Blair Phillips

Thanks guys. This morning when I was looking at it I did notice the two hexagonal bolts were loose, so I will give that a try once I get my Allen keys back

Hey guys, It seems that my stage has has come slightly loose on the post. when I move it quickly I can notice the stage slide forward or back about 2mm. Anybody know a way I can fix this? I am kind of afraid to go in there with some screw drivers and experiment.

The "sony Cannon 5D" peaks my suspicions that this is a fake ad.

I was wondering if anyone would say that. I do not see how I would be screwing my fellow operators though, since I am pretty sure the kind of productions operators make a living off do not even look at craigslist. I am using what contacts I have, which so far is slow. And by 50 replies do you mean 50 steadicam ops telling you that you are selling them out or something? Thank you for the unfiltered input! It is actually quite helpful.

Ah, so they are the same thing! Or a licensed copy anyway. I was worried it would be a Chinese knock-off (which makes me feel sorry for some genius engineer/craftsmen somewhere in China who get a bad wrap). Well that makes my choice a lot easier. Thanks

Look closer... closer still... Almost there... sorry, your wiles are lost on me

i was looking around and found this (seemingly) complete system by varizoom. here It's slightly cheaper than a bartech and M-One, but am I going to pay dearly for saving a few hundred bucks? Also, I see a cable that presumably connects the receiver to the motor, but there should be one for the receiver's power no?

Thanks guys, this is helpful. I am thinking about this and trying to make myself a guide. So far this is what I can gather I need to investigate, in order of importance: 1) refuse unsafe work* 2) insurance status 3) meals and craft 4) working hours 5) shot expectations 6) prep day 7) demo reel material availability *this really applies in any job minus Soldiers, and even then it is a good idea where practical. Anything else you think I need to add here?

I got my flyer back in July, and I have been practicing when I can ever since. I have gone to a local university and offered my services to senior students who have expressed interest but do not start filming until late November at the earliest with most filming in January. In the mean time I am thinking about making an ad on craigslist advertising my services pro bono so I can develop my skills and experience. Is this bound to end in disaster? Are there special precautions I should take? Thanks

This has all been helpful guys, thanks! I taped myself doing the same thing today, then trying to keep my arm hand loose and shoulders relaxed. Should be interesting to look at it when I get time on Wednesday

The other day I tried walking around a bush in my garden to see how it felt. There is some horizon role that I am not happy with, but I am more concerned with the bobbling that is going on. Is this an operator problem and if so what can I do to fix it? Link to the footage: here I was walking on grass, using a Flyer-LE and a DSLR Thanks!

Of course it is, a few months after I fly down to Florida for one! At least I got a trip out of it.

I did not get a cage, I got the bottom rails found here. The weight is not much, I would say less than two pounds. I attached a 2 1/2 pound weight to the rear of the rails to get it within the arm's weight range.

I have a steadicam flyer, to go with it I got myself a canon 550D DSLR. Not the flashiest kit in the world but hey we all have to start somewhere, right? So in the first week of August I got my self the Jag35 bottom rods. I was not expecting much, given that it was 1/3 the price of other competing products, but all I needed it for was a critical 3/4 inch so I could turn the lever on the quick release plate and change my batteries without having to unscrew the camera (DLSRs not being made with steadicams in mind). A minor adjustment and a 2 1/2 pound weight later and it looks like a low budget dream! Everything fits exactly as I want...then I try to balance it. Static goes off without a hitch, but for some reason I cannot get it into dynamic balance. An hour goes by, and I determine I am just frustrated and tired. Coming back tomorrow will give me a fresh head. Same story the next day. I head off to the arctic circle for 3 weeks on unrelated business and resolve that this time it will be no problem. Another day of complete disassembly, reassembly and the same results. I look though all the books on it, doing it step by step and nothing works. About half an hour ago something dawned on me. I look at the platform on on which I had been balancing my level, I look closely. The Jag35 platform is slanted! Every static balance I did was useless! 5 minutes placing my level on the gimbal later I have good dynamic balance and huge appreciation I made this ridiculous mistake at home and not on my first set.

Looking for a complete kit with motor, hand unit, receiver, cables batteries etc. Just need a focus, no iris or zoom control necessary (though I will not turn down a good offer). Budget of 5000 USD. Based in Toronto ON

Just got my steadicam flyer a few weeks back and I have been practicing line dances and a bit of stairs. Today I decided I would time how long it took me to go from completely packed (including my DSLR)to completely set up ready to shoot. It took me about 50 minutes. I know with practice and experience I will get this down faster, but I am curious about how long it takes you guys who have been doing it for years to get from packed to ready to fly. Have you ever timed it?

I am singed up for the steadicam workshop in Tampa this weekend. I got the operator's hand book and have skimmed though it a few times, I have been reading threads on the forums (the ones I could make sense of). Do you guys have any specific advice on what i can do to maximize the value of one of these workshops? Is there something you wish you had of done/had at your first workshop? PS. I know a two day workshop is not enough time to learn all I need to know, but figure it will will give me a running start Blair

Thanks Rob! I am looking at the archives and they are helpful, except they only seem to go back to 2004 where people say "looks at the 2001 thread on the same topic!"

Thanks, that was very helpful. So if I want to upgrade piece by piece, the vest is where it all starts. I am signed up for a 2 day flyer/pilot seminar in Tampa this July and I am not planning on committing to a rig until that is done. Before that happens I would like to use my time to learn as much as I can to maximize my experience there.

Thanks! You mentioned a lot used arms for sale. Is it possible to insert a g-50/g-70 arm onto say, a flyer, to increase payload or will I simply break socket/socket block? I guess more generally, can I upgrade a kit piece by piece like one would a computer?

Good point, thanks. Looking to spend no more than 15k on the rig, then maybe 6k on accessories.

If a thread like this already exists, my apologies. When one is purchasing a new rig, what are the key things to look for? Are there particularly important places to look for signs of wear? Are there especially bad brands one should avoid? Anything you can think of would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Blair

Rest assured, I will not consider myself above ACing the second I get a rig, far from it. Right now I am volunteering at a local TV station as a camera op and I plan to continue that. I imagine I will not be flying on anything other the most budget deprived sets in Toronto for a considerable amount of time. I guess when I think about it I am not making a jump straight from PA to steadicam, I am trying to learn steadicam as I transition to Camera. EDIT: and thanks for the advice everyone

Well thankfully I do not need to get a loan against my dad's house to pay for it; one tour with the army sorted that problem out. I have no doubt people have tried this and failed, buts it is good to know it's not impossible. Yes, I know my first rig will not pay for itself and the first years will be a bitter struggle, I just want to start the struggle while I best able to endure abuse. I am prepared to do all sorts of other work to keep myself solvent for a considerable length of time. That said, thank you all for the warnings. I am seeking out every opportunity I can think of to improve my camera operating skills. Are there any specific suggestions in this regard?

I have been working as a PA for over a year and I have recently started working as an AC in the ultra low budget ring in Toronto. I love the look of steadicam work and steadicam ops seem to be the only person on set who's job requires that they be fit. I have some savings that I think could get me on the ground floor in terms of a rig. My question is this: does being a relative newcomer to film and especially camera work pose a significant barrier to jumping on a steadicam workshop? I was looking at the one offered by Maine Media. The registrar there saying applicants should have at least 3-4 years hands on with cameras. To be honest, I do not want to wait that long just to give steadicam a try.