how I feel. I'm inclined to think that my gym activity has given me a great condition for operating, both for stamina but also for strength. I love doing my leg and back exercises, and while I have no proof, I think that some exercises are very Steadicam friendly. Specifically: squats (standard, front, Romanian), good mornings, deadlifts, etc. I would think that kettle bell exercises would be fantastic for Steadicam conditioning, considering the compound nature of the exercise utilizing shoulders, back and legs all in one motion. Like others have said, the overall exercise and aerobic exercise definitely helps. Anything to get your stamina up.