Premium Members JamieSilverstein Posted July 5, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 There are several threads out there that could use some clarification........ First of all, THE HYPE. I have to agree with Peter et al. that there was some cheesy type Hype going on with all the secret stuff leading up to the wink, wink, nudge, nudge special item that was going to be at the Expo. But hype is hype and that is the way things are advertised on occasion. Are there better ways? Maybe, but that is the way the manufacturers and "advocates" (which is what I guess Eric can be considered, unless he is going to become a distributor, or recieved special considerations of another sort) wanted to unveil the product. Good luck to them and I mean that sincerely. Much like HD, the Alien Revolution is just another means of gathering images, and as with all new advances, there is a learning curve, there is investment, there is risk and there is the question of finding a new market and new end users. All of this will fall into place as the product grows in the industry. Who knows, the Alien might just become the next big thing, or just another tool on the film makers shelf....... My advice to one and all is not to worry about the hype of any new technology, or the learning curve. Learn as much about what it can and can't do, master it if you are interested in doing so, and share the knowledge graciously with your contemporaries. Embrace the information of new ideas with enthusiasm and an open mind, and those ideas will become part of your greater knowledge and understanding of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Michael Stumpf Posted July 6, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 Nicely put Jamie - agreed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Daniel Stilling DFF Posted July 6, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 Well, As Dave, I wasn't invited to see it either. After the big hype last year at CineGear, I was a bit discouraged myself. But that was OK, if it wasn't ready, it wasn't ready. But now I find myself with a litlle bad taste in my mouth after seeig this (in my opinion) very well done free advertisement campaign, going straight to the target buyers, Steadicam operators. If you wanna select 30 prospective buyers, show them the product, and have them sign a NDA, that's great, but then don't go on a board, saying that you have this incredible gizmo, some people were alowed to see it, but not all, and when someone "slips"it in, it gets mentioned again and again and even a link to his message is posted, encouraging everybody to read it, but no,no, we're not allowed to know about it?? That is pure hype beeing done. As most of you know, I represent Baer Bel gear here in the US, but I'm not here posting all the advancements Markus makes, It's just not right. (well, I guess I just did!!) But this is my point: Either have a piece of equipment for sale, show it, promote it, make it available and sell it, or don't have a piece of equipment for sale, do your beta testing, get the bugs worked out, don't tell anybody until you're ready to make it public. Keep it between you and your beta testers. nuff said Daniel Stilling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
costasflex Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 Well you ve got a a point there Daniel,somehow I dont get it either,but one thing I see is that the way it was choosen to get spread on the forum,made everybody more and more curius about it.Either way the trooth is close enough now so I hope soon we ll get to see it.As for the points I have writen before it was just some thoughts of how it works and what I think will taketo operate with it,nothing more. I have a lot of questions that I d like to ask though.A machine like this is far more complicated than a normal sled, rotational graddles rotating camera and green screens,and a lot of expensive and complicated electronics.That in the case of bangs and crashes of this equipment can result problems that can not be solved on the fly,or in a sort time while shooting.It better be bulletproof and have the quikest and best service avaliable or ....I dont know...I think they have worked this out so its trouble free.Imagine though that if you have to pay a lot of money for simple repairs of steadi parts,how expensive any repair will be on this thing Hmm who ever has 45 thousand to spend on this will probably be aware of that as well. Constantine Tirintzis :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Howard J Smith Posted July 6, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 Hi Guys Whoa............... I am sorry that everyone did not get an 'Invite' to the AR demos - these were just the first private showings and there will be many more. - I just could not show it to everyone. - This is a very complex system and requires one on one time. I only had 3 days with 10 op's a day (a lot of whom have been interested in the project for many years and were all waiting to try it)- when I am next back in LA (also the east coast) I will demo the AR to people who would like to see it and are interested in buying one. Please email me ARdemo@mk-v.com I have explained this to David in great detail and I thought this was ok? I could go on But to coin a phrase "Nuff said" I would just like to thank everyone for their interest in our new system many thanks All the best Howard J Smith MK-V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
costasflex Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 So I would like to ask now one more question here.Is Eric Fletcher a customer of the AR, is he an invetor or in any way involved in this project,is he an advertiser of the AR, or finaly what is the overall interest of his. As I said I had a mail from him, not from Lynn, not from Howard, warning me about patents and stuff, to be quit honnest,if you dont know whats the deal oppossite to you you dont care that much and get so emotional about stuff, unlss you get something out of it.Unless Eric is so much over the head answering questions, like this and other that I had in the last posts, because maybe he is so much more supirior than operators in other countries than US, which is more unlike they will hAVE THE BUGET TO BUY THE AR, I would like to know where he stands, whats the motive,and generally why he is doing it.The AR might be a miracle but the overall handling of it on this forum gets very suspicius. Other than that when I read his posts I see he gets very exited about any oppossite party asking or demanding info about the AR, Which is natural since only 30 ops have seen it, if you want you can be secretiv about it, just dont post nothing, get your AR, then be talk talk about it. The feeling isnt good, thats the vibes I get anyway. Eric I challenge you to anwer this time, and this come from an SK2 op not a Hollywood well payed rich op. Constantine Tirintzis ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Howard J Smith Posted July 12, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Hi David 1st off I think this is getting way too much - please talk to Eric privately via email, phone or face to face and please sort out what ever problems and personal issues you have with him - thank you. In answer to your posting - ALL MY customers are equal. And all AR customers are equal - if some ops were to have problems then the problems would sorted out ASAP. As all the problems in your 'Story' are different then of course some would be fixed sooner than others - but that would have nothing to do with who owns them and how you precive them - just to do with what the problem was and how easy it is to fix. - and we do work on first come first served. And I stand by the fact that WE did not invite everyone - as it was not possible. As I have told you we will be back soon and having further showings - If any one would like to come and fly the AR they are very welcome - please email me direct AR@mk-v.com. It is a shame you do not want to come - but for the record you are invited. Please can you stop all this - I am sorry you have a problem with Eric (I don't or with you) This posting is to do with the AR system. Please talk to Eric direct - Thank you All the best to you and if you change your mind please let me know Hope to see you soon All the best Howard J Smith MK-V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members JobScholtze Posted July 12, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Hi Howard, Is this James bond thing gonna bee on the ibc in Amsterdam? I am curios from al the story's here. Not that i can afford one :P Greetings Job "Just bought his new Gold" Scholtze Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Howard J Smith Posted July 12, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Hi Job How are you? I am not sure if we are going to be at IBC this year - but if we are then please come and have a go. Take care - Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ Williams Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 HEY Eric and All So a patented device in the USA is still part of the public domain.... So I looked at the application. Certainly interesting reading! How to get all this rotating stuff to be only 5lbs above the weight of a standard rig, with any rigidity, will be quite the engineering feat. Interestingly not Howards patent... so.... I also visited around and talked to some folks who told me that Howard wasn't the first one asked to develop this idea. Other rig mfgs appearently passed on this opportunity. I Guess they'll be like the people up here in the NW, that are always saying I shoulda bought microsoft stock when it was 20 people!!!! Theres an interesting picture representing this problem: google search: PICTURE: Microsoft would you have invested (I would have attached this fun picture, but this string doesn't want to support attached files on my computer???) Ah the continuing joys of Technology marching on TJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Howard J Smith Posted July 13, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 For the record - I was not "asked to develop this idea" - I had developed the Revolution long before I knew of Lynn and the Alien. It is a differnet thing - (but this model - Lynn has been a great help - hence the AR) I will leave it at that. Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members David Allen Grove Posted July 13, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 Howard, I thought I would apologize for dragging this thing back onto the "forum wrestling mat." You're right, I should've stuck with email. Anyway, sorry to everyone... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guillermo nespolo Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 yes better way to comunicate the email ...here its ok for looking or asking for metods or parts but for personal things better the email... by the end we all gonna get piss with the forum and the fight on it.....just keep inside the mail ..... :D :D :D david your webpage still sucks and howard its time to change your webpage with the new toys.... well guys a let u now when my beatifull webpage its online so u can say hey guillermo your web page really sucks...... :D :D :D :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Howard J Smith Posted July 13, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 Hi Carpo we are working on all the new stuff - watch this space... I would love to see your web page - but you did not put a link or address for it Please post this so we can see it. many thanks Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbalsdon Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 So why doesn't someone involved in the project go out and shoot a demo of what it really can do and post it as Quicktime file on the internet. No need to show us what it looks like or how it works just the results. That should shut us all up until it's released officially. It's all beginning to sound to me a bit like something Messrs Bush, Blair and Howard (John) et al are looking for in the desert but can't find and with the same negative results. Phil Balsdon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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