John Brook

Let me handle this question pros. For I have heard this response numerous times. Bart I am going to give you the same advice that people feel the need to give all the newbies on this board over and over. "Use the search feature and search the archives." Wasn't that helpful?

Where are the insults? It's insulting to come to a place that should be receptive to the up-and-comer and instead be reminded of how much of a newbie I am. It's insulting when this site, which is suppose to be an awesome resource for steadicam operators, has more people spending time telling a newbie to go "search the archives" then just answering the question. It's insulting to see a page entitled "For Newbies-Read" and the page proceeds to point out every little thing we have done wrong when we try to join this site. I get it. We make mistakes. Maybe the problem doesn't lay with us. If you are noticing that every newbie isn't using the search feature then maybe it is time to revamp that feature. Make it bigger and at the top of the page. Make it more user friendly. I know that I don't come on here to make anyone's life harder. I am trying to better myself by learning from the best. There is a reason you guys are the ones making a living off of this system and I am just doing on the weekend when I can. There is a vast amount of knowledge here and I love the fact that I can tap into it. That is what is insulting to me. I am sure some of you pros can remember what it was like starting out. Trying to get answers to questions you had. Talking to an operator who didn't mind answering those questions (No matter how many times they were asked the same question). What if every time you asked something somebody said "Go look it up." Would you be discouraged at all? I am just a newbie, as I am told often, but I hope someday to be a pro and help contribute. I hope that someday I'll be able to talk to an up-and-comer and tell him about my experiences in this business. Again I can't say enough about this site and what it means to me now. I just hope it can stay that way.

As a newbie and not a professional (Which has been pointed out to me several times by the pros.) I would just like to thank Janice. I can't speak for all the newbies but I think she "gets" us. I know I look at forum as a way to learn about the profession I am interested in. Also, I think site is here so I don't make many mistakes that the pros have learned. I am willing to bet you share those experiences so others don't go through the same thing. It is one thing to be a professional and tell us newbie's to look hard and use the search feature. I am sorry that all I can afford is a small one to two thousand dollar rig. I am sorry that I have to practice on the weekends for little to no pay. I am not making a living off of this system yet. I am trying. I do have one question for all you professionals out there. How did you guys start out? Did every pro on this board drop 100K and instantly have a list of clients ready so they could start off making a living being a steadicam operator? This is the only way I know how to get started doing something in life: start at the bottom and work my way up. I know that we as newbies may make some mistakes and that could make the guys who have been doing this for ages upset. Again sorry. I hope to be a professional in the future, but if I am going to turn into someone who points out others wrongs instead of trying to help that person, maybe I should just rethink my line of work. I can't thank the professionals on this board enough for all the information and time they spend on my questions. I just hope that in the future I can continue to come to the board for answers instead of insults.

Yes. Very much so. Thanks to everyone.

Thanks for that bit of info. All I found when I did my fist search was a bunch of people asking questions about the Basson and more people saying search the archives. But upon another 30 minutes of searching I found what I was looking for. Just thought I could get a quick opinion. Next time I'll do a more thorough search.

Has anybody ever heard of a Basson Steady System? It is an impressive looking rig but I know that looks aren't everything. I also noticed that this rig looks like it would be hard to balance. Just cruious if anyone had any kind of experience with this rig? Here is the link for those interested: http://www.bassonsteady.com

So I read the Forum Guidelines and I am not sure how they pertain to my post at all. If you think that I am trying to be sarcastic in anyway (I guess I could see how my post could be taken that way) let me assure you I am not. Those are legitimate question and I was wondering if someone could give me some answers. Again, I am just a newb, so it is entirely possible that I misunderstood this whole forum and what it is here for. Sorry if I offended anyone. I was just looking for someone with some knowledge and experience to help me out.

Well, I have a question then. What constitutes a professional rig? I thought professional meant that in some way shape or form you are making money, doesn't that mean any rig could be professional? Or if you are talking about how much the rig can hold then would Glidecams, Action cams, and the new Satchler devices all suffice? I am just a newbie myself so that is why I am posing these questions. I wouldn't want to make the mistake of posting in the wrong area. Also when exactly would I be able to post in the other sections of this board other then the "Steadi-Newbies" section? Is there an allotted amount of time that I have to be flying? Number of gigs I have had to have done? Certain device I would have own? I understand the part about searching for a question us "newbs" have. I am guilty of it and I am sure that when I search I can find an abundant amount of information about the subject that I need to know about. But as far as talk about "professional rigs" I was wondering if you could clarify that a little bit better. I mean, when I first came to the site I thought that this was just a site for specific Steadicam brand devices. But seeing that Glidecam advertises on here along with the forum title reading "Motion Picture Camera Stabilization Specialists", I guess I just figured all types of stabilizer talk was acceptable, not only that but also encouraged. Again I am only a newb but I would think to stay on top of one's game that they would want to keep up to date on all the latest parts and systems coming out so the operator can offer their client the latest and greatest, at least that is what I plan on doing. Maybe I just assumed far to much on here, so if the "Pros" don't mind could they explain what they mean.

http://www.ppmmouthguard.com/ -give it a look.

I am currently working for a company that has a Health show we are working on. It is pretty small show, just shown locally, but there was one segment on it that really caught my interest. We working working with a dentist who wanted to showcase something called a Pure Power Mouth guard. This thing is nothing short of amazing. It is commonly used by professional sports athletes. It increases balance, endurance, strength, and agility. And yes it is just what it sounds like: a mouth guard. How it works is the dentist will do some test to find where exactly your jaw and bite need to be for maximum rest. Once he has the position determined he creates the mouth guard for you. When you have your bite in perfect balance it relaxes not only the jaw but the muscles in the neck and also decompresses the spine ever so slightly. I am not sure of all the details but I have seen this thing in action and it is awesome. The price point comes to around $1800 or so but for a piece of equipment that is going to make you more balanced and perform better that is pretty cheap in my book. I highly recommend that everyone at the very least look into this product. But make you talk to a license dentist that can actually do this. Not everyone is qualified. I hope this helps people.

That link is awesome. But then this brings me to another question for the veterans. Is it worth buying a small cheap off-brand rig right now for the money I have or, since everyone is saying once I try it I am going to want to go full force into it, do I just save a few more months and buy a more expensive rig so when I am good enough I don't have to upgrade a second time. The thing is I know that becoming an operator doesn't happen over night and I know it is a big sacrifice. I want all my money to "count" so I am not just spending small bits of money that are useless. Thoughts?

Thanks for all the info. I will take everything under consideration. I really appreciate all the time you guys took in responding to my request.

I have been reading posts on this forum for several months now. Not just new stuff but older words of wisdom as well. In my search I have come across one word that has scratching my head: practice. I get it. To become great there is no substitution for practicing. So here comes my question, brace yourselves, HOW? There I said it. How do I go about practicing as a newbie? I can't afford to buy the steadicam I need to practice with so I need to save. I can't save if I want to rent one out to practice. Even if I get my hands on a steadicam then where do I get the camera? Rent it as well? I am not made of that kind of money or time that I would have to take off of work just to get the use out of the rented equipment that I feel I should. So my question is to all the veterans, how did you do it? You said practice makes perfect, so how do I get there? I am willing to make some sacrifices here. I will buy a steadicam if I need to but then how do I get the camera? I will buy the camera if I need to but then how do I get the steadicam? I will rent both if I need to but that can't possibly be cost effective. Any and all advice given here is appreciated.

So the two different Steadicams that I am looking into getting eventually are the Glidecam V-25 series and the Steadicam Flyer-LE. Which would be a better purchase?

Hi, I am new to the steadicam world and would eventually like to pursue a career. Upon researching steadicams I noticed that it would talk about weight and would give a range. (Example: 15-25lbs.) My question is does that mean that the rig can hold a maximum camera weight of 25 lbs or does that mean that the rigs arm can hold a maximum of 25 lbs. I am looking to eventually fly a Sony DSR 370 and would need to be able to handle that much weight plus a possible wide angle adaptor. Any help would be appreciated.