mattmarek

http://www.muchmusic.com/music/videofact/i...?vfAssetID=8668 'click to watch' :D

dan, how much extra did you bill production for the segway and ar?

how is something that is as unstabel as this thing sounds, actually on the market? what does it offer?

what is a bolland?

would it not be cheaper to just fly over and pick it up yourself and inspect the gear on the spot? save yourself the shipping and customs as well as have a better idea of the gear itself.

from last nights guild meeting.

just a reminder to all toronto op's that tonight we will be having our guild meeting. play with brians new PRO arm, gab about gear and new gadgets, socialize with some models, followed by the consumption of beverages that may or may not contain alcohol. see you there around 7pm.

i think MK-V stands for 'mark 5' ?

not to be blunt, but the answer to both of your questions is a. practice and b. more practice. there is no trick to stairs and not hitting the rig with knees. having someone pull focus off the rig without a remote will also dampen your chances of succeeding with stair shots :blink: have you taken a workshop yet? if not, you are probably picking up bad habits that will stay with you for a long time. how long have you been practicing steadicam in your backyard or basement with a weightplate and some targets?

sure is. got my little ipod adapted up there as well. :ph34r:

wear a bicycle helmet and fasten the receiver to the top. could probably build the headphones into it, patent it and make some dough . :lol:

there's an interesting poll for forum members. what's the longest period of time you've been in the rig shooting without docking or even a break to rest on the shoulder or a grip. other day i was doing a tv gig;. we started at 11am. was running around like a madman covering the event and when i finally NEEDED to dock, i looked up and the time was 12:13. :blink: boy was i feeling it that night :lol:

hmmm. gotta ask :) did you plan any of your purchases out? that's a lot of money to spend on a vest with no arm/sled :P maybe get rid of the vest and find an old 3a system to at least keep you practicing??? best of luck

just curious as to physical harm. i mean if you fall while concious you can use arms or whatever means to fall 'safely' ...passed out, no telling how the rig will drag you down. scary. glad you made out ok. what kind of rig damage?

lawrence, how are you? long time no chat. still have that sld? :) wondering if you still keep a front mounted vest in your kit? if so , do you interchange between the two ever to get rid of potential numbing? grayson, thanks for gracing this lowly forum with your presence...why not chime in with a little effort now and then to bring it up and out of the ground? my experience with the klassen vest is limited. i found throwing it on for some takes to be a very natural transition, but i also noted the added weight of the vest. guess i need to get into the world of 2hour long video takess before i can really justify the purchase. :P as for health issues, i get the odd tingling when in my masters vest for very extended periods of time. thankfuly nothing as severe as erwins experience. did you actually pass out and drop to the floor with full rig on?? :blink:

i'd try contacting heden themselves. they're over there...sweden?

are there any operators in tel aviv or other major city? could you call a rental house maybe to find out? get their contact info and possibly do some one on one private lessons?

...been there rob! :) feel your pain. butt, not that much pain. check out my avatar and you'll see the old 'virtual reality head mounted monitor' setup i had to work with in moscow. that day there were stairs too! :blink: the base of the sled was rugby ball shaped and felt kind of spongey. the arm socket block on the vest only mounted on the wrong side (wrong for me) so i had the arm jutting out of my left side and 180 degree crank around to kind of operate the sled on my left and out in front....did i mention i had to do stairs as well???? anyways, i wish i was in your situation :D an ultra?!!! what's that? we located some reallly beat up old model 3 for me to use a couple days. arm locked up and was kept on the floor (by the owner of the rig who also was on set) and the monitor was some old black and white tv that your dad always had down in the shop. :D good memories though. i will ask though, have you ever tried just bringing in a case or two with you and not declaring anything? i dont think i've been lucky (as my gear was held up in moscow) but all other countries, it's been no issue. just an amateur photographer doing some travelling. cheers m

isn't there legal action you can take? sorry, but 10 000 is a lot of money. i'd be all over that.

very cool rob!!! wish i could tackle something like that. how fun!

ant, the helmet is actually the monitor of some russian steadicam i had to operate in moscow 2 years back. quite dangerous for stairs :o small black and white tube in the top, that you would see by looking at the mirror strip that was out in front. good memories there. :D

well, in my opinion, you'd get more 'return' on your investment, if you went with a more 'known' and reliable brand. how many of your shoots do you dop with some russian arri knock off?

so you billed over $600 000 last year alone, and are trying to penny pinch with a second rate system? :blink:

with some more information maybe we could help you. try these: do you mainly do film or video? mix? do you often find yourself with tricked out panavision cameras on top? how about a bl4 or 535? about the new or used. there are some great used deals out there to be found. depends on what you want to spend. if you do film, you'll also need remote follow focus, transmitter, oodles of cables, maybe an extra batter conversion for 24v. basicaly, how much money you got. go for a rig that is 20% less than that amount, and use that 20% for additionals that you will most probably need in the near future. and go to a course!!! :) cheers, matt - toronto

hi bryan, i'd agree and say that the reel is way too long. rate all your shots. 1-10. get rid of the 6 and anything below and put your 10's at the beginning. you have wasted time in there with little titles from some corporate shoot as well as brief shots that don't show your talent off at all. you have some good shots in there that showcase your ability. use them and throw them in the viewers face. dont make them remember your good shots by having to sift through mediocrity. your opening shot feels like you are fighting the gimbal (grip?) there's a re frame in there as well. i'd say lose it from your opening. your following the horse shot is nice and level and smooth. maybe open with this? your last int plane shot seems like you hit the sled with your leg. bad bump. lose it. shots like these that fall below b grade...lose em! seems like you do mainly corporate shootings, so maybe this length is ok. but i'd take quality over quantity any day. if the reel is only 1-2 min's long after you trim the fat, dont worry. my 2 cents.