Jim Chu

Well, yes and no, - you can order one...but as far as actually getting one? Yeah, this is where things get quiet. The owner/designer/builder/shipper Curt is reporting on their forum that they were working on a unit to show at hd expo - don't know if they made it. "real" ship dates are due this week. It really has been frustrating following this process, and to some extent it makes them seem incompetent. On the other hand, I think this is more an effect from having so much information - I mean if you look on their site you can see when the parts are being ordered, what engineering problems they are running into - stuff you would normally never hear about. Instead, you would forget about it until you actually saw one. That being said, I am, like Rob, waiting for a human being who spent good money and time waiting on this thing to tell if it's worth it!

This is a nice example of a simple, well done video. Good shots and simple transitions. I have a music video coming up and this is just what I was looking for. Doesn't hurt that I love Pulp!

I know you are asking for advice from veterans, so in that respect I have to clearly state that I am NOT in that category. I am a guy who has taken a 2 day course (which everyone on this board will rightly recommend to you, if not the 5 day) and has a rig coming in two weeks. As a guy who has taken a very different path from the veterans on this board, I can't speak for them. What I can say is that I have broken a million rules in my life, and I appreciate the fact that you are looking to do the same thing. Having a passion is central to getting anywhere in life. Look around you. Every man and woman on this board has done nothing but drive themselves towards the goal of developing their craft. They share a passion. That being said, The unfortunate circumstance that you are presenting is that you are looking for a quick way through a path that is anything but. Garrett may have said that anyone can operate a Steadicam, but the part I think that people tend to leave out is that he probably also said something like "it takes years of practice to not suck." When you are asking a professional who has taken years to hone their craft, risked their personal relationships and their primary homes to invest in equipment to hand you their gear, you are showing that you are missing the most key piece of equipment in any operator's kit: humility. The other thing is that you are valuing the accomplishment of "holding the camera" over the experience of knowing what to do with it. Yes, it is important to have a vision, but the experience of spending time on set, in whatever capacity you can, should not be lost. Steadicam operation is the only position I know that interfaces with every aspect of the crew - you are going to need the grips to hollywood 4 x4s on a windy day, tell the sound recordist you won't fly tethered, confer with the gaffer over what' s in the shot, coordinate with AD's so that the blocking makes sense in your frame, etc. There is no other day player that plugs into the set like that. You don't develop that overnight. That's the bad news. The good news is that every moment you spend working up to it (and that's all of them) pay off. So take all that passion you have, and pour it into wherever you are going to be. I highly doubt that it is going to be a place where a seasoned Steadicam op is handing you his/her rig, but if it is, congratulations. Jim BTW, I am printing out Mike's response and posting it on my wall. If you don't know who this guy his, spend 20 minutes on his site before sitting down and taking his advice. I will.

I like how people are all swarming around you like the messiah. Especially the boom op that shows up in the end! Jonny 5 is Alive! Seriously though, I got a chance to be on the segway (no rig) for just a minute, but that's all it took to learn how to make basic moves with it. Operating while riding? I will leave that up to Jon. He showed our Flyer workshop a dozen moves that would kill your day just walking through. Definitely on the dream kit list.

Yeah, skip all the BS, and get a Flyer - you see used ones that fly 15lbs from time to time - but they go quickly. Super smooth arm, solid construction, easy to use, and basically complete out of the box. Or just save up the money and get a new LE - 24v setup, 19lbs, and a rig you can grow into a bit. This is not something you want to skimp on. And while you are at it, take a 2 day workshop. The tool is useless without the skill set, and starting off with a vet like Peter Abraham showing you the ropes is worth far more than $500 price tag to get you started, at least, before you develop bad habits that you won't be able to shake.

Well, from that last post there hasn't been much news - the guys at Viewfactor are still working away - it seems like just a couple of very hard working guys trying to make a quality product for the first time. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes, but I sure would like a FF with a USB port for 2K!

A recent trip to the viewfactor website says their delivery of the the first motors and controls will be 8/13. Any of the veterans here going to take a chance on it? Or is there a trade show coming up?

Thanks Charles, I didn't take into account the shallow DoF from the larger sensor. it makes sense just to develop skills flying the smaller HD/DV cameras. In that case, the older flyer with 15lbs should be plenty? It seems like a good deal - Jim

Greetings all, First, a thank you to all that so openly share their wisdom, experience, bumps and all. It is so valuable to have a resource such as this forum for such a specialized field. I have been looking to invest in a steadicam for use on low budget indie projects that I work on regularly. The most common setup is EX1 or hvx200 with 35mm and primes, but it is in the offing that a RED camera may be available pretty soon. My question is this: the new Flyers run about 8K for an LE setup, but there is an older Flyer available with a lower weight limit of 15lbs (vs. the 19lbs of the current model) for about $5K. Is it worth the extra 3K for the 19lb weight limit? or be ok with the older flyer since the adapters will likely not be used while on steadicam since we don't have a wireless FF? I have read RED needs to be fairly stripped to make the 19lb cutoff anyway... btw, I am not purchasing the Flyer right away, I have taken everyone's advice and I am scheduled to take a 2 day flyer/pilot workshop coming up in October.