robert duke

The halogen envelope lamp was manufactured by GE and Phillips for household usage several years ago. They erroniously marketed it only to homeowners. It was not very energy friendly. It did make a beautiful substitution for standard practical bulbs and came in a wide variety of wattages. unfortunatly they stopped making them. This is exactly the same as those just made in china. It does have 3200'K output and with a frosted exterior probably has a nice smooth nondirectional beam. these would work nice for practicals or clamp lights (brooders), or floods. I think for practicals you might run into issues with lampshades not fitting. as for the dreaded compact flourescents, these have a high CRI. the color temp is close to 5600, they are coolish. I dont care for them, I tried to use them as a DP friend is really into them and has made his own fixtures with them. I think they are ok but have a serious lack of projection issue.( they fall off quickly) experiment. Check out a Lamp supply house for contractors. I used to pick these up at one for roughly$16, with a high CRI. $25 plus shipping sounds high.

The flare in the woods idea is one I have done. Check out www.likemoleslikerats.com I did it usig a 12k par no lens, pointed at a 4x of mylar that was shaken and panned around slightly. It gave a cool dancing light effect as if the flare was travelling. the 4x was top stick on a mombo combo.

Try each out and test them. Spun is great for video, and can be awsome used right for film. The two are not really comparable. 216 is a heavy diffusion, it smooths out the beam and creates a very soft even field. Spun is a heavy diffusion that adds a slight amount of texture to the beam field. I use spun a lot for exteriors and for stage work emulating outdoors. ( a hold over from my early years in TV) I like it but I have found that a lot of people dont like it at first. Experiment.

they make a 6x and 6x10 that pops out look in BH photo. They arent rigid. They are floppy and hard to manage as a background. They have wrinkle issues. If you can make it do it.

Producers sign the check. DP's recommend you but at the end of the day its the Producer who you need to please. If a producer sees grips sitting around the campfire telling stories He will figure there are too many guys for the day and that the Key is padding his numbers. The producer will cut guys then. keep up appearances and they will leave well alone. Also make friends with producers They work more frequently than the DP.

Some grips would say not enough is worse than too many. There isnt really a formula. If you are a working key the you plus one should be able to run the set. add a dolly grip if the camera lives on the dolly. if you need to be at monitor or next to the dp at all times then you need you plus two on set. add a best boy to take care of personell, equipment, maintence, timecards, etc. a good best can make the show easy or hard. A good way to think about how many guys it takes or how long it takes can be figured out by thinking how long it takes you to do a job and either double it for green grips or 1.5x for experienced grips. If you need it to take less time add guys. I have found that a minimum of six guys is ideal for most situations. Key, best, dolly, three hammers. it takes a minimum of three guys to move a 20x. two move the stands one moves the bags and ropes. same for a 12x. if the DP wants four 12x and wants to remain quick. that more guys. four to six to move frames and two to move bags and ropes. the key here is to make sure guys have something to do. producers hate to see grips standing around chatting. as a grip always stay busy. clean something worse case. organize the carts. look busy. lolligaging around looks bad on you and the key grip. take care of your guys and they will take care of you. it works for all levels of the grip crew. the hammers need to make the key look good. when they do the key will get another job and think of them. look bad and both are out of a job. the best has to keep the guys in line and keep the gear together, which make the key look good. everybody gets that next job. the key grip takes care of his guys doesnt degrade them, encourages them, teaches them, and they will work hard for you. everybody gets that next job. I have worked hard for guys as a hammer who degraded me in front of others and behind my back. I will never work with them again. I have no need to make them look good. no impetus to be good for them. I have worked with the opposite and will always take a job with them even if the$$ isnt great. Dont hire your friends, not to say you cant be friends with your guys. but your friends have an investment outside of work. and may not always work hard nor do the hard part as good as they could b/c you are their friend. Hire guys you know will work hard. They want that next job. so do you and they will help you get it. they will also require fewer guys b/c they get the job done. Producers notice when guys are willing to work hard for someone. They understand a solid team is the best. A key who builds a solid team is successful. If you feel out gunned by the number of guys, then either your guys arent working hard enough or you havent planned out what you are going to do. at lunch look at tomorrows work and think how the DP has shot before. (20x overhead, 12x bounce, 2 shiney boards....) and figure out how many guys it will take. either hire or cut a guy. DPs also notice if it takes too long and will cut back if they are smart although they may not hire you again, b/c you impeded their vision. Hire enough and keep them busy, clean, fix, repair, label, tag stuff, make the set look perfect and the DP will carry you along.

with the altman and the Chavuet parcans the price difference is materials and brand name. altman wants $75 for theirs and chavet's are $25. not much difference in application. MOlepars have a steel body and are smaller, and have a baby reciever built in. you will have to purchase the tvmp adapter for the others. you can rotate the lamp without removing the bulb by reaching into the hole in the back and grabbing the lamp and rotating, wear a glove as the lamp will burn you. check out the Source four par by ETC. It has interchangable lenses rather than carry 4 different globes. It also uses a 575watt hpl lamp that outputs more lumen than a 1000watt globe. less power smaller fixture more room in truck....

The base substance in fog fluid in most cases, (martin, rosco, and others) is glycerine. It is commonly used for cough medicines and other liquid medicines as well. there have been several studies about exposure of fog fluid. Briefly SAG and Actors Equity had a Hazard pay clause in regards to fog. I Believe it has been proven wrong and lifted. you can find the Material safety data sheet at the manufacturer's websites or by searching the web. MDG makes a really nice fogger, as does LeMaitre and Martin. You can typically rent these really cheap, or you can BUY a CHEAP one at Walgreens and Kmart for like $20 ( the rental is about the same). expect to get one or two uses out of it. Atmospheric effects are extremely difficult to deal with and control. A/c, drafts, open doors, fans, people moving effect these as does temperature and humidity levels. the more humid the longer the hang time. If you mist the ground with water, the fog will hang longer. However this becomes dangerous around electrics. Assign ONE and only one person to operate and take care of the fog levels. It will take a while to get the fog right. Plan for things to take longer. also some fire alarms are sensitive to particulate in the atmosphere. Esp. colleges and offices. they can go off from the fog. you might have need of a fire marshal and building manager to turn off the alarm.\ \\ Fog is fun, play around while you have it. It sometimes helps to have plate shots of fog shot infront of a black background. fog should be side lit for translucency, front lit for opacity. Also some fog can effect color temperature or be very revealing of a lamps color. test with the specific machine and fog.

what your asking to do requires a skilled professional with specialized gear. If you dont know how to do it shoot around it. It is Very Dangerous. It could very quickly maim, and kill someone. 1 you have no way to guarantee the rigging points for weight bearing for personel. 2 you have no way to grasp their wrists where ALL the nerves and tendons enter the hands. 3 It really is a case of if you dont know call someone else. your personal liability here is extremely high. you could lose not only the respect of your peers but also anything you have earned and will earn. BE THE BIGGER MAN AND BE THE GUY THAT FINDS SOMEONE WHO CAN DO IT. Locate a stunt professional in your area. they are very willing to help people out including low budgets and micro budgets. tell them what you are wanting to do, they will let you help them do it. It will also expand your contacts for future productions. stunt guys work all over the world and know about productions in advance. If you open a line of communication with one up it could lead to future work for you. If you dont you could hear the words "you will never work again". yes I am trying to frighten you. this is really dangerous. think how bad you would feel if the talent got hurt. Ask for the wide would a manequin work? and all the closeups could be faked on an applebox. look for other solutions. greenscreen? aftereffects out an apple box? dont be a hero.

for a super low budget glass effect, go to hobby lobby, or some other craft store that sells stained glass and pickup a couple pieces of glass, clearer is better, be creative but know that you have to see through it to get some image that is understandable. tape the glass to the lens or if you are crafty buy a plunger and cut a lens sized hole in it. Tape the stained glass to it and bingo a squishy lens for like $15.

A friend just got back from Khazakstan, and the ukraine, He was telling me there were towns that were cold war era manufacturing that are abandoned. He had some photos of a high rise that was totally empty but some deer. I gaffed a post-apocalyptic feature in Huntsville. www.likemoleslikerats.com check it out. We shot in caves, an old quarry, an old Hydraulic power station, and an overpass. Our Digital effects guy has been adding digital mattes to cover the skylines in some shots.

Check out www.rondexter.com . Get a copy of "ulva's grip handbook". It is a fantasic read. I have it in my bathroom and take it with me on all my jobs. Admit your shortcomings. Be confident b/c you got hired. ask questions. be polite. dont be afraid of hard work. be able to be proud of the job you have done ( dont do things you wouldnt be proud of) dont kill yourself nor others. dont go for a crate of t-stops Safety is everyones responsibility. keep things clean and organized. if you find yourself not doing things clean, sort, organize. dont talk on your cell infront of a producer. PERIOD dont sit on an applebox in view of a producer, unless you are doing something. be a ninja (quiet, quick, and precise) Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I have used straight out of the can minestroni or cambells chunky stew. It sold it and caused the actor to really spew.

As a young adventerous boy I used a road flare in a cave. I tried holding it above my head so I could see up a shaft. A small molten piece of metal dripped from the flare onto my forehead. I still carry the scar today some 22 years later. If it had been my eye... That is why flares are dangerous. If you do it I recommend gloves. And dont hold it above your body, head, etc. also be aware of flammables. Hairspray, grass, lens cleaners, oils, etc. I think it looks cool, but maybe have the prop guys build you a rig using a modified xenon flashlight that is gelled red.

The sigma Lenses state that the lense will vingette when used with 35mm or oversized sensors. I dont think it is the same lens... but then again I am just a grip.

First these are NOT HMI these are HID. They have a average color temp of 5200 k. They are workable but the ballast is delicate. I bought one to try it out and see. It is very sensitive to power range. I had a very hard time with getting the light to strike on certain power circuits. I them had a ballast fry. Since these are just HID lamps and ballasts, I have been looking for a comparable ballast via electric supply houses. I wouldn't recommend them. reliablity is just not worth the $.

After Effects or another computer mumbo jumbo programs. lighting it is the same as lighting it normally. it is all done with computers.

ON several movies I have worked we have had to Back feed the breaker boxes. we have powered the building off our generators. We have pulled the line power off (with the assistance of local Electricians) and fed the box with 4/0 or banded.

its not the volts that kills its the amps. linemen are hooking up unfiltered and ungated power ( there is no breaker upstream for a long while). it becomes the same situation when tieing into a box sometimes. shut off the mains if you can. if you con go below a breaker do it. green is safe, neutral is next then the hot legs. hooking into a hot box is serious poop. one wrong move, one brush against two terminals and thats it. the power is suffiucient to blow a hand off. thats not even crossing your heart with the power. If you need , absolutly have no other way, Call a liscensed Professional to tie in. Spend the extra $100-$200. start a relationship with a master electrician, they might be interested in what you are doing enough to give you a discount. the Pro's that I know are shocked to hear that I move energized banded and connect to it. they are scared of the 100amp passthrough lunchboxes. We already walk a thin line when it comes to power. I have heard tales of NY gaffers tieing in standing in water. I have also heard tale of grounding kits. A clip on ground for before there was a ground installed on lights. dont risk your life for a movie, its not worth the funeral. dont risk a hand for a movie, what if the movie never gets picked up. you'd be handless and have nothing to show for it.

Grips dont do tie ins, electricians do tie ins. We're likely to break something. LOL

Items for sale quantity Item Accessories price 4 1k fresnels mole 407 style Doors, scrims, lamp $295 per 3 50ft 5wire banded camlock $325 per 4 50ft 60amp bates $85 per 3 25ft 60 amp bates $65 per 3 50ft 100amp bates $100 per 3 25ft 100 amp $75 per 1 100amp lunch box $375 1 900amp distro $950 1 100amp mole box $175 2 60 amp lunch box $100 per 1 412 mole 2k Lamp $200 1 Mole 8? 2k Lamp $225 2 Mole tweenie 650 Lamp, doors $250 per 2 Mole mini mole 200 Lamp doors $225 per Also I have some HMI's on Ebay if anyone is interested. IF you are interested please PM me asap. First come first serve. I will try to work with you on shipping.

if it is dandilions you are married to then grab a bag and go collecting. If it is particles like dust, try shaking an old pillow out. smells funky but it works.

Rigging a condor is hazardous. Be Aware of the load limits of the condor you are rigging on. According to the manufacturer's rigging onto a condor is illegal. Local 80 has gotten together with the manufacturers and come up with special allowances. only certain models are riggable and only trained local 80 members are allowed to rig condors. That being said we all do it, have done it and will continue to do it. just be aware of what you are doing. 1 make sure the condor mount is in good working order. I frequently find the receiver know is stripped or bent. DO NOT USE A JUNIOR RISER AS A CANDLESTICK. they are not rated for that kind of rigging and WILL bend. 2 make sure everything is safetied. chainvices should be secured ( i like using zip ties, tape works fine) Lamps should have a cable safety, bardoors should be safetied, gel frames, flags, etc. take a moment before you go up and look at every piece of gear rigged and make sure it is safe. 3 safety yourself. I know they are uncomfortable but wear that damn harness and clip into the approved anchor point. 4 Go all the way up on one section before you use the next. some condors have a lock out function that requires you to use all of one before moving on to the next function. 5 take an extra radio battery, furni pad, apple box, snacks, empty bottle of water, and a long rope. 6 when you come down for lunch, drop your rope and have a ground person tie a sand bag to the rope, pull tension on the rope and tie it off. this will mark your exact vertical and horizontal position for when you come back. 7 when ever you are moving have a ground person watchout for hidden dangers. 8 dont tower. ( drive with the boom up) there are too many ways to die in those things. 9 dont climb the arm ( i know tempting but just dont) 10 slow and gentle movements are best with lights attached. theres nothing more frightening than a 10k snapping its bale. 11 watch your weight limits, it is very easy to over weight those baskets. dont forget to include yourself as part of that weight. all the lights, cable applebox heater, laptop, lights, add up quick. 12 take a couple nice books, read them. 13 be safe. Robert Duke local 80 local 492 local 900 key grip

herminio-It is not that it doesnt produce results. It is more that no only is it dangerous to the performers, but also to the equipment. It is also unpredictable and uncontrollable. Its sort of like strapping yourself to the hood of a car. It produces results but are the results worth the risk of injury and/or damaged equipment. A turntable, circular dolly track, a steadicam, a glidecam, dancefloor are alternatives to your rig. Even a Wheelchair are alternatives that are not dangerous. these alternatives are probably the same cost ( rental) as building and rigging this rig. Risk is a factor of cost. how much would it cost to send the lead actor to a hospital and to lose your camera in the same moment? how much would it cost to lose a lead actor b/c they refused to perform inside the area the camera circles? how much does it cost to rent a steadicam for a day? how much does it cost to rent circular track for a day? how much would it cost to rent any alternative? I think your rig could work it just needs a lot of improvement. Mostly controlability, less dangerous, repeatability. fix these problems and you are on to something. Also the rig wouldnt work outdoors, short ceilings, small rooms, etc. things to think about. Herminio think about your risks and their costs.

Combination effects like that are the way effects are done to amazing reality. chromakey Prosthetic stuff makes for the best looks these days.