Injured while operating Steadicam

[David Allen Grove]

If you vote, please post specific examples of how it happened and what injuries you had/have.

[Ruben Sluijter]

I've never suffered any injuries so far (knocks quite feverishly on several conveniently located pieces of wood)

I have enjoyed the sensation of falling once but luckily came out of that without a scratch (I've written about that more than once so I won't bore you with the details)

 

By the way, David...dude....what the hell is that avatar of yours?

For some reason it's seriously freaking me out....don't know why..

 

Peace, Ruben "Hurt me baby, hurt me...." Sluijter

[David Allen Grove]

That's me playing my Cow bell man! Can you feel the beat??? YEA! Yea! YEA!

 

I've put on 40 lbs, I permed my hair and grew a beard and mustache. What????? don't you like my new look? :lol:

 

It's actually from a skit on Saturday Night Live... (Will Ferral). haha.

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I pinched my finger in the arm once and it bleed like crazy. Looked like a scene from Kill Bill! :lol: I haven't had an injury since.

[mattmarek]

where'd you find the cowbell thing? i looooovvvvveeee that skit. oh man, i need that!

[David Allen Grove]

where'd you find the cowbell thing?  i looooovvvvveeee that skit.  oh man, i need that!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, I was surfing the net trying to find out about different types of forums and came across Kevin Smith's (you know, director of Jay and Silent bob and clerks) and started reading some of the crazy posts and well, you just can't help notice the INSANE avatar's that people have on that forum.

 

Makes ours look like old fuddy duddy avatars.

 

I found Cowbell and copied it.. er... I mean borrowed it. I'll return it one day, I promise.

 

here it is for your amusement or horror depending on your POV.

 

http://viewaskew.com/theboard/

There is also a place called http://www.avatarity.com

 

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Now.. back to injuries... for those who voted.. lets hear the specifics!!!

I have a reason for this poll... really!!!!

[RobVanGelder]

David, I voted, but my injuries were always so minor (a scratch or a slight pinch) that it is not worth mentioning.

 

I did have one more serious accident, while wearing my harnass and arm but in rest, not with the rig: As I walked through a set (hospital set) with my IIIa arm attached to my FM vest and I was holding it with my real arm, 2 guys carrying a big table approched me and in passing the corner of the table hit my elbow. But my elbow was locked against the 3A arm and it could not move away and was severely hurt, but not crushed. It did take a couple of weeks to get normal.

[Jeff Muhlstock SOC]

After 15 years of Steadicam, I developed a bad bone spur on my right shoulder, this caused some minor tearing of my rotator cuff. My Surgeon told me he see's this type of injury on people who have there arm in a somewhat upright position for great lenghts of time, even in Violin players. the constant subtle movements of the "boom" arm, frequent inflamation and just an acumulation of being in the darn suit for great lengths of time over a 15 year period created this condition. The pain became so severe that I had know choice but to have shoulder surgery in 2003, it laid me up for 3 months. The good news is, I am totally recovered and have been back working since. The point here: not everyone will have this problem, but I suspect some of you that have been operating for many years, feel some shoulder pain. Good preventative measures would be general shoulder strengthening and streching. Keep a check on inflamation, ice up after long days. All basic common sense stuff, dont take your body for granted. Stay healthy.

 

Jeff

[Michael Reedy]

I've got a fever, and the prescription is more cow bell.

HAHA love that avatar David!

 

I finally caught about 10 minutes of Las Vegas, quite a catchy show. Keep up the good work!!

[Brad Hruboska]

I slipped in the studio once on a drop of glycerine the art department had used to give the dungeon/castle set the correct slimy effect, but the floor was ostensibly dry, I managed to find the one quarter sized drop in the whole floor with my heel just as I commited my weight to a full out pursuit of two actors russhing along a hallway. I skidded out, saved the rig, wound up kind of sideways and wrenched my arm saving the then rare, Sony F-900 from the concrete floor....shot made the season finale Wrap party reel, to my eternal shame and my wife's absolute delight...sensitive girl she is........

ahem...

destroyed my best wristwatch too......

But I tell you , that hard shell Sauve/Klassen vest saved my tailbone! ;)

Brad Hruboska

[Charles Papert]

Knock on wood, my only serious boo boo in coming-up-on-20-years of flying was nearly choking to death on a craft service meatball sandwich while standing by in the arm and vest...sounds funny and it sort of was in retrospect, but luckily the medic got there soon after I had slipped out of the hardware and gave me three good Heimlichs, and I lived to fly another day. A bit embarassing in front of 400 extras, but what are you going to do.

[Lawrence Karman]

Got my thumb pinched in the PRO arm last night. After a running shot a grip tried to lift the rig off my arm post to help me by carrying it back to my stand. My gymbal hand was somewhere on the arm and crunch. He's lifting and I'm screaming at him to let go. 5 seconds of this before relief. Blood, flap of skin dangling, a quick band aid application and on to take 3. Mental note to keep all soft, fleshy appendages away from the moving parts of the arm for the rest of my working life.

[jay kilroy]

We should all knock on wood after this poll.