Movi Operating Rates??

[Michael Fuchs]

The nightmare is already starting I think. Been in conversations with a upm about an episodic project (first season, 6 episode show for cable network) for "A" camera. Steadi is out the window now completely--they don't have the money, Movi is what's happening.

 

They're looking to bring in an A op who is a Movi op and tech at this point. He even claimed that a local rental house was prepared to "throw in" the Movi if it meant that rental house could have their business. In that case the DP's buddy was maybe going to get trained on the Movi so he, the B cam op, could take care of the Movi responsibilities. The project is not going to pay anyone above scale-- another issue as well so the A operator or whoever the hell operates the Movi would be making operator scale rate and nothing more. The Movi gear rental for the 9 week show is going to be something around $10,000 total last I heard.

 

Some quotes from my friend who is the upm:

UPM:

This movi thing is so cheap and the ops will work for scale so its going to destroy the steadi cam rentals and rates

its fucked up

my boy on the other (cable network) show with a ton of money got a movi guy

his gear and him at scale

Michael Fuchs:

I'm gonna cry in the middle of a supermarket

So yea the shit storm seems pretty real and I have lost out on an episodic "A" camera position because I don't own and operate a Movi basically. Of course who is to say I should be talking the gig in the first place with its limited funds and scale rate even with Movi involved. I'm just afraid it's already too late to control the downward spiral but I'm also known to be a negative Nancy at times. I don't think this is a helpful post and more just me wanting to share my disappointment with the way some things are looking/trending at this time. A place to vent and mope a little. I really had no interest in buying one of these gimbal devices but yea--umm. Fuck.

 

Thanks for listening,

Mike

[Kyle Wullschleger]

Mike - I'd keep the UPM and DP close and check-in after week two or three... see how happy they really are with the performance of everything. I'm not saying they will absolutely be unhappy - I've replaced a Movi on a feature before because eventually the frustrations out-weigh the cost-savings.

[RonBaldwin]

Love to know the name of "the other show" that has a ton of money...and also like to know if that op is running around in majestic or is there another op/remote. I know blue bloods has used them and as far as I know use additional ops and have a tech? Tom Willis can probably speak waaay more accurately on this. I really don't see how they can be as trouble-free and as quick as a seasoned op with a steadicam

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

It is worth noting that I've day-played on some episodic shows that don't carry Steadicam full time and often the Director is almost belligerent that the show doesn't carry it full time (its pretty rare these days not to). Point being, that the UPM, Producers, Network, etc still need to attract good directors and keep them happy.

[RonBaldwin]

I always find it amusing and frustrating how the producers will feel so victorious "saving" a few pennies by arbitrarily deleting ewuipment but not even noticing that it takes twice as long making up for it on set when the real meter's running.

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

Ron, next season on POI, let's do dueling MOVIs instead.

[Janice Arthur]

Ron;

 

You're thinking like the Crew member who sees the inefficiency details not the Producer.

 

The Producer has a line item on a spread sheet that says get an operator for $XXXX. and that everyone that matters will agree to.

That's the job he/she sees before him/her.

 

The idea of motivating the operator to be efficient or good or on-the-ball is now left to an AD, DP, Director, whomever.

 

The Producer next hears only 'replace' or nothing but seldom, as we all know, does blame go where it should or is blame assessed correctly. The blame for overages can scatter in many directions and usually does.

 

That's the funny part of any group business and because the Producers aren't (or weren't often on the set) so they don't even see the details first hand.

 

That's my take on it.

 

Janice

[Marcus Samperi]

Hi All,

 

I stumbled across this discussion by accident and noticed that it was over a year old. I was wondering over the past 18 months your opinion has changed regarding rates for MoVI/Steadicam? Or, whether you have changed you thoughts at all? Have you found that gimbal work has continued to flourish or started to subside? Has your Steadicam rate suffered because of the gimbal world. The MoVI is about 3.5 years old now, has it affected your rates?

 

Marcus

[Osvaldo Silvera SOC]

For me in particular, there have been several jobs that have booked me and then last minute dropped steadicam from the budget and just went Movi/Ronin. One in producer in particular who I have worked with several times called me after the job was done to apologize since he had a nightmare with the thing and the client was not happy. As for rate, that has only gone up, never down.

[axel ebermann]

I think it really depends on what kind of projects you are doing. Smaller budget stuff where the $$$ is everything tend to go with Ronins or Movis because steadicam, rightfully so,

is much more expensive.

However with a lot of larger, bigger budget productions even some of the 'above the line' wizards have figured out that it is quite counter productive and pricey to have

a crew and cast of 100 people stand around updating their Facebook status while somebody is fuzzing around with a pesky gimbal.

I do work with Gimbals occasionally but my framing always seem to suck.

[brett.mayfield]

I have also implored producers to have a prep when doing gimbal work. sometines the call comes in and there isn't a prep for me if it's a quick or small gig, but if they want to use a gimbal I let them know that I will generally only work on it if I get to prep with it, especially if they don't have a designated tech. I own a decked out Ronin and it has screwed me enough times that I just won't shoot it without a serious prep.

for the first time ever I lost a job to a movi this week but I do not know if it was budgetary or creative. that being said, it's not a favorite tool of mine. I generally feel that they are more complex machines than the value they bring to the screen.

there were some shoots where I was requested to shoot steadicam, the rate was low, I recommended Ronin and they said yes and I actually then recommended another opertaor who I know is good with it. they didn't have the cash for steadicam, so that's fine, we found an alternative. like Ozzie said, up not down.

 

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