The ALIEN / Alien Revolution - All about...

[WillArnot]

it was before that one. Anyone?

 

Not really important anyway.

[David Allen Grove]

For those of you who complain of headaches and the such, there is the Muppet forum for you to lose yourselves in. I for one also welcome the levity this has brought, exemplified by my Avatar.... waca, waca, waca - thanks for letting me say that David! :P I do thank you for creating a nice balance to the seriousness of this thread. We should be mindful of likening it to Jerry Springer as this undermines my experience and that of many others.

 

Will, you had first claims on the "Foz" Bear so he's all yours! ;)

 

I would like to say that I think Will, having purchased an extremely expensive piece of equipment from a manufacturer and feeling as though he has not received satisfactory customer service has every right to post his experiences for all the reasons that have been mentioned before.

 

I had a similar issue with a very expensive piece of equipment a few years ago and frankly.. I almost lost my shirt on the deal had it not been for 2 people amazing people that saw the issue and dealt with it. Everyone came out smelling like roses in the end.

 

So Will, I know and feel, your pain.

 

I can't and won't comment on Howard's customer service because well, I don't own any of his products.

 

Being the head Muppet master (can I have that title?) I felt compelled to have a different "channel" on just for variety and much needed humor.

 

My "Jerry Springer channel" comment was meant to be directed solely at the Poop flingers (can I say poop on this forum? Hey, I have a baby so that's a common word in my household right now) i.e., Eric and Howard and not at your posts, Will.

 

The poop flinging comments on here are very "toxic." Believe me, I know toxic poop when I smell it, especially when it's flung.

 

oops. Sorry I have to go change my baby's poppy toxic diaper and besides, the Muppet Show is on!

MUSIC: "It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights, it's time to meet the Muppets on the

Muppet show tonight!"

 

NUTS! Another darn SPAM Commercial is on!!! <see avatar to left or any posts in the Business section thread! GEEZ!>

[Christopher TJ McGuire SOC]

Just to let all the Canadian Ops. know - I'll be in Montreal for the next 6 weeks and will poss. be holding an AR induction day, depending on numbers. This is purely an independant venture on my part.

 

Pls contact me on; chris@ar-mcguire.com or +1 661.839.7432, if interested.

 

Best Chris.

[WillArnot]

Good luck to you Andrew.

 

Did you ask Howard if he was going to give 10% of the Proceeds from the AR purchase to Lynn Nicholson?

[Lawrence Karman]

I watched "Curse of the Golden Flower" yesterday on DVD. LOTS of Steadicam shots going up and down hallways that had a lot of verticals, columns and pillars. The horizons were really good, very level, but there was a great deal of vibration evident. It made me wonder if they were done on the Steadicam. After I looked at the special feature segments on the making of and noticed the operator using the AR. Perhaps this explains the vibration. Did you have this experience, Will?

[Howard J Smith]

Hi Lawrence

 

How are you?

Just so you know, The vibration you mentioned was caused by the Only None MK-V part of the MK-V AR - Nexus system.

Raymond was using a 'Steadicam' 3a topstage and this is where the vibration came from.

(this was discussed earlier in this thread)

Raymond has now sorted this and now has vibration free shots.

 

All the best

Howard

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

Just so you know, The vibration you mentioned was caused by the Only None MK-V part of the MK-V AR - Nexus system.

Raymond was using a 'Steadicam' 3a topstage and this is where the vibration came from.

 

 

That's the top stage I have seen on most of your Rigs Howard. So what did you do to solve Will's vibration issues?

[Lawrence Karman]

Hi Lawrence

 

How are you?

Just so you know, The vibration you mentioned was caused by the Only None MK-V part of the MK-V AR - Nexus system.

Raymond was using a 'Steadicam' 3a topstage and this is where the vibration came from.

(this was discussed earlier in this thread)

Raymond has now sorted this and now has vibration free shots.

 

All the best

Howard

 

Thanks for answering that. How was it sorted? What camera was used? Looked like an SL cine, but I coudn't be sure.

[Thomas English]

The Chroizel top stage or the Pro topstage have any vibration at all with the AR.

 

The 3a topstage is not standard at all on howards rigs. People I am sure have attempted to use the 3a topstage to attempt to save money on their setup with the AR.

 

This is new technology and people out there are trying to use it with setups that are pushing the boundries of previous steadicam engineering so there are bound to be problems. The 3a topstage was not designed as well as the newer topstages. Also we need to remember that Will is using an AR on an XCS sled. I am sure Gregg Bubb never intended his sled to be thrown sideways and spun around constantly but he has made an awesome STEADICAM. The NEXUS is designed with both steadicam and AR in mind.

 

I have experienced absolutely NO vibration on correctly spec ed AR setups on numerous commercials, TV series and music videos. Everything fits together and balances quickly and efficiently if you bother taking the time to know the camera with the AR (head down to camera house the day before) . ARRI LT fly s very well but off course the 235 can yield awesome awesome shots simply down to the camera to gimble distance. All the HD camera s are great and off course sr3's aaton xtr s and especially the minima! the minima is awesome. The Aaton 35mm needs to be raised slightly within the cage to work well this can be done easily a few different ways.

 

I reckon I can set up and balance an AR with a camera I have used before in the AR in under 15 minutes.

 

What always holds you up a little is fitting in the follow focus motors and the receiver but never really a problem.

 

I have used lots of the AR s and they have if used correctly worked completely flawlessly. No probs at all.

 

Basically an AR on a NEXUS is completely totally awesome and works perfectly.

[Erwin Landau]

The 3a top-stage is not standard at all on howards rigs...

 

The 3a topstage was not designed as well as the newer topstages.

 

Also we need to remember that Will is using an AR on an XCS sled. I am sure Gregg Bubb never intended his sled to be thrown sideways and spun around constantly but he has made an awesome STEADICAM. The NEXUS is designed with both steadicam and AR in mind.

 

 

Watch out there Thomas,

 

Firstly: The standard Top stage that MK-V makes are based and virtually are 3A top stages. Look at the picture below that is from the MK-V website and that is the stage that was delivered to the "pioneers" and still used by them. Since then I'm sure that Howard is suggesting a different Camera stage... for extra cash of course. Check with Mike O'Shea, Jeff Mart, etc. they still use that one below... please ask them directly, before you start to sling anything in my direction...

 

And Secondly: The original Alien Prototype IS the XCS Ultimate made by Greg Bubb... and he was deeply involved with the Alien project... way before (10 years) the Revolution or the Nexus rig even existed. What do you think, where did Howard get the idea to the 2 inch post from. (And no the first prototypes of the AR, like the one used on the first set of LA demos, where on an evolution rig with a 1.5 inch post).

 

Oh... see below. I don't know... The XCS looks very sideways to me!!!

 

What Will was referring to was the vibration coming from the plate that connected the camera to the AR cage... and not the cage to the rig. Which both are made by MK-V even on the model that Will owns.

 

Just the facts,

 

Erwin

[Erwin Landau]

Here a picture of Jeff Mart's Alien-Revolution. With the "3A top stage". Being recipient of AR Number 001, he still has not received his Version 2 nor a beefed up camera stage nor the Gimbal control...

 

 

Just facts,

 

Erwin

[JobScholtze]

Heard that song before guys. Hence, pages full of it. I just wanna know the pro's and con's of the system, not the political song behind it. I am sure that Lynn and Howard are mature enough to solve things themself. ( i am not sure if thats the case though, and i dont care eighter )

That ar is still on my mind, and i love the idea behind it. So i am very intressed in the do's and don't, pro's and con's. The rest of the song i already heard. Can we please keep it to the technical aspects? I would hate to see pioneers stop posting about it, becose i wanna know

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

Here a picture of Jeff Mart's Alien-Revolution.

 

 

 

WOW, Look how long that rig is and how high the gimbal is. Totally misses the point of the Alien.... And that's a design thing, not a setup issue. Shows just how little the concept is understood

[JobScholtze]

Here a picture of Jeff Mart's Alien-Revolution.

 

 

 

WOW, Look how long that rig is and how high the gimbal is. Totally misses the point of the Alien.... And that's a design thing, not a setup issue. Shows just how little the concept is understood

 

Eric,

 

I see only 2 light weight 2 batterys down there. That makes the base to light i guess?

[Matt Mouraud]

Hey Job, how are ya buddy ? You know you are really close to the UK, you should get on an Easyjet flight and go and test extensively the AR, I don't think you could get a honest opinion here, too much heat. And what a better way to get a feel for it ?