Janice Arthur

Hi all; Anyone have an agent that would like to come on the forum and discuss how having/getting an agent works? I know very basic stuff only and it would be interesting to hear about. Janice

Hi all; As we start a new yr I'll pass on a reminder. Get a cheap separate HD and back up your computer. Valuable Pictures and much more is at stake. (Cloud back up also an option but I certainly don't know that much.) I've been told to then disconnect it and store it away from Internet access. A friend even hides it very well when he goes out of town so that if someone breaks in nothing else is that valueable to be stolen, even the computer itself. Heck even traveling w your computer makes this a good idea. In these days of sleezy attacks holding your computers hostage to just plain wasting vast amounts of our time fixing and rebuilding our lives and computers after this happens lets keep them from winning. Let's have a good 2015. Janice

Peter; Just an idea but search "triax" on your email account and see what comes up? Most likely you had some email or text discussion with someone. Good luck. Janice

Hi all; Love the input and am considering how to upgrade my winter gear. As far as additional suggestions remember the extras bag with clothes and shoes for changing conditions, (fresh socks or for an additional layer), different coats, etc., etc.. The clothes bag applies to any season and the contents shift with the seasons. We've all been in places that were colder or warmer than we thought and surprised us let alone the job just lasted longer; that never happens! One of the strangest cold places to shoot is an outdoor parking garage, you're surrounded by cold cement radiating it constantly to you. Janice

Hi all; Ten days ago I got a call for an industrial walk and talk trick was it was outside and not the highest budget for support stuff like RVs. I also checked the long range weather, very cold. So I gave it up, now it's almost the shoot day and high in single digits. Sure glad I'm not on it, but it reminded me of how seldom I do jobs in cold weather. So except for lots of thin layers and a heavy coat over the vest while operating was my rule. Hand and sometimes feet suffer most and loss of dexterity setting up is the most slowing part I remember, any other ideas? Peace to all and have a good 2015. Janice

Tim; As I'm sure u know every story is different and no one comes out with a straight line career. Go for whatever you can make money from fastest; if that's AC and PA or gripping go for it right now. Have a goal of steadicam or DP that you're working toward but the point is get started on anything that brings in cash and you can make right now. We all have friends who keep saying they're going to get to marketing themselves or making calls but no surprise they never get to it and hence they never "start". Funny though when I talk to them they say they're working at it every minute!!! Don't put it off is my tips get any job you can now. Good luck and have a great 2015. Janice

Alekos; it seems like a very good set up. i was just wondering how you got the gimbal inverted in the low mode set up? Am i seeing things? Janice

Hi all; I'd love to get rid of this stuff. Brand new, never worn Pilot vest, cost me $650, make offer. Seldom used Anton-Bauer hot swap bracket, $400 new, make offer Afton Grant's iphone to Anton-bauer charger cable, make offer, going cheap! Thanks. Janice

Kevin Ask your accountant is the easy answer mine said I should pay quarterly because I had a hard time amassing all of it in April so it made me budget better Things change over time so what works now may not work in 5 yrs so keep asking your accountant. Janice

Mike I do kind of the same thing with incremental deposits by quarter. To get there I try to save 'say tripod' job income to tax and retirement income and keep it in separate account or deposit it right away so it doesn't get spent elsewhere. Its fun to play around each year with which type of job goes to that account. Yes my accounting has evolved over the years to accomodate the changing business. I do now use my calendar much more for tax warning notes and due dates so things are not a surprise. I use it to make myself look and see what I've done or not done and it keeps me from avoiding the subject. I also use the calendar to record payments on those jobs so at a glance I can see if an old job hasn't paid. I do need to do the monthly check balancing much better. I got into real estate 5-6 yrs ago to investigate all those supposed deals out there and have learned a lot which was my plan. I don't have enough for property purchases and RE is a dicey investment (if you don't know what you're doing) but I do dabble in some aspects of real estate purchase which goes toward both income and maybe retirement but as we speak I'm still working on it as a plan. Its fun to see what people think about real estate, the studies in people is where you see good and bad and learn the most. It's a very hard way to make a living at though so don't enter it expecting to make a ton and but that's another subject. I have recently found this book "The only math book you'll ever need." It's like 1997 but in really simple way it shows you how to calculate a return on bonds. Ways to calculate mortgages and about 30 other things. Very helpful stuff you didn't even know you didn't know. Amazon is selling used copies for $4. I'm giving copies to everyone I know. Its a great book for the bathroom, quick 5 min of reading and you've learned something. I really like the subject of financial planning and see what I (cringe) did stupidly in my youth and hope to correct. Its a strange world and the idea of security when you can't work scares me so I'm constantly searching for a way to bulletproof myself over the next years. It scares me to death when I see or hear people kind of our age proudly say 'I've got nothing saved.' I am stunned and yes I get bills and income and all that but I also see those same people living larger than I do so some of it is self inflicted. I hope it works out for them. So I bring this up to help, I have a millionaire friend (who was cheap as I've never been) said remember in 10yrs a loaf of bread will cost you $15. Yikes, he's right! Janice

Hi all; Now is the time to assess your equipment purchases for 2014 if you want to get additional tax depreciation by the end of year deadline. Figure out what that purchase of new or used equipment before the end of the year could help. This note could also make those holding gear they want to sell out it up and maybe find a willing buyer? I know I'm always looking for good buys now myself. I am also using this time to both see what I've paid in taxes this year and what I might need to pay by April. To my surprise I didn't pay as much as I thought and I was shocked to see what I might have to pay and/or put into retirement to decrease my taxes. Either way now I have a plan for April and it's not going to be as bad as waking up to a huge bill that I can't cover! Now that I know I may end up paying less than I think and I'll have a wonderful surprise. I'm really tired of the hands off mode of actually budgeting for future bills in anything other than rough estimates. Sure we all know roughly our bills but to know very close on a screen in front of us is vastly different. We all used to just overwhelm our bills with big pay days that would solve anything, sure you still can but that is only available to an increasingly smaller number of operators. So as hard as it may be pull out that gunk and look at it. Janice

Hi all; An important distinction here to note is that credit cards can get you refunds but debit cards are harder or impossible to get refunded so as you deal with on-line purchases the buyer should investigate the differences. PayPal certainly is a good option too for the buyer. William good luck and others who are with you. I really hate reading this ongoing issue. Janice

Matteo; Good luck thanks for being here and you seem like a very nice guy. Wish you success where you end up. Janice

Alexander; I have to say this business is not that easy to find a website and find jobs from it. I am not trying to insult you but its harder than that to find work these days and I'm no expert certainly but if everyone is going to websites to find work you need to go the other direction (especially if it isn't working for you). Post card mailers, mailing lists to production companies, the hard work of calling any one and everyone, production guide listings in your area and states around you; in a nutshell you've got to get creative. The reason no one else has responded is because no one else is going to give away their "tricks" because it gives away not only what works for them but may also help their competition. Example; i have a good client now and a friend gaffer asked who I was working for lately, i said sorry not telling who I'm working for because in today's world any bit of info could work against me in ways I can't imagine but bottom line I'm not taking chances. I simply can't afford the chance. I wish you good luck but honestly if you don't make it there are those who are here want only a small percentage to survive to compete me too included. This is just like every other business; you open a dry cleaners and the dry cleaners around you want you to fail, your job is to prove them wrong by being smart enough and good enough and have a little luck too but its about being scrapped off. Every business is designed to scrap off some amount of the newbies, business is a pyramid. i really do wish you well but its hard. (Sorry not trying to insult your intelligence for all this that you already know.) So the answer to your original question is I don't know any websites that list jobs, even the union list is exactly what you describe, many bad numbers and out of date shows. Buy your crew members in the area some beers and listen well. Janice

David; Cleaning the vest once a month is a lot, in my experience. Here is my input; you are taking away all the body oils, dirty and junk that builds up and makes the vest noisier than if you cleaned it maybe twice or even once a year. Yes you should tighten the screws maybe monthly but even that seems like a lot. The vest needs to breath and flex with you and when the screws loosen up its telling you where that flex needs to happen. I would do an eyeball check on screws every time I take it out of the bag and tighten any that are really loose but not much beyond that. Yes I would once a year wash the pads in some cold water and rinse out and let air dry but even that is kind of as needed thing. Spraying the vest occasionally is great when you find a squeaky spot and a drop of oil on the various screws once in six months is good to keep the threads from stripping is a good idea too. Just a drop around the head or at the back of the screw is usually all you need. A knarly, used, worn vest says you work a lot, was always a sign of an experienced op who couldn't be bothered with something as trivial as a dirty vest. ("I'm so cool (and I make so much money) that I just buy a new one when I wear this one out.") Besides that a new looking vest said you were a rookie, so again in the past new was bad message. That said a vest should not smell. Smelling is bad and wash the pads if that does, you do want people to be drawn to you not repulsed. I have seen some terrible vests that got no attention and were nasty so some maintenance would help. I thought the vest looked bad and sent the wrong message, so so basic maintenance is really good and will make the vest last longer and fit better over time. Good luck and use that monthly vest time for something else that's more fun. Janice

Charles; Yes decimator 1-2 just had couple of dip switches which always got covered with velcro! And yes hardly ever needed switching. It's been a while since I looked at their website but when I did more featured models were just starting to have screens which seemed wonderful concept. I honestly couldn't figure out all the Multi featured Applications and didn't look further. The idea that you can use PC/Mac was not as common as it is now and I'm sure you're accurate these features make the products really user friendly. I was, at the time, looking for more featured units for rental applications. Now I can look again being more versed in the terms and uses. I think, as an idea for someone, now that we know the older decimator 1-2 units don't have a wide voltage range; maybe a bridge cable with a voltage compensator (I know the wrong electrical term) to safeguard our units and headaches and save the company some money on repair hassles. If nothing else it's another sale for someone and maybe make the company have a positive touch point with previous client? Janice (Don't confuse me with the facts) Arthur

Charles and Suzanne; Its nice to hear that things are getting fixed regards to power. I have to say the company seems to have been mum about these changes and they could have proactively explained these points. Just a small point you telling us the decimator wasn't for steadicam use is not how I'd phrase that; lots of income was made from us and many may now just say the competitor is where we are supposed to go? Charles has always been a good guy and the decimator was valuable option when it come out, so his further input should be considered. I don't have one that needs fixed now so don't need the link thanks anyway. One of the those other units (not sure which) had more dip switches than could be understood and didn't fit my needs in the field. Good luck and hopefully this discussion is getting at the issues. Janice

Suzanne; Good information thanks. I would say how likely is it decimator could put in a power buffer of some sort since the many many device get used on battery power? I know many times other people change batteries on the camera and steadicam and powering off the decimator every time is not going to happen every time. I've never heard of anyone using them plugged into AC. I'd sacrifice size, weight and price to make them more safe from power surges. Heck your company would solve many repair problems that contribute to overhead and work. Repairing items is very hard on companies. Janice

Suzanne; I got an early decimator and it worked great. Thought of it as tough and bullet proof then started hearing of problems with them. I bought couple more 3-4 years later (now the decimator 2 I believe) because they were so useful then suddenly they started being fragile and a source of worry. I still have several but I never go out with just one and I think twice and cross my fingers when I plug one in hoping today is not a bad day. What changed? Janice.

Brett I feel like we're beating a dead horse. Not many will say exact numbers because when you're in that arena you know it Just to be clear. "here is no price for good experience. with even a year or two in the game, an operator should get a pretty good idea of what others are charging on whatever the respective level of production may be, whether its an independent feature, tv show, music video, fashion film, etc.". If your at a complete loss; 30k of gear 300.-500. Right 1%-3% ? Local video tripod guy gets $500 a day and your a specialist and some experience so you say 800-1000. For yourself $1100-1500. Yes they do call with I've got $500 take it or leave it. Were you free Tuesday and it would be a lost day or do u want grocery money or maybe u want to meet this company? All this depends on area and but again start making leaps of understanding you're not going to get people to throw out what they charge on a public forum. Buy guys a beer in your area a few times and start the conversation there. Good luck Janice

Second idea; Brett you're making this a barrier. People get hired because "know, like, trust" it's an old idea but still very very true. Don't over think rates, work on getting what you can and keep getting smarter. You now know what most of us know. Get involved in your market and listen and start being friends with other people in the business and if you find out you offered less than the grips on your last job next time offer a high number. If another operator hands you a job say boy thanks and 'hey great what do you usually quote them?' Now you're smarter. Getting pissed and the crap beaten out of you will make u smarter fast. Lastly I don't know anything about agreements or legal stuff you can't get 3 people to agree on the time let alone rates and there is always the 10% factor.. He has a Preston or a rickshaw or it was running or nights etc. Undercutting by accident, or even on purpose nothing you can do about it and move on. If it becomes persistent with a few ops then very few higher up ops will recommend that op and they loose out twice. That's why trade shows and beers and get togethers work, it's the stuff you can't say.. (Tax deductible too, isn't America wonderful? Having fun is a deduction.) The important point is to bulldoze ahead getting the jobs and working as much as you can and the rest will figure itself out, remember Getting pissed and the crap beaten out of you will make u smarter fast. Janice

Brett and others; First I'll clarify my statement to Ryan, he just skipped a few details. I said start with local tripod op rate when you need to know where to start coming out of a workshop. The idea that you should get less than that person is hard to justify. In today's world try to be both the reg op and the steadicam op and that makes it simpler. Many people who take workshops are new to the business so that's why I said get to know your market. Rates on gear it used to mean on the 20-80k rig cost meant u charged 1% of that number per day. Again numbers have shifted and I'm not sure what high end ops get for gear these days in big markets. Important is big markets idea, Idaho is much different than NYC . Here is another issue, a 2000. Pilot means only $20 a day at 1% so you'd never make any money on it and so rental houses got about 200-250 a day so that equation was out the window so about 10% makes sense on them. They also don't last as long so you've got to pay them off fast. My discussion on the points was for a starting point. Meaning don't go out for free or $200 if the local tripod guy is getting $500 a day and you're working your butt off. Janice

Richard; Operating above the gimbal takes your hand away from operating at the CG. It's never been easy to reach below the gimbal and maintain good operating posture and why many many of us hated low mode. Now longer posts make it impossible. Here's the trouble w operating above the gimbal, you are now using the post as a lever; which means any tiny movement by your hand is amplified. I've tried it and can never get subtle moves and moves are also more angular. I had a handle that I made that clamped below the gimbal and reached up 6-8" and found all this out. It works great but boy is it a whole new learning curve. What is good is that your response to moves on the rig are much faster above the gimbal but much harder to make precise and nice to the eye. Being as close to the gimbal as possible even strattling it is best The anology that I always use is a tripod handle. At the end you can make small adjustments easily and nearer the tripod head you hold the handle the less reactive it is, a lever. Janice Have nice year.

William Good info I've got to believe this product will develop into something we can use at some point. Janice

Hi all; Finally I think the perfect steadicam vehicle is here. Google electric unicycle (I'm on a train and website not coming up). Also CNN has a story on them now. Compact, cheap, and easy mount dismount to save your life or continue the shot. Has anyone tried it? I'm going to see about ordering details later in week, I'll let u know Janice