"Make it Up" Music Video

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

Ari you made a choice and that's great but it's one thing if it's your gear and a totally different thing if it's a loaner. And what Alec said

[Ari Robbins]

Tiffen handles my rig with the utmost scrutiny. I took my rig in to get tightened just after that oner, as I work my gear hard quite often. The extreme nature of a lot of the work I do, and manner in which I work my gear does require that I have it maintained regularly in order to successfully complete the challenging work I do. I do TV a lot now, and I know that the level of use of gear on a show is nowhere near the level of use of someone who does other jobs.

Because of my good relationship, my rig gets taken in and fixed quickly any time I need something. I've heard customer complaint service from Tiffen, and I personally couldn't have a Better experience with their customer service.

I could drop my rig off today and pick up a new one right away, then as they always do, no matter the issue, will have everything resolved within 48hrs, all the while I have a back up rig to keep going. I do this about once every 3 months. I'm a gear perfectionist, if something is a millimeter off or slightly different, I take it in, it gets fixed. Hell most of the time, I don't even get a bill.

Also, Alec's comment makes no sense. Think about like so: if I did a job, and the top stage needed to be tightened, how would they know about it before the job?? So yes with a good relationship, they will fix it fast.

But Alec's comment states as, and with a good relationship with Tiffen you think they would be all over it. Yes they were, when the problem was brought to them the fixed it, immediately and provided me with a full Ultra 2 rig while it was being serviced.

So to make a statement that suggest that they weren't or because of my relationship that it's odd it wasn't fixed, is basically a play in time travel, no??

Does Pro have a sensor that automatically updates to Jack as soon as it turns on to let him know how the rig is doing before it's set up and used on set? Pretty sure only NASA's Mars Rovers do that.

Yes I made my choice, because I have the confidence in what my decisions are and the effect those decisions have are always in consideration. It's called accountability, and I live to that as one of my highest personal values. So to be evaluated by you or anyone else on this forum, is unneeded. Thank you for your considerate comments, I appreciate your concern and input.

Really though guys?

I have no need to discuss or state anything to a website filled with this type of communication. I have worked my way from no connections and a model 3 up to an U2, Preston, and all the other gear needed. I have never been handed a job by another operator, and I work on about 12 TV shows a year, I do about 2 major commercials a month, I do probably at least a 250k video once a month, and fill my time in between with a ton of work. I work on average, 15 different jobs a month, and shoot about 26 days per month. I average at about 300 working days a year, but only here on this forum I'm treated with such negative encouragement, only here am I treated poorly. So y'all can have your forum, y'all can have your opinions. I'm to busy to sit and be a part of this horrible online community, I have to go to work on yet another major television show I am just starting on. Have fun kids.

Keep flying safe.

I'm sure ill post something again in another 2 years, maybe then, this forum won't be the shit it's been since I joined the steadicam community 10 years ago.

Actually, I'm not done. I think it's absolutely disgusting the negativity I have seen displayed on this forum and by the people who are supposed to be the leaders of our community. The ways young guys have been spoken to by you guys, you know who you are, is just short of complete assholeism. How dare you guys think you have the right to treat people the way you do? You have a responsibility to be the better, a leader, a friend and a mentor to those who have interest in what we do. All I ever see is backhanded comments, insults and degrading peoples comments, thoughts, choices and decisions. I have never looked up to any of you, not because of your work, but because of the indecency you show to others. I have had many young people ask and say stupid shit to me about steadicam, and I take a minute to politely help, not belittle. I'm not a leader of this community, but at least have the common courtesy to be kind to someone who may not know what I know, or experienced what I have. I care about the future of my craft just as much, maybe more, as it will effect me longer then it will you. You guys will be done in 10-15 max, I'll just be at my prime then, with another 15 left in me. So I do care, because once your gone, it's up to people like me to carry the torch, and I will personally do all in my power to make sure that our community isn't filled with the same energy as it is now, because I couldn't sleep at night if I felt I treated a newbie they way y'all have in the past. So in ending, good day, good night. Be better, cause even with 20 more years of experience, the way you treat people matters most.

Can't believe I'm half y'all's age and you need to hear this from someone like me. Oh and keep doing what you have done to try to stop me( I know btw) and watch as it will do nothing. My skill and resume speaks for it self. Again, never been given a job by anyone, and frankly, I wouldn't even want a referral from any of you, it means shit to me.

See y'all on the back lots

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

Ari,

 

Calm down man. Don't over complicate my statement. There was no time travel involved. The Master Series top stage had known issues (as did other top stages from other vendors). I had assumed that it was corrected on the Ultra 2 as it was on PRO's DB3. So, I was asking if this was a camera plate problem or a top stage problem. I even said "nice work" so there was no way you'd think I was being critical of your operating. Mechanical vibration is just that - mechanical.

[Jessica Lopez]

Omg really guys? I can't help but think how does one get a positive or even a constructive response on this forum? I guess you have to meet these requirements:

 

1) Must post something that makes the viewer feel good about reading

2) It does matter who you are

3) Or you have something to offer everyone

 

If "Ari Robbins" was for example as cool as "Ron Baldwin," he would have gotten a lot of cool quirky comments about how he got on the truck and kept subject in frame or wrapped around a big ass stage with 3 apple boxes on each side as his only access. And he would have received several comments on how bad ass it was to be in a Tenacious D video, probably one of the baddest videos you could ever be a part of. The D are known for the most far out imagery accompanied to their music. The end of the story in the video called for everyone involved to leave the frame pissed off.

 

What else would a Steadicam Operator do when he is asked to have his own cameo after he docks the rig? Does he walk over cautiously, lay the arm on the pretty cart and hang the vest up? It was badass to see him do what he did. Nothing was harmed and that arm proved to be the work horse that it is.

 

And as for the shadows, yes it's beneath some of you to work on such a low budget project where they would actually pay a steadicam operator their full rate and not raise more funds for extra coverage in the lighting department. Majority of their audience participants didn't even see the shadows because they don't know it's there. Plus last time I checked Ari was not the DP or the Director of the project and probably did help them work with their lack of shooting skills to pull off the complex oner.

 

Why do you guys have to be so freakin negative all the time? I posted these videos because of what he pulled off. They deserved to be seen by all of you. Come on, he hopped on the back of a truck! He dropped a piece of machinery that none of us would ever think to do. Holy shit!

 

One person out of the few that commented was completely genuine to the actual operator for their efforts. Out of 495 views. Alec and Charles good words too. Ron Baldwin is Ron Baldwin. Which we love him for.

[RonBaldwin]

I just didn't see his hummer in the video so commented that it must have been shot before he got it.

 

Jess...I am not all that cool:

 

I couldn't do Ari's video because I am old, fat and lazy...I don't throw equipment, I sleep with it...I'm no good at don juan, running, stairs, or panning...I love to tilt...I strive for adequacy...I am addicted to mediocrity...I am unorganized, disheveled and smell like baby oil and burnt toast...I like to hang with film carnies, drunken baffoons and strippers...I hate to drive, unless it's over dirt, sand, boulders or small cars...I am afraid of flying and am convinced I will die every time I takeoff or land...I do not fly in helicopters or any plane with propellors...I hate people who compensate for small penises by buying bus-width domestic polluting tractors...I hate hairless cats, but love BJ (and bj's)...I hate the film/tv biz, but love my job...communication is my business, not my policy...I don't have any tats...I am a texter and hate talking on the phone...I can't spell worth a shit...I don't own a blue-ray player yet...I have a kegerator but do not drink beer...I do not own a suit...I did not vote for Pedro...I have stickers on my gear and don't care what you think...I only smoke pot when alone (or when I'm with strippers)...I own a baby blue bike...and I cannot dance. There.

 

I know some can be harsh here, but who cares. Ignore and move on. It's often more fun to talk about what went wrong than what went right. Many of us here on he forum are really uber critical of our own work and see flaws where most don't. Some don't see flaws in their work, post questionable stuff then get butt-hurt when people ask wtf happened (just making a general statement here and not talking about the videos in this thread). Maybe in addition to not beating on others so much we should have thicker skin when it comes to opinions of baffoons and old farts in a downward spiral.

 

Done...there are more important things to discuss (like battling flatulence while humping the rig and hitting on extras)

 

rb

[Charles Papert]

I couldn't do Ari's video because I am old, fat and lazy...I don't throw equipment, I sleep with it...I'm no good at don juan, running, stairs, or panning...I love to tilt...I strive for adequacy...I am addicted to mediocrity...I am unorganized, disheveled and smell like baby oil and burnt toast...I like to hang with film carnies, drunken baffoons and strippers...I hate to drive, unless it's over dirt, sand, boulders or small cars...I am afraid of flying and am convinced I will die every time I takeoff or land...I do not fly in helicopters or any plane with propellors...I hate people who compensate for small penises by buying bus-width domestic polluting tractors...I hate hairless cats, but love BJ (and bj's)...I hate the film/tv biz, but love my job...communication is my business, not my policy...I don't have any tats...I am a texter and hate talking on the phone...I can't spell worth a shit...I don't own a blue-ray player yet...I have a kegerator but do not drink beer...I do not own a suit...I did not vote for Pedro...I have stickers on my gear and don't care what you think...I only smoke pot when alone (or when I'm with strippers)...I own a baby blue bike...and I cannot dance. There.

 

Ron, looks like you've confused the Steadicam forum with OKCupid again--this is incidentally a much better profile than your last one you put up, the one with the assless chaps and Barbara Streisand references.

 

Ari, I've forwarded the Tenacious D video a bunch. It's absolutely fantastic. And I love the rig docking during the shot.

[Ryan Brooks]

I'm also afraid of flying and I'm convinced I'm going to die during every take off and landing! Small world.

[Lars Erik]

Ari, I see your points on the Sam Tsui video. What I'm surprised about that the DP didn't plan for the risk of shadows.

 

Tenacious D video is great.

 

When it comes to the grumpy old farts in here, that's what they are sometimes. Just ignore it. Our business is filled with people who have way bigger assholes than talent. I just stay away from those people and look forward to the next job.

[Thomas English]

Pfft.. these oners at lowish budgets are full of compromises so Ari; that is Stirling work. Tenacious D is awesome great lowfi-hifi love it. The arm probably deserved it anyway.

[Janice Arthur]

Ari

 

Loved video. That's the big arm throw? That's not much.

 

Ari, thrilled with your volume of work and ability to pull off this hard job day in and day out.

 

Please keep coming back when you can. Every level op will gain from your contribution to the business.

(We all were reminded its not about the gear you choose its the operator and not the nits. )

We're supposed to support each other.

 

Enjoyed the video.

 

Janice

[Mitch Mommaerts]

Nice work Ari, looks like some fun projects!

 

Jess thanks for posting them.

 

Mitch

[JobScholtze]

Nice vid, very cool. Solid operating, concrats. And fuck that shadow, its full of nice things

[James Davis]

Ari, great work, stick around matey, don't listen to the grumpy bully's.....jealousy and bitterness is all it is.

[Tim Wu]

With all this commotion over the arm throw I was expecting Ari to guitar-smash it on the ground or something o_0

[Dave Chameides]

What a really sad thread this is. I said on another thread I'd call it out when i saw something so here goes. Let me point out I'm not a moderator here, have no rights beyond any other schmo to write this, and don't even consider myself much of an op compared to my glory days, but sad is sad and it needs to be dealt with so i guess I'll put my head in that noose.

 

Eric Fletcher, while Ari was way overboard in his response, you essentially pushed this thread over the edge and i for one think it sucks. I don't really know you beyond a few kind words on the forum here and there and maybe meeting once or twice but I've seen this kind of thing from you many times and am wondering if you realize how you come off. I hope not because if you do post these things with the intentions they seem to carry than it's a pretty dick move.

 

Jessica posted something she thought deserved some props. Afton and Jens came in with some criticism regarding production which were valid and considering it wasn't Ari posting the original, in keeping with most of our usual tendency to not state the obvious (solid operating, less of a beer gut than many of us have to pull that crap off, etc) and figure out what could have been better. And then you came in with this.

 

"Hate to say it but could have been done with a Movi". I'm sorry but beyond trying to goad someone into a conflict what could your reasoning be beyond saying "It's not that impressive and anyone with another piece of equipment could have done it."? That sentence is a conflict starter plain and simple and has no other value as anyone could say that about any of your shots and any of mine. Can you see that?

 

Then, when passively challenged you responded with this "Because Mark, there is great hate for the Movi and unfortunately both of those videos could have been shot equally as well (and possibly better) with a Movi". Again, restating the original incendiary remark and adding the parenthesis just in case it didn't get the response you had hoped for. I don't get it. Why post this beyond trying to create conflict? Just so we can look at your words, if there is a "great hate for the Movi" and this could "have been shot equally as well (and possibly better) with a Movi" than what you are saying is that this isn't good (assuming you don't think much of the Movi or are you actually trying to say it can pull off good Steadicam shots?). Why be so backhanded and condescending? I think you would garner much more respect by posting "meh, I wasn't that impressed" or better yet nothing at all. And again, that could be said about any of our shots and has no intrinsic value beyond creating animosity.

 

Then Ari gets in the mix and posts up for the first time. Seeing your opportunity you immediately jump on his arm throwing. Seriously? Everyone reading it after seeing that video knows you are looking for a fight - and you got it. Plain and simple. Is that what you wanted? Maybe you and Ari have a past and he leaves burning bags of mule shit on your door once a year, I don't know, but beyond that I see this as nothing more than trying to get him to bite. And he did. And he got ugly. Which sucks and he needs to deal with, but it doesn't change the fact that you, in what i perceive as a calculating manner, set out to reel him in and spin him out. And for the record, that arm toss was literally nothing, we couldn't see where it landed so for all I knew when watching it for the first time it could have hit a furni pad, and Ari explained after the fact that he was all cool with Tiffen and everybody was good. Would I do that with someones loaner arm? Probably not but if there was a furni and some cushioning, maybe, and you'd still think I was a schmuck. But you already had him going and the smart money would have been on you just WALKING AWAY. Did this continued badgering achieve anything? Yeah, it made most of us a little sadder to call ourselves steadicam ops and realize that we've taken a few steps down collectively because of the words of a few. Very sad indeed.

 

​As I said earlier Eric, I don't know you and we don't communicate much so maybe you are not aware of what you are doing. If you want to read back other threads you will see many of the same short, slightly open ended, and in my mind, passive aggressive statements that seem only intended to get a reaction. And they generally do. I believe the Cinetronic monitor thread has a bunch of them but I can't recall offhand if thats' one of them. Many on this board have seen this happen time and again and many have commented off the board about this.

 

​I'll finish with this. You're a solid op with a solid list of credits and I think you have a lot of information that can help others. As a fellow craftsman I would respectfully ask that you please stop posting stuff like this that is incendiary at best and really has no purpose other than to start something.

 

Respectfully,

 

Dave Chameides

 

Ari.

 

I don't know you, have no idea of what you've done as an op beyond these two videos, and don't really care. YOU NEED TO CHILL, more for your own mental health than for the sake of this board. If a baiter like Eric can bring that out in you, than I fear you may be even more tightly coiled in life and that ain't good on any level. Do some yoga, smoke some weed, take a long walk in a strip club with Baldwin and ask him why he smells like burnt toast, but for your own health, chill.

 

​Fist up, my two cents. The first video is fun, but nothing to write home about. You're horizons are pretty rocking and you can definitely move with that thing so huge props for that. Also, some nicely landed whippish pans there and way to remember all the cues. Well played sir. Beyond that...meh. I'm assuming that the shadows weren't your choice (if they were you should reconsider) and while a baller move I thought the on and off of the pickup was not very inspiring in it's presentation But as you said, this was a low budget, quickly designed, quickly executed and well operated shot. And fun (although I wasn't into the song...should i blame that on you?). So don't blow when ops point out about the shadows and what not. And know that they were responding not to your original post but Jessicas. I think it would have been different had you first put it up there, but maybe I'm wrong. For the record, I agree with Afton and Jens about wanting more "filmaking" but I'm the first to say I've done stuff that looked worse than this before(with worse operating I might add) and there is some vibration in there which isn't a personal dig, it means there's some vibration. No reason for you to get angry about it. You were in charge of one part of this and I think you kicked it's ass.

 

The D video is a D video and I am humbled by anyone who has the ability to be a part of their noble efforts, so well done (although it was hard to really figure out what was you to critique in any way). And the arm throw? Bah. I can see why some were put off but who cares, let it fly. Why get upset?

 

Eric baited you and he did an excellent job of it. But you didn't have to bite. As I said before, i don't know you, but my two cents from having done this a while (as have you I'm guessing)? Let that shit float. Don't bite. The only people who bite are the folks who feel the need to respond because they fear that others may be thinking the same thing. Screw them. If you are a solid op who seems to be working a lot, great. Enjoy. Do good work and let the haters hate. By buying in the way you did, with the nastiness you showed, you only drop to their level. Don't. Plain and simple. Be better because you are better.

 

​Finally, and again, my two cents so you can tell me to go to hell, no one on this board is going to care or be impressed with how many days you work and how big the budgets are or if someone gave you a job (I'm actually not sure what that means) or what car you drive (except for Ron and what the SPG -strippers per gallon - ratio is). None of it means anything because we've all been there, are there, or assume we will be there. I've known plenty of shitty ops who worked all the time (and there goes another thread someone will start...did you hear what Dave said about me?....). The proof is in the pudding and my guess is you've got some tasty pudding. Show it, don't show it, but don't come on here trying to make yourself look like a good op by saying how much you work, how much Tiffen loves you, and all the other stuff unless you want others to smack you down. It makes you look like you deserved to be baited and nothing more.

 

Like I said, my two cents. Hope it helps and I hope you are happy.

 

Nice horizons.

 

Dave