Charles Papert

Usually this forum is alive with the clanging of chest-thumping, bitching, mud-slinging and the like, and that's even before Phil Rhodes signs on for the day! I just thought a little obtuse comedy might be a nice break. JB is more than meeting the task with his responses--damn, that duct tape response was a big smile.

Yes, I have spread the word via a friend who seems to be in contact with about 20,000 impish pranksters. My guess is that the bids will top 100 in the next day or so. We're off to the races.

JB just emailed me: "Who is steadinetherlands? He just bid on my pencil". This could get good. Might be time to send out a bulk email...

STUCK!!!? How can you go wrong with a fabulous heirloom collectible of that quality! Nice jumping in, Job. Who's next?

Jon Brown has posted a "test" auction on eBay, something to do with some new software he picked up. It's worth a read just for laughs, but I desperately implore all to get in there and bid on this in the smallest increments possible. He doesn't read the board (GB, if you are reading this, you must promise to keep mum) so he won't know what hit him. Here's the auction, or if that hyperlink doesn't work: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...=ADME:X:ON:US:2

Ah, see, there's some great opportunities when this happens (director grabs post to demonstrate framing). This frees up your operating hand, which can then sneak around his back and lift his wallet. Seriously, I've had some fun with this preposterous occurrence. When some amped-up little freak once said "let me show you the framing I want" and took the post, I put my hand over his and started moving his fingers around, saying "let me show you how to operate this thing. You see, you want to keep your pinkie down here" etc. He let go VERY quickly and although rattled, continued on with his suggestions of framing brilliance, but never went for the post again.

I've been in communication with Hardigg about setting up a group discount for us, which is apparently going to be brought up with their National Sales manager at a February meeting. My belief is that the day I have bought my very last case, this discount will go into effect! Their word is that their pricing to distributors is actually lower than Pelican's, but the the dealers seem to mark them up more. There is hope yet for all this coming about.

This is a Pelican 1660, the Big Daddy Pelican. Similar dimensions as a 1650 but about 6" deeper. Good for a vest/arm case or for large accessories or just stuffing a lot of crap into. I bought it last fall and then changed my mind about my case configuration, so it's sat in the box since. Never used, foam intact; it's a brand new case. The best price for it is at Cases4Less, where they want $239.50, but they are in San Diego and you don't want to know the shipping prices. Filmtools has it for $288. I'm looking for $230, with pick up in Los Feliz. If no-one in LA wants it, I'll look at out-of-town offers but I'm not sure it would be worth it for either party with the shipping cost and hassle. (323) 665-9151

Cool! I saw the new print in LA and while you have to respect the movie visually, I found it pretty lackluster from a story/performance level (although I loved Raul Julia). It would have made it much interesting to hear GB's presentation.

Rush, Railsback, Hershey, Alex Rocco, and Whitey Hughes, who played the AD was who I remember being there, but I think there may have been one or two more. It was a lovely evening. O'Toole couldn't make it. Around the same time, he was supposed to be doing a guest spot on "The West Wing" and apparently had visa trouble, which disappointed me to no end.

My two visits to the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego are like visiting a shrine--other than being a fabulous building, it's THAT building! I had the delight of spending an incredible evening a couple of years ago watching "The Stunt Man" projected (alas, not a restored print) at the Egyptian Theatre, followed by the premiere of the two-hour documentary that Richard Rush made as a companion piece to the upcoming DVD release, followed then by a good hour and a half of Q&A with Rush and most of the cast who were present. You got the sense (which was echoed by the commentary track on the DVD) that for most of the actors, including Barbara Hershey, working on this film was a career high point.

Well, I'm a little baffled then. I had remembered that Nelson had a credit in the film but I swear on my cat's hide that I didn't look it up before posting--but I just now did. He's listed as "Eli's Crane Cameraman" and I'm recalling one or two shots of a character operating conventionally on the Moxie that looked very similar to the chap wearing the Steadicam and the white cap who was operating on the ground and also on the Moxie Mount (seated and body-mounted--ouch!) The only other thing I can think of would be the actor who played the operator in the film, but I always felt like the gent in the Steadicam wasn't much of a body double outside of the cap. What's more, the operating in the film itself was pretty good for circa 1978, but the operator as seen in the shot didn't appear to present the corresponding form. Can you tell that "The Stunt Man" is one of my all-time favorite movies??

Regardless of which system I own, I profess to not getting the math either, Peter. The Preston system doesn't all "live in one box". It's a motor driver, a hand unit, a transmitter and a receiver and two motors--which makes 6 pieces. The comparable Bartech system is only four pieces as the transmitter and receiver are built into the motor driver and hand unit. Agreed so far? If one component fails, you can replace it with another individual component, not the whole system. If the transmitter dies, you can always hardwire direct to the motor driver from the hand unit. Three channels, fully functional. I think what Erwin is getting at, and what I'm not really sure is a fair comparison, is that you are suggesting that if your Bartech focus unit dies, you just pull out your iris unit and keep working. However, if your Preston hand unit dies, you seem to be saying that you need an entire $15,000 system to replace it, as opposed to another $3000 hand unit. And there is a hardwire hand controller which easily replaces the focus unit and could be used for iris and even zoom in a pinch that just requires a motor and cable to get you back in and working. Obviously no-one likes dealing with cables--but then again, I can't imagine an AC being thrilled at having to use an iris slider to pull focus. But that's emergencies for you. I understand the principle behind the modular system, and I think it's great. I think Jim's system is a great value and it's no mystery why it has been so successful. The BFD and the FIZ co-exist, appealing to different folks with different needs.

Oh, well that's easy! Larry McConkey was in "Sweet Liberty", doing roundy-rounds. If it isn't Ron Vidor in the Stunt Man, I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that Nelson Tyler donned the rig. Any extra credit for knowing that his crane setup that was featured in the movie was the Moxie Mount?

I--am actually sort of speechless. I have no idea who is selling that shirt! However, they seem to be doing nicely with it, so more power to them! Thanks for pointing that out. If you happen to see anyone selling a "Steadicam Movie Crew Guy's Wallet" on eBay, be sure to let me know, I might have dropped it somewhere.

Agreed, it's not ideal to have another soul operating your zoom. I do like using the Gimbal Microforce for this reason, however I have found some "pumping" can occur while actively walking (it's not easy to isolate the thumb from the rest of the body with a sensitive zoom controller). For those Preston owners/users who would like to see a way to operate the Microforce physically separate from the hand unit (no cables), Howard's got a nice solution on the way. Really more of a crane issue than a Steadicam one, but obviously there's crossover here.

Wicked cool website, Jim, thanks for linking that. That Jaws-3D American Cinematographer article is one of the earliest in my collection; it followed the two-part Ted Churchill article which I stumbled across on a newstand (sort of divine intervention)...! Just look at that gleaming, fresh-looking Model 1!!!

An informal poll: When a zoom is requested (at the last minute), I will offer to add the Microforce to the Preston hand unit while we are mounting the zoom motor, but more often than not they will insist that they are just fine with performing it on the iris slider. And more often than not, the zoom will be erratic and not properly feathered and another take is ordered. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it an I'm-low-maintenance-I'll make-do philosophy, or is it a I'm-macho-I-can-do-anything bravado that's preventing them from accepting the grace of the Microforce? It only takes ten seconds to attach the thing, which is usually close at hand. Eh?

I dunno, haven't priced it--probably around $100 (the rosette is the complication). Let's see if a bunch of other people want it.

A couple of years ago Disney did an hour special to commemorate (aka advertise) the opening of the California Adventure park adjacent to Disneyland. I think a few of us were on different units of this breakneck-paced Betacam job which was shot just before the park opened (John Hankhammer I recall on second unit, but I thought there was even another one of us at some point). It had an incoherent storyline and despite the appearance of several decent ABC actors (Richard Kind, Patrick Warburton) it was way over the top. I tried to watch it when it aired, but it was like an entree-size platter of Cheese con Cueso avec du Fromage. I couldn't make it through the thing.

Thanks Marc and Anthony (hmmm...I hear Latin music all of a sudden!) AHX is holding strong as the weirdest working experience of my career to date; the legendary post-production antics of director Tony Kaye were in full force during the production as well although less documented. Fellow op Rick Drapkin was by my side pulling focus and it's rare that we have seen each other in the intervening six years without bringing up some chestnut from that freakshow! For the "op in shot" thread, they saw fit to include a section of a shot that has a full-on hard shadow of myself and the rig across the main actors that is so defined that you can see which direction the Kip handle on the eyebrow was facing. Of course it was reported as a "I can't avoid that shadow" and the apocryphal rejoinder "we just won't use that part of the shot"...and yet there it is. It's even logged as a goof in the IMDB listing for the film. Although Marc, with his eagle eye, spotted a truly "Where's Waldo" hidden shadow elsewhere in the film that I had never seen, despite its inclusion in my reel for all these years...damn you, Detail-Man!

Oh, bless you, you little muffin. So true. I think the most critical thing that has affected this issue is that so often the 1st assistant who is already on the show is going to be pulling your focus, and they are not likely to protect you over their own interests (keeping their job). The second they have focus issues with a "less-than" system, regardless of whether it's human error or not, they have a really easy excuse to trot out to the DP. The only qualification I would make to Ruben's comments is that a system that doesn't have good accuracy, or is too slow, or has interference issues (i.e. unpredictable in any way) is going to be a liability that even a great focus puller may not be able to overcome every time.

I had a bracket made that lets you use the PAM rosette mount to attach the Preston MDR using your PAM arms to any size iris rod, and through the excellent PAM system you can swing it around, up and down like a madman. I thought about making a run but everyone's so damn fickle about their needs, wants and desires. So here's your chance...anyone want one of these things? Maybe I post a picture.

In the interest of disclosure, once I came to realize that the "that sounds sort of familiar" aspects of Anthony's story were, in fact, about me and my rig (!): The issue with my PRO 1 was that the two camera breakers failed. The second issue was that there was a problem with the replacement breakers. Problem quickly fixed and back on track. It left me somewhat dazed, as I had never previously (in the six or seven years since I bought the sled) had experienced an electronics issue and had forgotten what those were like. As Peter points out, Models 1-3 sleds were a very different animal in this regard. High-maintenance, literally and figuratively. Peace of mind was the original intention of the PRO sled, and I will give it high marks for this--as I said, six or seven years before the first component failure and a quick fix. I should also point out that my TB-6 is in its fifth or sixth year and has never hiccupped. I think Erwin's car analogy has relevance, although not being a car-head I wouldn't know an F40 from a C47--going to the LA Auto Show with the man is like having a guided tour--and everyone has a personal priority with their gear. I value reliability over everything else with performance a close second, and bells and whistles last. I've often said that if my rig suddenly bit the big one tomorrow and I needed to order a new one tomorrow, it wouldn't be an easy choice, because there are a lot more out there now. Good luck with your journey...