Jason Torbitt

Might be worth asking Steadyrig, they're having another big clear-out at the moment and tend to have a lot of 1.5" bits...

Done a search on this but found nothing. Did a recent shoot on which Production supplied a C-Motion kit with the camera and accs. Although we didn't have time for excessive testing due to other issues, (more on that later...) initial findings were that it was being blown out of the water by my Teletest 2.4Ghz TX with high gain omni-directional antenna. Just a warning to guys that 2.4Ghz seems to be a potential issue for this kit...

For those interested in the Wevi, he's looking for offers around £2,500 + VAT For the Glidecam V25, details are below... Full Glidecam V-25 kit: Used on and off lightly for the last 2 years Great and affordable rig that holds RED, 16mm (SR 1,2,3), HDVcam, Beta and all sorts of cameras - has really done me proud - Obviously used but has been looked after extremely well - no nicks or dents in the stem - all complete with original packaging! Recently did a test with a RED + Zeiss Primes + Arri FF + LMB hood + Filters + RED brick+ HD + RED rails... not a worry. Was around max but i cant see much else being added/needed! What is included: Sled - V-Lock mount, great condition, small signs of wear on underside of dock. L7 LCD - V-lock mount Arm - great condition - had a service at Glidecam last April of which all bearings were upgraded to higher spec Vest - good condition Dock Large and small arm posts - few marks on the short post Low mode hooks - low and even lower hooks! Dovetail plate Lemo to 2.1 mm power cable Lemo to 4 pin Xlr power cable Bnc to phone video cable Bnc to bnc video cable, 1/4-20 and 3/8 -16 camera screws original Allen keys original instruction manuals DVD of ‘Advanced steadicam techniques’ DVD EFP training manual Equipment is Midlands UK or at Tiffen/Steadicam in Oxford / Possibly High Wycombe (outside west london) Prefer a UK buyer for obvious reasons may consider sending abroad V-25 new on the internet: http://www.mitcorp.com/public/view_item_ca...decam_v-25& product_name=Glidecam-V-25-(V25)-camera-stabilisation-system-with-V-mount-battery-mount-plates http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/public/view...r=glidecam_v-25 Open to sensible offers Matt Allsop STEADICAM / Director of Photography m: +44 (0) 7748 845277 e: mail@mattallsop.com w: http://www.mattallsop.com

A couple of friends are selling useful bits of kit; - Glidecam V25 full rig - Wevi HD-SDI / SDI Microwave Link with V-lock battery plates Send me an email at jason@steadicam-facilities.co.uk if you are interested in either and I will put you in touch with the relevant people. Both items are situated in the UK. Cheers J

I agree with Erwin's comments - anything 'cheap' = analogue, which = rubbish quality. The digital links (Boxx, Wevi and the like) are the way forward. Incidentally I'm working with a (composite only) system at the moment which beats both Boxx and Wevi hands down, in terms of range and dropout... more details as and when.

I don't have big ears for no reason... Yes, the Baer-bel plate works absolutely fine with the Master top stage. I can't speak for the 'drop-in' upgrade, but certainly with the original fixture method it works beautifully. And there's no reason why it shouldn't work with the newer style Master drop-in stage, as it's the exact same dimensions.... The only disclaimer I'd make note of is that the design of the Baer-bel plate has changed slightly recently, although I'm sure that it shouldn't make a difference...

Even better, insist on that Element Technica box being provided as part of the camera kit. If you have to run with those awful, hideous inch-long breakout cables, you're guaranteed to have random signal dropout and you'll bust several of them during the day - they aren't very well manufactured...

Hollis Meminger has a Cinetape for sale, I think. He's on this forum, do a search...

This is what the forum is all about. I saw the post, came to check in to send you Jamie's name, and someone has already done it. Great stuff. Say hi to him from me - we're meant to be having a 'pimped-up van' shootout sometime soon - haha

I recall when I had a stack of ProPacs, Hytrons and a couple of TrimPacs, and the documentation for all of these stated, as Paul says, to leave on the charger when not in use, except when they are going to remain unused for a long period of time, in which case you should put them through a discharge cycle and store them empty. Must be an issue that's perculiar only to Anton/Bauer. It is definitely never good practice to store batteries in their case fully charged...I always try and run them down and then charge them before each time I go out. Not always possible, but works most of the time.

SOLD, many thanks.

There was almost a similar occurrance at the athletics in Germany a couple of years ago. 400m race with the runners staggered on their blocks around a corner of the track. Nice low level sweeping jib shot of the start - but the operator was very slow to crane up - of course, all the runners are looking down at the start of the race - could have been a very nasty incident...fortunately they just missed it.

Still available...

Probably been posted before, but an interesting read... http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/w...ies-video.shtml

Absolutely stunning. As has already been stated - it's another innovation. Crane step-off, quad bike, Handsfree...and now a Handsfree step-off (run-off!) The 'behind the scenes' clip of this from the rehearsals looks incredible - just stunning. If you look carefully, there's a guy who runs out to catch / remove the Segway after the Operator dismounts. I'm sure we'd all love to know more about this and how it was achieved. I'm also wondering exactly how he managed to dismount at speed...sounds like a modification - and a hell of a lot of rehearsal. Amazing. Incredible frame right from the kick-off.

Two raincovers for sale, made by Camera Essentials (clear plastic with velcro seams, with elasticated velcro grip to tighten around post) One is for a Master Series sled. It covers the entire lower sled, including battery. (not monitor - no monitor cover is included) The other is a much smaller cover, thought to be for an Ultra 1 battery or similar. For photos and details, please email Jason@steadicam-facilities.co.uk Worldwide shipping via FedEx.

Hi Dev, I did a '90 minute one-shot' feature in London which is in Post at the moment, so I'm probably qualified to answer a few of your queries. Being a low budget film, the camera choice was fortunately restricted for us and we shot on a lightweight HDV package with lens adapter and primes, recording to Firestore on board the rig. The obvious problems are tiredness / exhaustion (blocking it out in rehearsals and then a few takes is something that we achieved in two days; but rehearsals prior were broken down into sections, primarily with the 'talent' and also handheld operating to get the movement right. Drinks - plenty where possible! Cues - it took a lot of work to remember lines and cues which I took from the talent. My moves were mostly motivated by their moves, but sometimes my movement needed to trigger their moves, or I needed to move when a certain line of dialogue was delivered - so I had a lot to remember! We also wrote out a crib sheet of cues and moves which was attached to the back of my vest. The DoP, who was spotting for me for the actual final take, then had the facility to cue me if I ever forgot -which I didn't, I'm pleased to say! Wireless links - before the advent of affordable microwave links, we did this with handheld LCDs for the relevant people. The design of the shot meant we entered a building from the outside, and we couldn't have a video village, as we visited every corridor and room in the old theatre - so the core crew travelled with me for the shoot, whilst the Gaffer / Sparks and Trainees were busy re-rigging lights and cables. Makeup and effects people were also running round behind the scenes, to install things that the camera would eventually find (it was a developing murder plot, so you can imagine how it would develop...) If you're shooting on the RED, I'd certainly advise to strip it down as much as possible to the very bare minimum. Use a HD Steadicam rig to eliminate the need for a downconverter. Microwave links which will happily transmit through walls non-line of sight are now available - this could be a good way to go. I do think that handheld LCDs are a good idea though - it worked for us... If you would like any more info about how we handled the shoot and how I prepped as an Operator, do drop me an email to jason@steadicam-facilities.co.uk and I'll be happy to help. I'll also happily post more here as and when I have the time. Cheers Jason

I may be proven wrong here, but I think Jim sells a cable with a step-down converter built into it, to reduce power sent to the M1 = less noise. I don't know if this is something that will only work with the Bartech, or in combination with other focus systems.

Thanks for the info Jim. Your presence has reminded me that I need to order a batch of cables from you. You'll have mail in the next day or two... Cheers Jason

Hi James, Is this a new version of the Libec? I must have seen an old one - one cameraman I work with from time-to-time has one, but it has a very thick and non-Steadicam-friendly cable, which put me off from buying one originally - is the cable much better nowadays? Cheers Jason

It's a bit of an ongoing saga, the zoom issue. I started out with a couple of J7s, which I still have. Then got a Varizoom for lightweight LANC, and a Bebob, with relevant adapter cables for Canon and the two breeds of Fujinon. Then I realised that even the newest Bebob couldn't handle the new digital drive Canon lenses - unstoppable creeping. So I got the Varizoom (heavier cable, but worth it because it handles the Digital Drive lenses fine). Now they've brought out the EX1/3, it's yet ANOTHER adapter cable.

I think Tiffen sell it as an accessory part. If not, two words: black wrap. Great for that sort of thing. Or, it's easy enough to make one yourself out of any rigid material - just add velcro to the monitor surround, and matching velcro to your hood, and away you go!

pCam for iPhone is now in the App store. If you're a member of the Facebook group, you'll have received a message from David Eubank. Downloading it now - a bit pricey but should be a very useful tool...

Hi Jess, I find it useful for tilt, and also find it more comfortable for dutch framing - if I know I've got a lot of this to do, I have my sled close to neutral. I've never flown totally neutral, I like a slight drop. It is nice to set the sled up for whatever situation you are shooting in - for example exteriors on a film on a blustery day, I prefer a longer sled with a quick drop time. Apologies for the thread hijacking, with all this talk of DB and drop times!