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How fast can you go to low mode?


Janice Arthur

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So true Charles the LW was amazing, flip it rotate the monitor and spin the rig, you're done. that's it's. With proper prep the Alexa is like that.

 

I guess that's the take away from this. PREP the gear and its easy it should be sub 2 mins, don't prep the gear and pay the price. Hell with a prepped package My first and I once took a Panavision Millennium from studio to steadicam in less than two mins.... The entire crew had the stopwatch on us on that one and that shot was used for four season in the titles

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It is all about viewing the monitor and how much adjustment and rebalance is neede for that. There is a video on my cam-jam website for the Quattro monitor bracket, that shows how fast lowmode can be done in seconds.

http://www.cam-jam.de/qma.html

scroll down a bit

 

Sometimes when i think a lower perspective could be nice, I just flip the rig , push my monitor in place and show the dirctor and DoP the new shot. Often i hear yes that is nice, but we don´t have the time to change to lowmode. My answer is "lowmode is ready to shoot". Then adjusting the droptime, while everyone else is getting ready :-)

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How fast can you go to low mode? And why not in 1 second?

 

Has it ever happened to you that a Director asks for an ''urgent'' and improvised low-mode shot without having the time to adjust all your sled's elements for that?

If you absolutely need to be ready for this compromise, may I suggest this solution?

Abracam%20Clampx%20StarliteHD.jpg

 

Abracam will introduce this product during the next IBC 2014 in Amsterdam on the Transvideo booth.

Hoping to have your feeling there.

The CLAMPx StarliteHD is a 3D printed product and the first of a future CLAMPx Series.

 

More information coming soon.

Philippe

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Hi all;

 

I like all the input. Ive reconsidered many things I do in small ways to do lo-mode better.

 

I find it tedious to go to poor-man's when ACs have their monitors and Panatapes at the absolute highest spot over the camera.

 

Now low mode either requires complete removal and/or repositioning which is a pain and kills time to getting there fast.

 

I do like the idea of the starlite monitor that hides under the lens in high mode, very clever.

 

Janice

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It's also much safer, especially in long / super low modes, to have that second monitor - it keeps you looking towards the floor, or at least looking with the floor in sight.

 

I agree that one should practice getting into low mode (and all other modes or configurations) in under two minutes or less, but also practice operating in low mode, and in the Don Juan, long modes (high and low), wrong side operating, etc., so one is quick and ready and able to do the work when the simple mechanics are dealt with.

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I still flip the camera, move the monitor, add warp grip etc... I find it takes longer to un-plug and re-plug all the cables than to re-adjust and re-balance. This whole process maybe takes my assistant and I less than 5 minutes (maybe 6 or 7 if a cute background lass needs a hello or a particularly good song is playing on the jambox).

 

I think that taking an extra 2 or 3 minutes to make it right for me so I am comfy and can do it right the first time might save a take or two it the rig was rushed into a configuration that doesn't "feel" right. Of course if we really have to go as fast as possible I might forgo the flirtation with the stand-in and just flip it/deal with it but I have never had any complaints that 5 minutes is too long (at least on set...but that can be saved for another discussion in off topic). There are plenty of things happening on set that also need to be done so no one is waiting on me.

 

Low mode is the only time I become envious of the Tiffen sleds! Plus that tilting stage would be wonderful to have so I can do a stupid spinning video of the rig in low mode while tilting up.

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I always go for the 'poor mans' low mode to save time and having to rebalance etc, normally done in 1-2 mins. Sometime i have to just tidy a few loose cables that can dangle down which can slow the process. I find the longest time spent is waiting for the video split guy to catch on to whats happening and flipping his monitors! ;)

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