It finally happened to me !!

[dalemccready]

I had a great one last year, my first real one amongst many near misses. I was running backwards along a corridor (535/ Ultra) with loads of extras popping out of doorways and had to go fast backwards up a ramp and then through another door (no DJ as the corridor was really too narrow) I ended up pulling the rig too close to myself as I hit the ramp on one take and INSTANTANEOUSLY I was on my arse holding the rig above me. Damage to rig: NIL, Damage to pride: 1. I guess sometimes its okay to have a bit of pading back there...

I normally use a spotter but in this case there was no way he could even get near me. Most experiences I've had with near misses are so quick I would be very impressed if someone managed to grab on to me or the rig. I have some great help and those guys know that the best they may be able to do sometimes is give me a hard tug or push, puling the rig back in toward me.

 

Then there was the time I had to go home with a bad mosquito bite and the guy subbing for me agreed to do the run down that big sand dune...whoops

[Jason Torbitt]

I'm reviving an old, old thread here from times past, but thought it the best place to share my experiences. Well, after 5 and a half years, I had my own "it finally happened" moment.

 

So, I was hardmounted from the back of the rickshaw (owned by a local highly regarded facilities house, hired by production). The rickshaw was a nice design, with seat, straps and belt for the operator, central column between legs from which to attach my hard mount.

 

We were travelling ahead of the artist for a music promo who was walking at a brisk pace along a straight stretch of road in the city centre of Manchester, when one of the rickshaw wheels decided to let go. When I say 'let go', I mean buckle and fold in good style. It was one of those moments where you literally have time to know exactly what's going to happen, but have little to no control over it.

 

My grip, Dave, fought and lost a brave battle to keep it from going over. It's a strange feeling to know you're going down with a full rig, a HPX-3000, Cooke 32mm S4 and PRO-35, and knowing there's not a lot you can do. I did my best to pull the rig back in...it obviously started to shoot away from me as the rickshaw began to go down. Pulling the rig back in again, it was apparent that there was no way back.

 

Split second decision making for me probably saved my gear. We realised afterwards that both myself and the grip doing that little bit extra bought us that extra second or two to avoid total catastrophy. I made sure the sled didn't hit the deck totally side on, as I was sure it would sheer the top stage off, write off the camera and throw a huge amout of pressure down the arm. Instead, it went down slowly on a three quarter angle, thus meaning that the lens, PRO-35, camera lens mounting and my monitor took the full force of the impact - plus the obvious massive jolt on the arm.

 

Damage -

 

Me - grazed and bruised knee and hand (still around the gimbal beneath the rig)

Rig - Hummingbird scratched and battlescared but fine. No other damage to rig but had Arm and Stage serviced as a precaution. Tested the gimbal and totally dissembled it - everything survived!

Camera package - Cooke S4 survived optically - surfaces were unblemished but lens will need internal re-alignment. PRO-35 I don't know about, but it wasn't pretty. Camera lens mount was driven back into the camera body. All four corners were stoved in so far that the filter wheel popped off the camera body with the pressure. Hopefully internal damage didn't occur, but again I don't know yet.

 

It turned into an expensive shoot!

 

But that was a couple of weeks ago and here I am with a full rig and in good health. Lucky. It could have been a whole lot worse.

[chris fawcett]

Glad you're in good shape after that!

[Jason Torbitt]

Thanks Chris,

 

I'm just glad I didn't have my 'holy grail' Cinemonitor HD on the sled at the time. I'd never forgive myself if anything was to happen to Her! Not a scratch on it...yet :)

 

J.

[Ed Moore]

Jason -

 

Glad you're okay; sounds like it could have been a whole lot worse. Some good feedback for the rickshaw engineers I feel!

 

My own "nearly" story:

 

I was doing a short a few months ago with loads of action during a rugby match. The "half speed" rehearsals all went fine, got a few takes at full speed etc. Then we decide to just let the rugby players play a bit as they would normally and "see what we get".

 

The front two guys are sprinting towards me and the ball's being passed rapidly down the line... I start running with the rig in front of me panned to me right trying to cross in front of the first guy to pass it as I keep up with the action. With the rig in that position under acceleration is obviously the worst possible situation for unwanted dutch so I'm looking rapidly between the monitor to check level and the incoming rugby players... eventually I reach a point where I can suddenly feel the rig C.o.G. getting out in front of me and I realise I'm going to be pulled down by it... the only thing you can do is try and run faster to "get back underneath it"... I fling my non-operating arm backwards to try and move the rig and I's combined C.o.G. somewhere closer to where my feet are... eventually after 10 sprinting steps in which I'm convinced I'm about to break some bone or other I just about manage to get the whole thing under control.

 

Although I had a spotter in this case he didn't realise what was happening before it was too late - well, possibly he would have done by the time I actually started to tip but thankfully we'll never know.

 

The stills guys managed to catch me setting off at the start of the run here:

 

[David Luckenbach]

I've gone down a number of times over the years.. and having a spotter would not have helped in any of my falls . If you fall forward your going down no matter what.. It happens.. Just don't fall on the actor, that would be bad.

 

No, I haven't made contact with a actor while falling but the boom man on 'Speed 2' cushioned my or should I say our fall backwards. Joaquin Phoenix doesn't know it but be almost had approx. 320 lbs come in contact with his backside during a running shot on 'Walk The Line' and Gillian Anderson from the 'X-Files' almost ended up with a steadicam with me attached to it in her lap while doing a shot inside a VW Van being driven by a actor who 'popped' the clutch and she new it.

 

Usually it's just you and the ground and the actor asking " Are You OK"?.

[Henry Gelhart]

Just don't fall on the actor, that would be bad.

 

Has this ever happened to you?! :blink:

[Imran Naqvi]

I've never landed on an actor, but last year I was shooting on a feature on a football pitch. The shot was just to get some coverage of the game and the actor scoring the winning goal and part of his celebration.

 

So I'm running parallel, he beats two players puts the ball in the net, wheel away in celebration going for a knee slide on the grass and almost slides right into my knees, because he wasn't looking where he was going. Luckily I didn't go over but if I had his face would have cushioned my fall. The next take, he took a slightly different path.

[Amando Crespo]

:( :(

...Once upon a time.... a FUC%%$"&/=)(&&%K actor.... He turns him left leg, in left way, when the acting was.... right leg in right way.... Can you imagine the result of this "actor´s mistake"?..... I found a 5cts € coin .... :( in the ground..... <_<