Premium Members Howard J Smith Posted May 27, 2005 Premium Members Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Hi Guys Thank you for the comments and posts. 'Carpo' - hope to see you soon. Will - See you next week. Andrew - looking forward to it you c.... Ron - no problem, looking forward to it, let me know when. Marc - see you soon Bob - got anymore photos? - please email me, thanks And Matt. Please do not worry about some rich 'newbie' competing with us seasoned pros, the AR as anyone who has flown it will tell you, "there is a learning curve" - you need to be a good steadicam op to use the AR as you now have a whole new range of movement and more importanly set ethics, as the AR shot will no doubt be more complicated than before then so will your interaction with the crew and HoD's. It is true that the standard 'Steadicam' shot now looks much better (for a newbie) and is easier to execute Horizon wise - but you still have head room and composition to deal with - and as soon as the director gets to see what the AR can do, you can pretty much bet they will want to use it fully. I am in LA again now if anyone would like to see/fly the AR and will be at Cinegear 3rd/4th June at WB Ranch (opposite the 'Lethal Weapon' house - stand 147-200) Hope to see you all soon Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Iain Baird Posted July 8, 2005 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 I bought my first steadicam, a master series, in 1999 and since then have pursued mastering what I find to be a wonderful craft. Many operators before me had raised the bar to the point that just owning the rig wasn't going to cut it, you had to be good, people had seen the difference and knew what to look for. So, following the advice of operators I knew, I trained, I practiced and I studied something I truly loved. It felt worth it, every practice session would result in aquiring the finer touches needed to keep the horizon, hold lock offs, do whip pans ect. ect. I've never felt sastified, there has always been some shot or some move that I wanted to do better. After honeing my craft for a couple of years I entered the real world of paid gigs and havent stopped since. 5 seasons on "Soul Food" , 2 on "Queer as Folk" , A season of "Zoe Busiek - Wild Card" and MOW's and Movies in between. I have always been pround of my work and what it took to get it there. I have also always felt a certain job security knowing the effort it took to get me there. Anyway my point is, I worry that when a machine like the AR come along, it makes it too easy for anyone with the cash to hold their level, do a pefect whip pan, crane up or down without any skill required, ect ect. Don't get me wrong, it's an increadible achievment that deserves all the kudo's it's been getting. I was just in with Walter Klassen today who couldn't stop raving about it. In fact I remember reading years ago that Garrett's dream was to make a Steadicam that could go from Low mode to high mode mid shot. "HA" I laughed "you wish" and now its reality, I just worry that what has always separated the good from the bad (basic operating skills aside) is now just an investment away. THATS RIGHT FOLKS, FOR ONLY $60,000 MORE WE CAN MAKE YOU A GREAT STEADICAM OPERATOR OVERNIGHT, DON'T WAIT, CALL NOW AND JOIN THE REVOLUTION. I hope I am wrong, I hope its truly is an evolution in Steadicaming the and not a step backwards towards extinction. On another note, I'm just in the process of buying a new sled. A GPI, MK-5 combo and so I've been on this site tons in the last week or so, and you guys rock. I've never visited before now (why? I don't know, work , family, porn .....when do you find the time) but the wealth of information I've received has been priceless. Thanks go out to Eric Fletcher (nice work on your reel by the way, very slick) for the photo's of his awesome sled, other than a Tiffen ultrabight mine will be the same. Thank you Iain Baird Toronto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Iain Baird Posted July 8, 2005 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 It's a funny thing; proof reading your own work. When you do it right away everything looks fine, but then twenty minutes later the typing and gramatical errors seem to have a neon arrow pointing at them. Oh well, sorry for all the typo's, I blame it on the Wolfblass, and my excitment in posting my first entry. Firsts have a way of making you lose control (find the multiple meanings in that sentence and win a prize) Cheers, iain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members RobVanGelder Posted July 8, 2005 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 Hi Iain, welcome on the forum. I think you have a point in your story, about having the money and no or not many skills (yet) but getting the good jobs because your equipment will cover up a part of the lack of skill. But at the same time I think we should not be too scared for this new technology. As I understood (I have never seen or operated the AR - yet) it is not that easy, a learning curve and good stamina and a good eye/idea how to create a shot is always nessecary. And it becomes even more important with a tool that can do almost everything! I really wish I could have a go with this new toy, but I also know that I am working in an area and market where the producers will not even think of putting down the money for this. Basic Steadicam is already expensive enough for them..... :( So I don´t think we are facing an extinction of the "normal" steadicam. But some people will do really well with the new toy...... Best, Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Howard J Smith Posted July 8, 2005 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 Hi Iain / Rob - how are you both? Interesting posts Fear not the AR is not a 'death' to good operating - on the contrary, it takes a very good op to use the AR. - Sure a standard track now looks like a dolly shot. But just having a level horizon does not mean it is a good shot, headroom, composition and choreography are far more important - I would rather any day see a shot with soul and feeling that may not be totally level, but is in tune with the story and action. - With the AR, you now can have both. The AR now allows you to be even more creative, when you see the AR demo film, you will see some of what is now possible. (please see www.mk-v.com) The beauty of the AR system is the ability and freedom to do what ever you wish with the camera now, but this takes practice and there is a learning curve. And rather than help new ops, doing basic AR shots (high to low) really shows up the ops talent and experience. Also with all the new possibilities of the AR, dealing with the rest of the crew/Dp etc. is now even more important - and this comes with time and experience. Hope this helps All the best Howard J Smith MK-V Ps. it is not $60,000 - it is $52,500.. but the "DON'T WAIT, CALL NOW AND JOIN THE REVOLUTION" bit I do like.. . :D :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Gross Posted July 9, 2005 Report Share Posted July 9, 2005 You know, for the right amount of cash I could buy my very own Formula One race car. But the car doesn't automatically make me Mario Andretti. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Iain Baird Posted July 9, 2005 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 9, 2005 "You know, for the right amount of cash I could buy my very own Formula One race car. But the car doesn't automatically make me Mario Andretti. " -------------------- Mitch This is true, but what if the Car automatically steers you out of trouble, doesn't that change the playing field a little? Listen, I'm not attacking the AR, I think it's awesome. I was merely expressing an opinion. Howard has made a wonderfull tool that will change our art, the possiblities are exciteing to say the least. But for any advancement, in anything, there are always skills that get left behind, skills that once made someone unique. All I was saying is that some of the skills that I'm proud of are now easier to achieve. I know that no tool can make an operator any better in his/her understanding of the shot, but the AR sure seems like it's gonna make horizon roll issues a thing of the past, and more glaring in those that don't use the AR. Even Howard mentioned to me he was watching Tracking shots he used to be impressed by, and he now notices the slight imperfections, now that he has the AR shots to compare. Anyway, I'll probably try one and find that for the one thing it helps with, it makes five others harder. I can only hope!!! Iain Baird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Iain Baird Posted July 9, 2005 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 9, 2005 Hey Mitch, This is kind of ironic, it was in today's (July 9/05) Toronto Star. toronto star article Iain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Charles Papert Posted July 9, 2005 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 9, 2005 Ian: When I first encountered the Alien, I thought along similar lines--great, now anyone out of a workshop can make "perfect" shots after I spent all those years working on those skills. But really, horizon control is a nuts and bolts skill, not a creative one. If you consider all the nuances of framing (pan and tilt) combined with the myriad of choices of positioning and moving the rig through space, let alone the intricacies of shot design, working with actors etc...it's pretty clear that just by eliminating the issues of roll, a "newbie" is still going to be turning in newbie shots--they just won't have any yaw in them. Personally, I think eliminating that one factor will create a nice vacancy in the attention cycle that can be filled with more finesse in other areas. I'd love to have an EKG running on me during a shot that has whip pans--a good 5 seconds before, the needles would start jumping as I'd be mentally preparing for the upcoming event, with a big spike right at the pan as the brain is screaming "clamp down! release! light clamp down!" followed by either a mental celebration or a howl of dismay, which would have to get flushed out quickly as the shot continues and the attention must return to all of the other things to do. Sure, it's a little disappointing to think that one's legacy of shots will become less impressive as this technology becomes more common; but imagine what it must be like in this era of CGI to have been a modelmaker or creature builder or matte painter or motion control cameraman--jobs that are in varying stages of outright obsoletion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher TJ McGuire SOC Posted July 9, 2005 Report Share Posted July 9, 2005 Howdo fellas! I would'nt worry about new guys taking all the work from seasoned Steadicam ops., with a handsome load of cash and alot of enthusiasm! The AR has systematic issues with its operation and setup, these issues are linked fundamentally with the preparation and operation of Steadicam, without this knowledge the AR would be a functioning piece of equipment, but, would have major operating problems!! I have been operating the AR over the last 2 weeks putting together the demo. vignettes with Howard. It has been a breath of fresh air, being able to get the camera pretty much exactly where you want it; underneath, alongside, inside, above, around! But, what I've found is that you have to think outside the box, operating and holding frame has become more difficult than just a straight level tracking shot. When Directors see this baby, their gonna want to crank up the tension! We've been given the opportunity to work with a new bit of kit, that, when harnessed correctly will allow you to create bigger, longer tracking shots than even a technocrane, but, with more focus and physical functions, needed.. I look forward to seeing a new generation of tracking shot from, hopefully most of you fellas!! All the Best...'Shaftz' McGuire :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Afton Grant Posted July 11, 2005 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 I wanted to submit a newbie's perspective on this situation. First of all, does the rig support anything larger than a prosumer sized camera? Keep in mind the price of the A.R. is $50-60k OVER the already $30-60k price of the supporting gear. I don't think there will be ANY newbies or inexperienced folks with that kind of coin to just pony up on a system that does part of the work for you. Even if there are the few rogue filthy rich folks that have the cash and no skills, I don't think they would be of any threat to the industry. I'll be looking to buy my first "big rig" in the next couple months or so. As someone that is serious about the craft, even if the A.R. was a mere $2000 extra, I still wouldn't buy it. For the same reason, which I now value, that my mom made me learn to read an analog clock before I could get a digital one. Also, a level horizon is not an impossible thing to achieve. All you experienced ops know that. It takes dedication and practice, but it's something that's been done for decades now. Why spend the money to purchase something for which there already exists a solution? Echoing a few of the previous posts, I see the A.R. as a tool to create tracking shots that span high and low and everything in between, which is a very attractive ability. However, as a newbie, I don't think for a minute that any practice and skills that I experience now and in the future will ever be obsolete. Peace, Afton Grant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Howard J Smith Posted July 11, 2005 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 Hi Afton Thanks for your post. The type of cameras were listed in a previous post - here it is again: "Ok here is a list of the Cameras you can use with the AR: Panavision XL - (light weight with B&W tap just about works?, color tap too big, but XL is much better - recomend the new slim mag adaptor only 1/4" thick) Moviecam SL - check what tap as some are very odd and stick out and up. ARRICAM LT (the best for sync work 35mm) - very nice camera and balances very well. you can use this straight out of the box - do not need low mode plates. Aaton 35 - works very well. 435 - with steady mags and 100% top 235 (the best for none sync work - and no I don't work for ARRI..) - simply sweet! - use riser and no lowmode plates - all new bar focus mount very nice, as well as the new 400' Steadymag. NO more BL's No more 535's! - to big and too heavy! Viper - with the new Venom system, what this space. Panavision Genesis (without tape mag - this weigh's the same as the XL body without a mag) - this also works with the new venom system. All 16mm - Aaton Prod, XTR, aminma etc also SR 2, 3 etc. HD and Digital 900's but even better the newer cameras like the 950 you can just use the chip block in the AR and then fiber optic to the body - very sweet. and HDV and DV etc. Digibeta/SP etc (400/700/790 range need to remove top handle)" Hope this is of some help. All the best Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members RobVanGelder Posted July 12, 2005 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Howard, you WILL be on the IBC, yes? Do we have to subscribe now and you make a roster? It will be busy I think.... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Mikko Wilson Posted July 12, 2005 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 yeah.. where do we sign up? :) - Mikko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Howard J Smith Posted July 12, 2005 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Hi Rob (how are you?) /Mikko - chaps. We will of course be at IBC, we are just sorting out the best spot for us. I will try and make sure that we have a few spare AR's. As long as there is no major 'bogarting' of the AR's it should be fine. It will be great to see you all again, maybe we can get a few beers as well! Take care and see you soon Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.