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Michael Collier

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  1. Tangentially.....I knew I should have paid attention in geometry class. Not that I am an expert with various SC and battery combos, but I did study to be an electronic engeneer in a former life so let me post my humble idea as a question. Could you, if you had different chemistries that you needed in parrallel, place a diode on each positive terminal between the batter and the power bus? So each battery's positive would connect to a diode and the diodes would be bussed together to provide power. Theoretically it should prevent reverse current if one battery should fall below the voltage of the other, while maintaning common ground and still sharing current output between the two. Yes, no? is this the 'magic' the XCS sled has? Because a couple of high amper diodes would only run a few bucks each, and add negligable weight. and further wouldn't this be a good idea to do even if you had the same chemistry batteries if they need to parallel, since even in the same batch run no battery will ever have the same voltage curve over time as another.
  2. Still keeping up with the rig. Getting better and stronger. Yesterday in a 1.5 hour period I had the camera off post for an hour, getting promo footage for a local news cast. I was sweating bullets, but I caught a second wind like in jogging, I am sure I could have kept it off post for another hour. No plans for a training program yet, but maybe I can squeeze one in when I go down to the lower 48 for Sundance. I do have a guy who went to one who is helping me learn, but you know, its not as good as having a pro who teaches all the time, and has decades of SC experience. OK, so my question is about my vest. Glidecam V-16 rig. I bought it off the director of the last short I DPed, and during that shoot we broke the vest. It was something like -25 shooting in snow for 14 hours, and wouldn't you know it the VERY FIRST and only SC shot of the night the vest breaks. It looks like the upper part and the lower part of the vest is connected to eachother by small collars that were press fit to the vest. It seems that in that cold weather, the colars shrunk faster than the vest, and as weight was applied (JVC HD-110, light camera for that rig.) the colars popped out. (thank god my operator was quick on his feet, and kept the camera from falling into the ice and powder.) I couldn't get new colars to work, and the old ones don't hold much weight at all, they can be popped back into place by hand. Right now its held together with two flush machine bolts put through the two plates with washers and two nuts each. Its solid and works, and the bolt and the washer isn't uncomfortable at all, but I am wondering if there is any problem with this system until I can get a propper fit. The only conceivable issue from my viewpoint, is the two plates used to be about 1/4 inch appart, spaced by the collars. Now they are bolted together and have no gap. what issues can arrise? I might get it fixed propperly, but shooting in -25 isn't uncommon and I would feel more confident with a bolt directly through. any advice or knowledge from someone who knows better than I?
  3. Thanks for the advice. DVD is on its way. Dynamic balance...well that would explain why it took me nearly 2 hours to balance the first time, without it going all funky when rotating (I think I got close to dynamic balance, but only by shear luck). I have a friend teaching me, while not exactly like a training course, its the best I can do until next month. Kris, excelent advice. Its what I was thinking I would get. After all, I am 10 years into operating and I can't say theres nothing to learn about handheld or jib or operating from dolly, etc. I feel this short is the perfect place to operate SC in a set environment. Its a 4 day short spread into weekends, so my body has time to recover if its not as strong as it would need for a 6-day a week feature. Its a micro-budget, so them getting SC is actually a boon to their production values, and best of all, my normal steady cam operator is directing, and I know 1. he will be patient with me on set, 2. he will help me when I need it or give me tips, 3. he will be able to take the rig if it just isn't working out and most importantly of all 4. he won't cut me any slack. None of the people I work for ever cut me slack, and always push, and that in itself is the best thing I can have behind me. I feel like that will take away any anxiety from the next shoot, to operate on set in a low-pressure environment with a fallback. The problem becomes how to get profficient enough now so that I only pass off the most difficult shots to my operator. I think the links and guides you have provided (along with hours of practice daily) should help me get on my way.
  4. So I got a steadycam from a director friend of mine to use and learn with. I have been a DP for about 5 years (operator and AC before that) and I need to learn SC. Even if its just to know what its like to fly so I can better communicate with my OP. I have always had a very steady shoulder when doing off the shoulder work. I know thats not the same, but it seems to be helping me keep that soft touch and careful evaluation of motion in frame. I am starting to get the feel for it but I need advice on where to go from here? What drills can I run to become more effective off set? I will have a small short film to do coming up where I can put the skill to use in a lower risk environment than a full feature, but how should I prepare for that short? To give you a background on my extensive SC history....I picked up the glidecam (V16) today. Balanced the camera (an old Beta cam SP) and have spent the afternoon flying it. I am getting some moves down. Walking forward, walking backward, sideways, pickups (follow one imaginary actor, then pan and pick up another imaginary as they walk through frame) 360s, odd angles etc. I understand the best bet is to have one hand on the gimble yoke and another on the sled. It feels right to keep a very light touch, everytime I grab the post it feels wrong, so I keep two fingers on the post and put very slight inputs and use the gimble to correct horizon and tilt. Is this correct? Someone point me a crash course, or give me some custom advice given my current 5 hour history of flying. I am having trouble (IE its not as easy, smooth or feels right) when I want to tilt up or down, is this because I don't have the camera right or is there a technique to achieve these moves? (I feel I can be a good operator, given I am proficient at every other concievable rig, I just have to at least know how to fly and have empathy, even if I don't end up operating on set. I have no preconceptions and no expectations it will be quick or easy....I want to put in the time and work to get good, but I need a direction to go from here.) Thanks in advance.
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