6 day week!?

[Thomas English]

I am just looking at the contract they are trying to make me sign for a feature and it says:

 

The filming week shall be a 6 day week where the Producer may nominate such 6 days as in any week but the Crew Member shall not be required to work more than 7 consecutive days without receiving the next consecutive day off.

 

Its on a 435 and a 535.....

 

I can t do a 6 day week with one day off on cameras like these! Im only booked now for 4 days (solid) but theres loads more days coming over the month. It means they can ask me to do 7days, one off, 7days on........! and i can t refuse without being in breach of contract.

 

I am sure I could do 14days straight on a 535 if it was 2 shots in the morning and a little in the afternoon... but if its anything like the shoots I am used too (promo s and s16 features) I am buggered...

 

I ve presently deleted that bit and sent the contract back. (also for the reason that they could insist I do other days at short notice when I am booked on something else)

 

Whats procedure with contracts like this? .... i start shooting tuesday

 

Help!

[Stephen Murphy]

Hi thomas,

 

If you are only a dayplayer then you shouldnt be signing the same contracts as the rest of the crew. If you feel you cant work a 6 day week with those cameras then talk to the PM and ask for a lighter camera (SL or LT). If you do work a 6 or 7 day week then your 6th consecutive day should be at an overtime premium and your 7th consecutive day should be at a larger overtime premium.

If you do have to fly a 535 make sure its a 535B with 100% video top and steadimags other wise you'll be in a world of pain.

Same goes for the 435 - 100% top and steadimags. If you're flying a 435 on your rig then you'll need to use at least one nicad battery to get over the start-up draw.

Best of luck,

[Thomas English]

Thanks Stephen,

 

Yup, I reckon I got the wrong contract, I m sure they would have happily let me sign it though. Who knows, but i find feature producers to be quite... sly.

 

This is the first contract I sign in so far as being a steadicam op.

 

So do some people do 5 or days solid on 435 s? for weeks at a time? I ll just see how 4 days goes in my klassen. They have a 535 as A camera and a 435 as B camera, Originally it was going to be a IIIc as B camera, (i.e. it was all going to be on the 535).

 

Ill have to put some research into the differences between the 535 and 535B as Im not sure what I am getting. Is it a big problem being on the 535 ? I see its about 7lbs heavier .... Is that down to the different viewfinder system? I reckon ive got the 535

 

Once again thankyou very much for the advice, I look forward to this bout of work and getting paid! (still reeling from how much cash I managed to get through in Thailand).

 

Thomas

[Stephen Murphy]

Hi Thomas,

 

The 435 with the correct aks is a very nice camera to fly; you should be able to fly that every day for a week with no problems.

The 535 IS NOT.

The 535B is a completely different kettle of fish to the standard 535, but again both cameras must have the appropriate aks or you will find yourself in serious trouble very quickly. The time to bring this up with the producers is now before your shoot.

Guy Bee did an entire movie "The Peacemaker" with the 535 (B i think?) and it looks great.

I personnally would refuse to fly a standard 535; its not a steadicam camera: in fact im not sure if my 3A arm could handle the weight of it.

If you have a scan through the old aol forums on the steadicam guild website there is a thread regarding the then new 535, with contributions from Mr. Bee as well.

Hope this helps,

[Gus Trivino]

Hi Thomas:

 

Usually in Argentina the 435 is used for commercials.

But like Steve said:

"...The 435 is a very nice camera to fly; you should be able to fly that every day for a week with no problems..."

 

My brother Peter did a film with a BL4 Evolution, and some day he must used an 535 A .We have an Artemis arm, that is stroger than a 3A model, but the arm doesn´t work. 535 IS NOT a Camera for steadicam, you will use a 535B.

 

the 535 B with video top and steadimags has the similar weight of a BL4 evolution, anyway, I think that is too much to work 6 days a week .

Maybe you need include an Fisioteraphyst on the budget to use in the 7 day :P

 

Best,

 

Gus

[George Grammatikos]

i believe that 6 days (all day) is a big problem specially if that continoues after a month !

Talk with producer and with director and explain that its not possible one operator to work every day for more than three weeks with that cameras (iam sure that they don't want either to stop the moovie either to change operator in the midle (for health problems )and off cource iam sure that you want to keep operating steadicam after this work !

Fly safe

[Thomas English]

Got back from my first week on the job,

 

got there , and despite the 20 phone calls I had made to Arri and the producers there were only top/steadimags for the 435 and not the 535B !

 

I catogorically refused to fly the 535B without the AKS, told them my arm would nt take it... although I suspect it could ve (being a progear with 4 x heavy springs). So the mags/top turned up the next day.

 

Wow! its so quick to change the top! I got to speed with that straight away to alleviate the AC s load and so I could be more self sufficient. So its a great gig, Im essentially doing the steadicam (on both cameras) and shooting pickups and timelapses (435) ... I am really glad I fell into this gig.

 

I have so far managed to avoid the super stressed producer and have not signed anything.

 

I did not realise how noisy the 435 was for synch, so a lot of it is on the 535B. But its a feature, so its like one scene in the morning and one in the afternoon after the crane or something. Im finding it absolutely fine.... although i broke one of my home made battery modules (mk-v) on the first 535B day, with the weight combination it meant I had to carry 3 Nicads and go up and down this hill about 20 times.... really painful... but I have it nailed now.

 

Thanks for all your help!

Thomas