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Susan Jacob

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    1st Assistant Camera
  1. Hans, I've also not had any problems with the B4 Evolution, but I have not used it in cold weather. There's no magazine motor to keep warm. The movement is the same as used in the 535. The swing-over eyepiece may get tight in low temperatures. Check that the operating temperature isn't going to be below 0 degrees farenheit (or more appropriately -20 degrees celcius), as the P+S Technik lens mount is not designed to be used at a temperature lower than that. Always test the flange depth (and let the rental house know ahead of time the conditions you expect and give yourself an extra couple of hours to take the camera outside and test when it comes to temperature through the eyepiece and tap) at the temperature you'll be operating the camera at. Keep in mind that the Evolution is not an Arri modification, it is a P+S Technik modification to the camera. You can find more info at http://www.pstechnik.de/en/35-bl-evolution.php . General Guidelines: If you will be going extended periods in weather, say 20 degrees farenheit and below, you should use a barney on the camera (to keep in warmth generated by the electronics, not for sound issues), an eyepiece heater to prevent a fogged eyepiece, and some rig to keep camera batteries warm. Dead batteries, I've found, are the biggest trouble on a cold weather shoot. You need to have a warm place for charging and you need to keep them as warm as possible while they are being used. In a pinch, I've used a crate with sound blankets all around the block battery and hand warmers (hot hands, etc.) tucked in next to the battery. You can also get flexible heating pads (by Sunbeam and others for orthopedic use) that you can keep plugged into the generator and wrap around the battery. Use surge protection though. If you use battery belts, always, have someone wearing them under their coat (2nds are great for this) instead of leaving them on the magliner. Another general tip, always take off the camera lens before moving to a warm location, say for lunch. When the camera is cold, the metal has contracted a bit (always check your backfocus on the camera in the temperature you'll be shooting in, just in case) and it may be very difficult to get the lens off until everything has normalized to the warmer temperature. Keeping lenses in their cases prevents condensation nicely, as it takes a long time for the case to warm up inside, thus no temperature shock to induce condensation. Obviously, you'll need to use warm-up procedures for the camera if you have not been shooting for more than an hour and/or the camera has gotten cold. Also, remember if the camera gets above freezing, condensation will form in the lens and interior. So, if you're shooting cold, stay cold (normal operating should be fine between 20 and 30 degrees farenheit). If you think the oil may freeze up in those conditions, you can ask the rental house what temperature the lubrication can withstand. If they don't know, find another rental house. Another rule of thumb, warm goes into cold without condensation, but cold into warm creates condensation (below freezing to above freezing, with the amount of condensation determined by the degree of change). If there's interior and exterior shooting in one day, you should let the 1st AD know this so it can be taken into consideration when planing the days' schedule. If you have any other particular issues you're concerned with, post it. It's kind of hard to post detail without knowing particularly the conditions you'll be in (ie -10 degrees farenheit on top of a mountain with no power, etc.). Good luck. Susan (I just noticed by the date that you've probably shot the commercial already, but hopefully this helps others too.)
  2. I found a picture of the type I use. Amazon.com doesn't sell any right now, but just plug in "Zyliss Strongboy Jar Opener" and it should lead you to a place to buy it. I hope this is what you were looking for. http://www.amazon.com/Zyliss-Strongboy-Bot...8&s=kitchen
  3. Hi all, I've been lurking for a while, but I figured I'd come out with this, since I haven't found an approach that I'm really happy with yet. I'm a Non-Union (but Local 600 eligible for immediate join, I just have to pay and sign) AC in Connecticut, wokring in NYC, Boston , and everywhere between and a bit beyond. I am getting together the money for joining the union, but I can't afford to keep up payments without work, as I'm sure many of you have trouble with sometimes. Yet, since I'm eligible to join there's just another catch-22, the union does not help you find jobs. So, I'd like to make contact with Camera Operators and DPs in the area to see if I can get a job on a union show. I can join up Local 600 about 45 minutes Mark Bentley told me, so finding a union job first would be ideal. So, my question is, what is the best way to approach Camera Operators and DPs (or whoever else is hiring crew other than them)? I was thinking of sending out letters and resumes to people I think I'd like to work for, telling then why I think I'd like to work for them, etc., but does anyone else have suggestions? The AC reel is a bit meager as I haven't gotten copies of most of the stuff I've pulled focus for, but I've got quite a few references. Is calling these people better? Should I not approach DPs at all, just Cam Ops and Production? So far I've been getting enough short gigs to get by, but not enough to really thrive and I have to do too much on the side to really focus on my craft as much as I'd like to. To throw in another loop, I've been 1st AC non-union for about three years and I'm more than happy to load or 2nd for a larger show, as the demands in many cases are a bit higher than what I'm used to (or at least I imagine them to be, maybe not considering some stuff I've worked on...), so how should I address that in my letters and my approach? Or, I should say, how would you like to see someone approach you? It seems that people like to know you're commited to a particular position, but I just love to work in the camera department. Thanks in advance for any advice. Susan Jacob
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