Janice Arthur

Mike I haven't followed all of this thread but in terms of the equation of am I as good at steadicam as movi goes and therefore ethically can I charge the same issue which u raise; I'd say go with 1) whatever rate u can get for operating at the level u are working. 2) what they're really buying with u is operator experience, maybe not just MOVI experience. You have tremendous problem solving skills in framing and operating shorthand to know what they want or is needed in the moment. 'Yikes the lead actress just changed the framing and u know how to adjust from experience.' 3) these days u take what u can negotiate and don't put too fine a point on some deals. Yes this time u maybe got some extra for some modest MOVI work but next time they got more than they're money's worth It always works out even Good luck Janice

Douglas Start w Tiffen then find robert Luna and derrick whitehouse. Sorry numbers are not handy but someone has them The HD conversion is just not worth it is my advise That was a limited capability rig that you'd spend more on converting than its worth Buy a down converter and power it off the p-tap or off the sled and use the SD monitor which isn't terrible in bright light If u did insist on HD monitor u can just run a video cable out the front of the rig and that's fine Now u only have to power whatever monitor u put on it You'll find you'll outgrow this rig and its limited design ideas so use it for a while and then sell it and upgrade to a used flyer (again SD) because HD on that rig is also not always the amount u want to pay for Good luck Janicr

David; Yes walter p dolle does liability and mine is $425 a yr not sure how much it covers They also Audit u each year to see if you are a risk for the amount they cover It means u give them some proof of income and your "liability" to them. Just one more element to it It's like disability u can't be insured for 5 mil and make 50k then have an "accident " and make a 5 million claim I think it's essential in today's world and I've upped my own home owners liability too The older u get the assumption is u can't afford to loose what u have; and u maybe even have more to loose. The advice from way back is never volunteer your liability policy (if u can avoid it at all means) and also never have to use it because at least way back it was hard/expensive to get it renewed after that. Lastly on cert for rental. I have some gear at a rental house and I have nothing to do w their rentals of my gear but now they collect a cert from me. Right or wrong insurance at literally 10 levels in your life is the norm. House, liability, health, life, injury and about 6 more come to mind I've begun to think of insurance as a xxx amount of days work to pay for it each month Got to go. Shoot starting. Good luck Janice

Lawerance You're probably right that they stuck w "we'll never sell our equipment." Sadly they'll have the only "panavision" film 3 shoots a year but hey it's a niche and why care at that point. Their legacy will always be the amazing gear they supplied. I think the simpler answer is it was too much of an effort to sell it and they didn't see its sale value over scrap value. On a separate tangent in today's world I use "taping" or the older "filming. Everyone understands what u mean. A producer friend I thought was being old fashioned when I heard her say it but no she was smart to use taping or filming Just a thought and have a good 2015 Janice

That's just sad. I don't know panavision company but they could have done an auction and gotten at least more than scrap value for crew people and film geeks in southern California. Also I'd think that the serial number history could have accompanied the camera u bought and u could say my cam shot this and this and this famous movie and they could have been sold as much more valueable movie memorabilia? Heck in 10 yrs the vintageness would make them more valuable. Even as props a few would be valueable Just my thought but too late Janice

Hi all; I obviously haven't kept track but what happened to all those beautiful film cameras and accessories? I can't imagine they all still exist? Just wondering it would be fun to "own" one if they were ever available Janice

Hi josh I want nothing to do with illegal but if you are privately insuring it some of the steps may be easier Shipping companies are much more cautious about items these days esp those w a higher $ value Also remember to always check and disclose any items you are carrying on aircraft or shipping. Common sense but nothing is worth the issue to do anything but truthfulness in the world today A bit of money is not an excuse. Janice

Victor That's great but what if manufacturer won't do it ? Ask Does buyer/seller want to pay for "overhaul"/"checkout"? That also assumes buyer/seller paying for shipping to get it to the manufacturer? Seldom do they want to is my thought. Now rig is in a third city and its got to get shipped further to the buyer. All good up to the point that it gets more expensive and its always the question of how much is the risk? It's all about how anxious seller is to sell and how much they'll compromise to get it sold It's a basic question of how much do I have to give to get this item sold? Janice

Josh 1) is their system compatible with usa system? 2) ask every question u can think of 3) get lots of pictures 4) decide if overseas purchase is worth it? Is it 5k or 20k? 5) whats a plane ticket cost? If it was $800-1000 I'd buy a ticket go check out every possible thing with the rig, try it on; see it work; and fly home with it. 6) do I have a test out period say 3 days after I arrive home? 7) can I return it then and you'll be home? 8) Whats the shipping from oversea? Is it worth it? 9) get insurance before its shipped. Insurance from the shippers is limited and expensive so get basic serial numbers and have to insured before its shipped on a plane or with fed ex 10) spell out the details as you consider buying and get the seller to agree. Don't assume. Treat this as a business not fun and assumptions Good luck Janice

Hi all; I've been asking for a lower minimum for premiums since they're so many smaller rigs out there. I know the previous minimum was $500. and now it's $350. I don't know what amount it covers but ask Tonya st Walter p. Dolle for details I've only heard it would be available so I know no details. Have a good 2015. Janice P.S. Try to get Tonya to come on the forum and answer insurance questions. It would be interesting.

Lawrence Huge and humble appreciation Have a good 2015 Janice

Rupert Easier to use PayPal, credit card from set is easy for them. Me getting them my bank info and expecting them to do it while doing 10 other things is harder If you're quiet about it I build into my deal a little gap that covers the PayPal fees or I just maybe charge them 50% to get paid via PayPal or I eat the cost rather than loose out on getting paid at all Depends on what u can get and how sketchy u feel the client is Janice

Dave You can make your own agreement very simply first and if it starts to work for u then develop it further. The simple sheet as a PDF or cut/paste into an email 1) what u will provide. Gear, personnel (you/assistant) 2) rate/time; OT starts when?; rate OT 3) payment due time on-demand? 30 days? PayPal? 4) extras? Mileage; extra rentals; 5) misc or additional stuff u want to include You sign it and employer signs it. Whether someone wil do an electronic signature God knows? Lastly others have done this in the past but no one will sign it or I've had bad luck getting anyone to sign it which is why agreements seldom get used by ops but Robert seems to be better at this and can this done; I can't. Legally I don't know how u enforce it either or whether it's worth getting a lawyer to make it up Also remember some person who called and booked u and signs your agreement then something bad happens like u don't get paid and the owner of the company says he/she didn't have authority to sign anything and you're still stuck It's way simpler and cheaper to just get paid via Paypal or check on the day of the shoot as others have described. Good luck Janice

Dave Are batteries avail at your destination? The beauty of AB is that they're widely avail worldwide and maybe will save even money with all the shipping restrictions? Maybe u just take one or two as a safety net or ship all your batts ahead via fed ex? Just an idea. Janice

Robert Yes over the years I and thousands of others would work on a promise and I agree those favor days are gone I often thought a cruel joke could be had on many of us "hi we need u in this place (many hours away) on this day with this gear." We would often blindly assume a production was there and it was but it just as easily could have been a hoax. The point for all of us is leverage. We have it when they need us and can force payment. When the shoot is over and they leave or even locally the production company is now on equal ground and we are forced to prove wrong. Time and money--all ours, to prove the wrong. So just remember leverage. (If they balk at payment then u didn't loose anything, in fact you won, you didn't work for nothing only to spend more hours chasing them.). It takes courage to demand. That's the hard part. Janice.

Hi all; I just had call from potential instant job from out of town for a couple day job with an unknown company. Do u guys bill PayPal or expect check before they leave? Lately I think the trust factor is less on these random jobs so I need a better plan. Janice

Amath I principally help w loaners and testing Yes I have an arm for that and will privately send you Information so u can talk to hugo about specifics of purchase etc Janice

Frank If only one hole fits on the cage to the pilot plate then the old school solution is a piece of tape in a loop or sticky Velcro between plate and cage etc. will keep the plate from spinning. One screw is enough to hold plate onto the cage and camera. Janice

Mike Take a couple of pictures but what I supect is happening is that u are trying to connect several pieces with one screw into your steadicam dovetail and this ican piece and your camera . This is a bad idea and seldom works. I have several ideas on how to make this work but need to see the pieces. Janice

Chris Could u talk about how u worked to get make your rig so clean of cables and stuff. Congrats on the work and a career of amazing operating Janice

Lucas I completely understand. I'm not against those rigs and I am happy that u can help to talk to newbies about those rigs. It's just hard to give them advice sometimes. I hadn't seen the selection in a while I just learned a lot looking at eBay. Welcome to the forum and we're rewriting the book on stabilizing with all these new tiny cameras so you're as likely as anyone to prosper with a small rig where no one could in the past. Janice

Hi all; This is just an observation and probably an explanation of why. I did a survey of ebay Steadicam recently and found 27 pages of gear, and 99% was all this knock-off stuff that to many eyes looks like it would work. If I was new and looking for a cheap rig that's the stuff that I'd be drawn to too. Now I get why we have SO many questions about this stuff. This is just my new understanding of what new folks are up against when making choices. Janice

Ryan Credit unions are, in my experience, easier to deal with often more one on one relationships. Leasing is also an option but consult a friend or relative for advice on the pitfalls of leasing. The only details I know of leasing are u may not be able to use the gear as collateral and u should make sure u own the gear at the end of the lease. Again lawyers and accountants and outside advice are worth the few hundred dollars they may cost u Janice

Alexander Most states have film offices that compile a list of crews and resources avail to filmmakers Certainly bigger states have commercial guides that are cheap to list in or buy ad space They are an easy way to get your avail and info out there Good luck Janice

Alexander Your best bet it a fellow op who gets is busy when a client calls him/her. He/she says use this guy, and you're in. State guides are good places to be listed and cheap or free. As one op here said be the guy who you'd want to spend a day with. I'm sure you'll do good in 2015. Janice