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Ian Takahashi SOC

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  • Occupation
    Camera Operator
  • Location
    Los Angeles
  • Specialties
    Underwater

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  • Website URL
    http://iantakahashi.com

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  1. Not that I know of specifically for this industry, but there are plenty of books and information out there. (Just don't buy the 'get rich on stocks' or 'Jim Cramers picks' styled books... http://www.investopedia.com Use it for looking up terms you may not know, or researching concepts. They also have great videos: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/valueinvesting.asp Spending a few hours here reading and watching anything related to Retirement, you'll get a decent overview and hopefully it puts you in the right direction. ---side note, you'll need money to put away, so as much as it's important to plan for the future, putting the work into your career is probably the priority...
  2. Carter, I know this post is 2yrs old, but if you really want to do underwater camera work...what have you done in the past 2 years? Built a small real? Called the rental houses and started building relationships? I don't mean this in a negative way, simply asking, so maybe I can be more helpful in an answer. best, Ian
  3. Let me know if you are going to sell that : Bolex H16 in Bolex-Paillard underwater housing (I'm going to sell it) -Ian
  4. Yes, ask Mike. Some times a camera company will promote that their camera was used for a project, even though it may not have been the main system used. Maybe it was used by VFX, or on BG plates, or something like that as well. #AskMikeG
  5. So many great points brought up so far, so I’ll expand on them and try not to repeat. 1). Make sure your high interest debt is paid. If you have a Credit Card Balance of 25% don’t make an investment that pays 5%. 2) Personally: - IRAs (maxed each year for myself and wife) - Roth-IRAs before I went Traditional (now sitting with REITs since they are taxed differently and I like their high-distributions to be in a tax-free account). I also trade options through this account since No Taxes. - SEP-IRA (though an LLC) which my company can add up to 25% of my salary directly into. - 401k max contributions (through my wife) - Roth-IRA for my son - Individual Brokerage accounts mix of stocks, bonds, REITS, ETFs picked by me after hours and hours of research, I suggest that anyone who wants to passively invest (which I suggest) build a diversified portfolio using low-cost index funds, having dividends reinvest, then sleep well at night. When the markets drop, I buy more. - LLCs with private businesses and a loan-out for most of my work, to control my tax payments ( when & how much etc vs. letting payroll companies attempt to get it right). One time they had me pay over 52% in taxes, when my effective tax rate is much lower...they wouldn't fix it, so it was an interest-free loan to the government till I filed my taxes. 3) Homes, see Mr. Greene, and Mr. Mullen, ASC above. 4) Keep your expenses low, and save your money. This is a crazy and fickle industry, even if you are out there hauling it in, I think it’s best to save and invest it. I’ll buy that fancy car when my dividends cover all my expenses, and the kids college is paid for. 5). I think (and have brought this up, and will continue to pitch this idea) that it would be a benefit to the IA600 members (probably all IA members) to hold ‘classes’ in basic finance, retirement, investing. A Union filled with people who are more financially stable, secure, and self sufficient makes us STRONGER in every aspect.
  6. Michael, a lot of what everyone else is saying is true. Don't feel like you have to go through the union. Being a Union cameraman (for me IA600) is important but I didn't need my union to tell me I can shoot underwater. I started shooting non-union jobs, and then when I joined 600 I continued working but on union jobs underwater. If you shoot awesome stuff, and hustle, you'll be good.
  7. WPA has risen very quickly... Representing: 3x Acadmey Award Winning DP... Chivo ...and a list of top-tier (many ASC) DPs along with many 'hot' young DPs who are exploding.
  8. Call Hydroflex, I get everything through them. They have GFCI's ranging from 300amps, to 20amps. My above-water gaffer puts 300amp and 100amp GFCIs straight out of our genie. They also offer 20amp GFCI's the just go in-line with your edison-power cable. I've been in a tank with over 400amps of power flowing into the water to our hydropars/hydroflows/etc. We had a 4k leak power into the pool, tripped the GFCI, and all we felt was a small pinch. I just did the unerwater unit for THE TRIBE (for LionsGate) and they didn't want to get the GFCI's, but after some convincing they did (we had 2x 10ks and a couple 5ks 10' from the water). And the New KillSwitch EnGage music video, 4x 18k's litteraly 2' from the pool-edge (as far as possible at that location) but we had the GFCI's on, and they were harnessed, and all connections were lifted off the deck with full-apples to keep any connections from getting wet. Safety Diver, If you are in water, I would strongly suggest having one. I do not know what the SAG rules are, but I have almost had 2 AC's die underwater, I saved one (dragged her to the surface) and our safety diver saved the other. Plus, as an underwater DP, with a great crew, that spends tons of time underwater, I love to have a great safety diver, becuase they watch your back, you can't know whats going on above-water when you are working underwater. (A remote-aqua crane almost ripped my BCD off because the grips were not paying attention and trying to move the camera into position.) Underwater speakers. Again go to Hydroflex.com and there is so much info there...they have almost all the gear you could need. Ian S. Takahashi Underwater Cinematographer
  9. What are you measuring, distance for focus, or light Light is measured the same way, just use a housing on over your meter. You should also double check with a spot-meter, just to see what to see how much light is going to be absorbed by the water as is travels back to your lense. Distance is just the same, with a flat-port everything is 33% bigger, so you focus 25% closer. 12' away, focus at 9'. I had a Sekonic 608 for a few years, but now I keep a Minolta F spot meter, and a Spectra IV incident. I like having seperate meters, and they fit into Hydroflex underwater housings. Both are great meters.
  10. http://cinemasupplies.stores.yahoo.net/noname5.html I love my front-box, but I really on use it when I am living on a dolly. I carry a couple things on my belt, and I have 3 Cinebags with random stuff in it. My 2nd has 2x Yeager carts for all the cases/camera AKS, and my loader has a Magliner Sr. for the mag-cases. If you feel that you need a frontbox, you can build your own if you don't want to buy a pre-made box, and you can buy just the bracket... http://cinemasupplies.stores.yahoo.net/cselocfronbr.html You will find your own style, but I carry a small ditty bag with essentials that I don't carry in my front box, or on my belt, and then 2 bags with other stuff I need. Those 2 bags usually stay on the truck though... A cart probably isn't essential to you right now...(maybe you have one already) but it will become needed...and the Yeagers are freakin awesome... Anyways, just make sure you have what you need, and that you can get to it quickly, or your 2nd can. http://cinemasupplies.stores.yahoo.net/yaandsosrcac.html
  11. Hello all, I have done this a couple of times, but was wondering if anyone had any tips on pulling focus on anamprphics, or any neat tid-bits of information on prepping/checking anamorphics...(panavision) thank you
  12. I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me...I am shooting a music video in which they want banks and banks of practicles in the background (they are supposed to look like maxi-brutes, like that linkin park video, where you are looking at their backs and into 100's of lights) but I am having problems getting rid of the flares, some are fine but I am getting a small flare from every globe. Is there a certain globe/lamp-lense/lamp or camera lenses/filters that I can use to minimize the flares from these lights? I am using Cooke S4's right now, they usually don't flare as easily, any other ideas? I would like to do this while shooting, should we just add it in post? Would using diffusion or frosted globes help? thanks Ian
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