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dan brockett

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Everything posted by dan brockett

  1. Hi all: I would welcome suggestions from any of you who are really grip and rigging experts. I recently purchased a tiny tabletop dolly. I am shooting with a small, light camcorder (4.2lbs) so this tiny little dolly works really nicely. It has the typical skateboard type of wheels except that they are grooved wheels. 1/2" PVC makes a good track for them. I purchased a piece of half inch thick 6' x 12" MDF and fastened the PVC to it as a small dolly track platform. I shot tests last night, it works quite nicely. My only challenge is that I would also like to bring this rig on location on occasion and I need to setup something small, light and portable to hold the MDF with the track on it at a predetermined height. My thinking is to use two 20" Gary Colemans to hold up the MDF since I already own one and could easily obtain another. I could fasten baby plates to the MDF and then just insert the 5/8 spud into the grip heads on the Colemans? But then I have this piece of MDF with two 5/8" spuds sticking out, which I think will snag on things in transport in a car/truck and then I cannot use the same piece of MDF/track on the ground or other flat surface without having to remove the baby plates so that the bottom of the MDF is flat. Are there any other grip/mounting devices that would attach a piece of 1/2" thick MDF to two Gary Colemans securely but would be easily removable for transport and using the MDF on the ground? Kind of an obscure question, but I know that there are a lot of talented people that read this board. Suggestions? Dan
  2. I own one DeSisti light, it is okay but all of the other posts here are correct, definitely not built to Arri/Mole standards. I am most happy out of all of my 22 lights with the Arris, by far. The only thing that is a minor problem with the Arris are that the tilt yoke knobs are nylon and when you put a Chimera on your Arri, the Nylon tie down knob will not hold it in position, even when brand new and the Chimera will sag down. Easily remedied with a bit of gaffer tape to tape down the power cable to the stand to mitigate the sag, but then you are putting some strain on where the AC cable exists the body of the light. All of my Arris do this, it's not a big deal but you should be aware that they do it. When I use my Mighty (Mole) 2k, the same tie down yolk is metal on metal and it even holds up my giant Medium Chimera with no sag, whereas the Arris even sag with the small Chimera. Arri or Mole, you won't go wrong. Dan
  3. Altmans are Arri knock-offs that are comparable in construction yet cost about 20-25% less than Arris. I own two Arri kits, they are really nice lights. My Softbank IV kit has been in use for 10 years and is still going strong. Lighting kits? Ahh, I don't know, I find myself deconstructing my Arri kit, using certain lights out of the kit, but also supplementing with other lights I have. I personally feel that a custom kit with the gear that you always need and use is better than an off of the shelf kit. In kits, there are always certain things that you don't use that often and other things that your kit lacks that you always wish you had. If you must get a kit, Arris are considered the industry standard. Mole makes kits but they are heavier and more expensive with somewhat weaker output, at least in the smaller instruments. DeSisti makes some kits and I like the DeSisti lights but I never have seen anyone with a DeSisti kit. Lowels are good accessory lights, I alway stuff a 250 watt ProLight into my homemade kit as an eye light or frontal fill into a Flexfill, but as your main lights, not so good as some of the other posts allude to. I find the best of all worlds for me, shooting alot of docs while traveling is an Arri 650 fresnel, a Lowel ProLight, an Arri 150 fresnel. Add some stands, scissor clips, a couple of FlexFills and Chimeras and I am good to go for interviews while on the road. In LA, I tend to drag a lot more crap to shoots than this because it's local but flying, I am trying to shrink my kit ever smaller and then I FedEx it rather than haul it through airports. Good luck, Dan
  4. Hi Clair: I have seen some pretty amazing results from Raylight MXFX http://www.dvfilm.com/MXFX/index.htm If you want to reduce grain with HVX footage, this is the hot tip. Sorry, don't have links to the demos but you can find them if you scrounge around on the DVX User website. It really works quite well. This is a viable solution until the HPX-170 is available. HPX-170 uses same chipset as HVX-200a, which many users are claiming is MUCH less noisy than original HVX, someone said HVX-200a at +9dB gain is slightly less grain than older HVX at 0dB. Good luck, Dan
  5. Sounds as if it "could" be a possible rolling shutter artifact? I have not shot with the RED but I am doing a lot of shooting lately with the Sony EX-1. The rolling shutter artifacts have shown up in all sorts of weird places and I do know that the RED shares the CMOS/Rolling shutter issues with the EX-1. Seems weird though. Is it possible to do some testing with different shutter angles? Dan
  6. Hi all: LA production company seeking to hire two Sony EX-1 shooters to photograph buildings and landmarks, one in Glen Cove, Long Island, NY and one in Rome, Italy. We are producing a bonus feature for a DVD release and need to match angles and shots with scenes in a classic film title. Specific requirements listed below... 1. Videographer must have professional credits and experience and own a Sony EX-1 only. The main portion of this project here in LA is being shot on the EX-1 and edited on an XDCAM EX timeline so only EX-1 owners please 2. Videographer must know area and live in or near area (Glen Cove, Long Island, NY and Rome, Italy) must be able to quickly and efficiently travel to specified locations/landmarks and shoot guerilla style. We specifically need smooth, well composed scenic tripod mounted shots, not hand held. We will send you screen captures from the film of each shot for the framing, angle and composition required. 3. Work made for hire, flat rate plus expenses (fuel, transportation, meals, parking). Videographer must submit itemized copies of receipts for expense reimbursement. We will own footage. Videographer must be experienced in guerilla, low key shooting style as we will not have time or budget to obtain permits. The key is looking and acting like a tourist while obtaining necessary shots, hence the prosumer EX-1. 4. We will FedEx you a hard drive with our FedEx account number, you will shoot footage, transfer to drive and FedEx back to us using our FedEx account. 5. You will receive credit on U.S. DVD release and can list on IMDB as camera operator once title is released. 6. Shoots will happen in first part of June. We anticipate one day shoot in Glen Cove, Long Island and one to two day shoot in Rome, Italy. 7. For videographer in Rome, must be VERY fluent in English, computer saavy and footage must be shot at 60Hz 1080 setting, not 50Hz settings. 8. Day rate commensurate with experience. Contact Dan at blfilms@mac.com
  7. Now that most airlines are charging for not only overweight but also for a second piece of luggage, I don't plan on flying with my Arri kit anymore. Too much money and hassle. I either FedEx the kit or rent one where I am shooting, you can definitely rent a kit in D.C. FedExing is expensive, but at least it's covered with insurance (if you pay for it). If you fly with any production gear in your luggage and the airlines lose it, you are SOL, they cover up to, what, $150.00 per bag? I think flying with production gear is just Russian Roulette, it's only a matter of time until they lose something and then you are hosed. Good luck, Dan
  8. Hi JD: I was getting at the differences between buying an existing Toy hauler (in which case, really only the back area would be useful for grip and lighting), the front is really living/office space vs. going to a trailer manufacturer and having them build a grip 5th wheel where the entire trailer would be suitable for G&E. My point was, unless you are going custom or a racing car transport trailer in a 5th wheel, you are getting an office space/camper with some room in the back. I am curious as to what kind of $$ a custom 5th wheel setup for G&E would go for? Dan
  9. Hi all: As the owner of a 32' fifth wheel trailer, I can chime in on this with some authority. While my trailer is a camping trailer and not a grip vehicle, I concur with much of what Robert writes about. One main issue that has not been mentioned is that most RV type vehicles that cost under about $150k use the same flimsy construction techniques. Compared to a real 5-10 ton grip truck or trailer, my 5th wheel and all of my friend's RVs of varying types (Class A, Class C and travel trailers as well as 5th wheels) are built like a Kleenex box, everything is fragile and easy to bend, break and puncture. As a personal camper, you can deal with it. As a professional with crew and heavy gear being dragged in and out of it, this could be a total nightmare. What this means to me is that you would have to go to a builder who can craft a custom trailer that is up to the construction standards expected in our industry. The air conditioners need to be high end with high output if the trailer is to be used as anything with crew working in it as an office or green room. The walls and trim need to be super heavy duty. This means weight and cost. Buying a recreational toy hauler and retrofitting it to try to do grip work would be a shortsighted enterprise IMHO, the construction standards are fairly flimsy in comparison to a real grip truck. Positives 5th wheels are great because of the space efficiency, they are relatively large inside and have a lot of room. 5th wheels are inherently more stable in wind than hitch mounted trailers and 5th wheels have a lot less sway. Hauling a 5th wheel is fairly easy and no, at least in California, you do not need anything other than your regular driver's license. The interior capacity is huge for it's relative size Because you are not paying for a motor/transmission/etc. as components of the trailer, the relative cost of the trailer itself is low. But you do have to buy a fairly expensive truck to haul one, especially a triple axle heavy duty one. Negatives By the time you go to a custom coach builder and really do this right, the cost is not so low. I am not sure how much this would cost but it would not be cheap to do it right. To get anything with the necessary weight and cargo capacity, you are talking a triple axle trailer. In order to pull trailers of these size efficiently and safely, you need, at minimum, a one ton heavy duty truck and realistically, if the trailer is really loaded down with gear, you need a Volvo, GMC 4500/6500 or Freightliner FL60 MDT. If you are buying new, figure $40,000.00 to $50,000.00 for a nice new Ford, GM or Dodge with all of the fixings or $75,000.00 to $150,000.00 for a new medium duty truck. Size - my rig is a 32' 5th wheel. When hitched to my Chevy 2500 Duramax, the total length approaches 60 feet. In metropolitan areas, I often see 5 ton up to 10 ton trucks parked in some pretty tight spaces, especially on small residential streets. While I am good at backing in my 5th wheel, you need more approach and room to turn with a 60' trailer and truck than you do with a 35' to 45' truck alone. The bottom line is that it takes more room to park and fit a trailer than a grip truck. On some locations, not a worry but on many I see in LA, it would be impossible to park a 5th wheel easily where a 5 ton could easily fit. Not saying that it is a bad idea, but there are certain drawbacks and limitations to a 5th wheel. To me, unless you are talking a 38'-42' toy hauler, I don't enough internal room to function as a grip vehicle AND production office, other than a really small one. I love my 5th wheel for camping but if it were me, I would buy a regular grip truck with a hydraulic gate over a custom 5th wheel. Dan
  10. Hi Diana: I have hired several jib operators for various projects and I own my PortaJib. Not sure how strong or physically fit you are or how hard you want to work. I think owning a jib could be a very good business, but it is a specialty. I only hire one perhaps once or twice a year for what I do. If you could get hooked in with X-Games or AVP Volleyball, that could be a good steady gig but just having one and hoping for the phone to ring would be tough. As far as the physical, I once hire a jib and operator. We shot on the sand at Morro Bay in the winter. Because we were in deep sand dunes, the jib operator and his assistant had to carry all of the pieces of the jib out to beach, all of the ATVs were busy hauling lights and bandit. I had PAs help them but we were using a 35' jib for a very tall overhead shot of some sand sculpture builders. I felt sorry for them, it was a tough gig. I agree with the other posters, it can be a very physically challenging job, although not all of them are. But mounting larger cameras, you would at least be a part of that. And you do need to understand quite a bit about all of the different cameras used, focus and iris systems, monitoring, controls, etc. It would be naive to think "the camera dept. will handle the camera". Not with a jib, they would work with you but you would have to make sure that all of the correct gear to move and control and monitor the camera signal were present and working. Not trying to discourage you, it could be a good gig for you, but it's not as easy as you might think and it is a very specialized field and most producers hook up with one good person and stick with them. So it's the old story, "if you have a producer who likes you and will hire you AND does lots of jib stuff, could be a smart investment." If not, it would be tough to break into. Dan Brockett
  11. Hi Christopher: Yes, you can buy any part of a Kino you want, just make the drive over to Hollywood Way. However, I bought the Kino Lollipop mounts because I could not find anything in the Mole parts bin or with Cardellinis that would work as well as the real deal Kino mounts. The mounts were expensive though, I think I paid $60.00 or $80.00 ea. Perhaps even $100.00., I can't find the receipt. Point is, by the time you buy the real Kino housings, I bet you are going to pay hundreds of dollars for them, at least. You do reach a point where it might make more sense to just pay the extra and get the real deal. My lights cost me a total of about $250.00 ea. so it is worth it. I just used the wooden boxes from AH, the black ones. Yes, they are heavier than the Coroplast real Kino housings but cost a LOT less and they look nice. Not so sure I would shell out for the real housings. If you do, post back how much they charge. If you have not already inquired, I bet they will be costly. Perhaps too costly? Dan
  12. That was the thing that impressed me so much about the AH Supply ballasts, they are super high frequency. They are also very clean looking and easy to wire. Good stuff cheap. I almost always cover the AH lights with grid cloth, it softens the output nicely. Dan
  13. Hi All: I built a set of "Aquarium Kinos" early last year and have been using them since then. The lights I built were dual 55 watt biax fixtures so they are the equivalent of Kino Diva 200s. I ordered the black wooden boxes from AH. The lights look nice and work very well. I have used real Kinos many times and other than the fact that my homemade Kinos are heavier and less protected, they are the same. I use Kino tubes, both 3200 and 5400 and I actually bought the Kino Lollipops, even though they were expensive. Nothing but good things to say about AH, service was prompt, the product is great and the prices were right. These lights actually have a superior reflector and ballast to the real Kinos IMHO. The only bad thing I can say about them is that you have to be really careful about the tubes. Real Divas have the folded over doors to protect the tubes which these don't so you have to be careful with the tubes OR buy a Storm or Pelican for them. Highly recommended. Dan
  14. dan brockett

    XDCAM EX

    The 16GB SxS cards retail for exactly what the 16GB P2 cards retail for, $800.00 ea. I have shot around 3,000 cards worth of material on P2 in the past two years, over 800 cards in a week for a three camera tv pilot. I have seen no failures of any kind from P2, I have seen files lost because of user error. P2 is pretty bulletproof although I have heard stories of static electricity while carrying a card in someone's pocket erasing a card of material. But that was second hand so I don't know if it was true. Anyone with half a brain knows that you transport P2 cards with the rubber cap on the connection in it's own plastic case anyway. The SxS cards are the same, you use the nice little plastic cases that Sony provides. FWIW, I have been carrying a MiniDV tape in a pocket, in a case and fell on it and shattered the case and tape shell. That's not the faulty design of MiniDV at work there, that was my own stupidity. SS memory is the same. If you are careful with the media itself, it is quite reliable. Dan
  15. Hi all: Thanks so much for the suggestions. That hotel in Hollywood is a good candidate but I was just told I am restricted to Westwood, Beverly Hills or Century City. Anyone have any good candidates in any of these three areas? I know, I am frustrated because Hollywood and West Hollywood have lots of good candidates but they want it closer to Fox. All my best, Dan
  16. Hi all: I thought since this board is frequented by lots of LA based DPs, Grips and Gaffers, I want to ask if anyone has done any shoots at a visually modern, interesting hotel near Fox in LA? I want to ask, have you been on any shoots at any Culver City, East Santa Monica, West Hollywood hotels that took place in a large meeting room? We are shooting a round table discussion with the cast and director of a sci fi series and I am having a hard time finding the right location (nope, totally low budget, no money for a location scout or service unfortunately) It will be a three camera shoot, need a room that is close to camera ready, we are hoping about 1,000 to 1,500 square feet. The project is really more about the discussion and the director has requested a "warm, comfortable and modern looking room" that we can shoot this round table discussion in. Any ideas or advice out there? I know between all of you, somebody has shot or been to a wedding reception or a meeting in a room that fills this bill. Thanks for any ideas. Dan Brockett
  17. Well, this is for a new client of the director and I agree, the shot will be hit and miss. But they are asking for it with hardly any budget or crew so I have told them we will have a plan B if the shot isn't working. FWIW, I took this on the scout the other day and yes, it was raining so it was pretty cloudy. If it's sunny on the shoot day, I understand that this would look a lot different. I can position talent so that I can get a nice framing as far as BG but I do agree, shooting it on green and compositing could look better. Thanks for your advice. Dan
  18. Thanks again for the advice guys. This is a spokesperson direct to camera sort of setup. I am asking the director in what sort of framing she wants to see the talent but I will suspect it is medium, then a CU so I can probably cover just a portion of that window anyway, I won't have to worry about the outer edges, probably just the seam where I join two pieces. The window is large, 14' wide by 10' high. In both of your experience, if the sunlight is sidelight on the LA skyline, and I am using a 1200 watt HMI through a medium Chimera with an eggcrate as my key, in pretty close, do you think just using ND 9 and or 6 will cover it? I would like to forget about the net, I don't think I will want or need the 6x6 net for diffusion, just the knock down of the ND for the output from the sunny window. Barry, I cannot get access back to this location before the shoot to do tests to even take light meter readings. Based upon the scout, it looked to me like there was at least some diffusion built in to the window and there was definitely some dirt on the glass as well. At this point, my game plan is to try to buy an extra hour from the producer and just get in there and ND the window before the shot. I am going to pickup a roll of ND 6 as well as 9 so I will have some choices. Let me know if you think it will work out with my game plan. All my best, Dan
  19. Hi Bryan: Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, no access to shoot tests, this is a limited access high security building, we are barely getting access to even do the shoot there. A couple of more questions for you? 1. If I was able to purchase and hang ND, this shot is on the 25th floor of a high rise. There is no access to outside of the windows, we would have to hang ND inside. Is that possible? Will it look okay or would it be too reflective? 2. If it would work to hang ND on the interior of the window, how is it affixed to the glass? Just taped up at the top and bottom out of frame? What about the middle seam between the two or three pieces? Do you just butt up the seams as best you can? I have hired some grips who have squeegied it onto glass with soapy water but I have never done this. I have a three person crew for this shoot so whatever is done with this window, I have to do it myself and do it quickly. Any advice? I was able to get the producer to give me an HMI 1200 watt PAR so I think I am okay on lighting, I can used CTB on my smaller tungsten instruments for hair/kicker but I am curious on if it were you, if you would use ND 6 or ND 9 for this shot? I suppose, assuming it is sunny, I should go for the ND 9? I still have access to a 6x6' butterfly as well with single and double net. I need the talent to look smooth and reasonably naturally lit so I guess that means knocking down the outdoor window as much as possible so I don't have to blast the talent with too much light? Thanks, Dan
  20. Hi all: Scouted a location yesterday. Director wants to shoot talent in foreground with view behind them out of 25th floor high-rise with LA skyline behind talent. Like a schmuck, I did not bring my lightmeter, this was strictly a scout for location and sound so I didn't even think to bring it (original concept did not involve seeing out windows) Here is where I need your experience. Tiny crew doing this shoot on HD. Lighting package is small, no generator, small tungsten (1k is the biggest) package but I do own two of my own Diva 200s with daylight tubes that I can bring. I would like to ND the window but it's a large window, we won't have the time and crew to do it right, I think. We have limited access to this location and a tight schedule. If director wants to see the city skyline behind talent, we have a small lighting package and scant time, do you think using a 4x4 or 6x6' frame with double netting behind talent would lower contrast ratio enough to capture outside daylight with inside exposure on talent using either both Diva 200s as key or a 1k open face through a Chimera (yeah, I would lose most of it's punch with the CTB, I know) What I really need is a 1200 watt HMI but no budget for it. Looking for someone who has low end HD shooting experience that would know, I know that this camera doesn't have a whole lot of latitude and my problem is that I don't have any lighting horsepower to balance the contrast out. Would a double net do it or do you think I would need to use ND instead? Camera will be Panasonic HVX-200. On the plus side, windows look like they may have some dirt on them and perhaps some polarizing/ND type of treatment (slight) already since they are a western facing window with a lot of exposure during the day. Shoot will take place in AM so we won't have direct sun blasting us. Opinions welcomed. Dan
  21. Hi Eric: Congratulations on your great work on Juno. It must have been a wonderful experience to shoot this year's "little film that could", it's success has been astounding. I really enjoyed your photography. To me, the work of the best cinematographers and directors are always when I, as a lighting cameraman, can detach myself from analyzing every shot and setup in the film and can just kick back and immerse myself in the story and characters. Your photography was tasteful, non-intrusive and best of all, it supported and enhanced the characters and plot, what more can you ask for? Kudos to you and congratulations on your success! Dan Brockett
  22. Mario: In the country of ? In the city of ? Dan
  23. PAL HVXs actually have different hardware inside (I believe it's the crystal is different and some other little things). You cannot go above 50fps on a PAL HVX. You cannot convert or manipulate an NTSC to PAL or vice-versa. That's one nicer thing the EX-1 has, it is a true global camera. Dan
  24. Hi Benjamin: I have a Sachtler and love it. I used to own the Video 18 and it was great as well. That said, Sachtlers are really expensive. If you are looking for a deal, what a lot of RED owners are doing is digging up used O'Connor 50 heads and having them refurbished. You can get them for around $800.00 to $1,000.00. Send it to O'Connor in Costa Mesa and for a few hundred dollars more, you have a head that is better than almost anything out there, can handle any HD/S16 packages and many lighter 35mm packages for very little $$$. If you want new and shiny, Sachtlers are great and you will be very happy with them but expect to pay big bucks. The other one to check out that is also pretty expensive and are also excellent are the Panthers. Also made in Germany. Good stuff! Dan
  25. Hi Benjamin: I own the smaller version of this, the Miller Solo DV legs which I have paired with a Sachtler DV-6SB head. Love these legs, they are great. Very steady and solid. BTW, my rig weighs 20lbs and the legs and head handle it no problem so at 17lbs with the Solo VJ legs, you are gold. I HATE spreaders, which was the main thing that led me to this tripod and I have not missed them. These tripods let you setup nearly touching the ground, all of the way up to 70 or 80" in height. Very versatile. Good quality. HTH Dan
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