serra Posted July 30, 2004 Report Share Posted July 30, 2004 hi all i'm interested in becoming a steadicam operator. at present, i'm trying to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the various stabilizing systems out on the market as there are a number of good system choices apart from the "steadicam" product line. having said that, i'd like to know if it's possible to be taken seriously as a steadicam operator (particularly in the us market) without owning an actual "steadicam" but perhaps an "actioncam" (or some other product)? i'm afraid i might invest in a system that won't allow me to get any jobs, simply because it is perceived as not being "the real thing"... you know something along the lines of: "he doesn't own a 'steadicam' so he can't be any good..." i'd really love to hear some opinions on this... cheers, franco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Bill Powers Posted July 30, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 30, 2004 Hi Franco, I'm a video/Steadicam dealer so please take everything I say with a grain of salt. I think is's kind of like anything else. There are lots of very good alternatives out there. You just have to pick the product that's right for you. Think about the cameras you're going to be using and their weight, your market, and what's right for you. Don't get stuck on a name brand. Understand that you will probably get what you pay for. At the higher end there are arms, sleds, and vests from Walter Klassen, Pro, Baer-Bel, Steadicam, and others that are very well thought of by some of the top names in the industry. In the lower priced ranges Glidecam, Actioncam and a slew of others are available. Bottom line.. Try them out and decide for yourself. I'm sure others will chime in. That's just my opinion. Welcome, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serra Posted July 31, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 hi bill so does that mean that there really is no market perception as to what system a "pro" uses? and one doesn't have to invest in a top of the line system to be considered a capable operator? in a sane world that would of course be the case... but nowadays people (and producers are people too... ;) seem all to fixated on superficialities such as name brands... cheers, franco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Thomas English Posted July 31, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 i feel there is a market perception with people that don t know what their talking about when they are booking u. If they dont know u, your work or reputation then they might ask "is it a real steadicam" ive got a mix match (mk-v sled, provid arm and mk3 vest). and i just embark on a long winded technical explanation of everything and they tend to get bored by the time ive finished. the thing is though, is u pay for quality, to get a rig that rivals pro, mk-v tiffen etc is gonna take hours of highly skilled labour and then cost as much as any of these. u cant get away from this equation..... get ya 20 grand out. I ve got a mk-v sled and the engineering and thought behind it is absolutely superb! i love it and would not swap it for an ultra! no way! u can build it up slowly with mk-v, get the bits u can afford and use a cheap arm (even an action products etc) and upgrade your bits slowly, when u get paid . good luck thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Bill Powers Posted August 3, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Franco, What he said. :) Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Michael Stumpf Posted August 3, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Franco, What he said. :) Bill except for the "get ya 20 grand out" That'll buy you an arm. Better get out a lot more than 20 grand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Bill Powers Posted August 4, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted August 4, 2004 Hi Michael, I was thinking about the PV2+. Anything film based, get LOTS more dough. $60K? Cheers, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Thomas English Posted August 5, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 yeah 20grand ... sterling ... 1.8dollars to the pound! wow! real good at moment try and keep your options open too... i have above setup but sometimes borrow in a master or 3a arm for a film job.. 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.