Andrew Rawson

I also agree with Chris. It's not very often this type of shot comes up and when it does doggicam makes a great body mount that you can put the a-minima or 235 on.

Super Avenger Stand. They are a pain in the butt to head up but they are very stable and will go 26'. The problem is focusing it, even standing on top of a 12 step ladder doesn't do it.

Linda I have an EX-1. Let me know what dates you would need it and what exactly you need. The reason I ask is half the package is in NYC right now. I have the camera here in LA but the RedRock Mattebox, Follow Focus and Letus 35mm adapter and 35mm lenses are in NY and it costs a fortune to ship those cases. But maybe all you need is the camera. You or your DP can contact me at arawson35@earthlink.net

The Arri D21 does

Fran You need to download XDCam Transfer for FCP and you can do it here. https://servicesplus.us.sony.biz/sony-software-PMWEX1.aspx It's the last dowloadable file in the list. Andy

After doing more research I found the answer myself. The CMOS scanning from top to bottom.

That's great Spike. It would be helpful to know where on this big blue planet you are located though :) Hi all, RED ONE package with Base production pack available for rent with a RED Tech starting in Nov. RED LCD 5.6 inch/Red arm EVF Red Flash CF module 16gig card x2, 8gig card x4 or RED DRIVE which ever comes first Nikon mount and PL mounts Nikon mount Zeiss primes 35/2, 50/1.4, 85/1.4, 100/2 and Nikon 17-35/2.8 as well as a 80-200/2.8. Redrock Micro Mattbox for RED Filters Red power pack 2 batteries and charger Reserve your time now. red *at* urbanmouse dot com Hope to work with you soon :) Spike

Hi Guys Thinking about purchasing either the EX1 or EX3 and in doing so I am browsing these forums to get an idea of how people like them and what the issues are. I notice there is reference to the rolling shutter a few times, what is that all about? Thanks Andy

When I first moved to LA I had to do low budget movies and music videos in some pretty scary neighborhoods...(I did Snoop Dogg's "187" long before I had ever heard of Snoop Dogg and Dre). We also did a pretty cool movie that Alison Anders directed called "Mi Vida Loca". We used real gang bangers and shot in Echo Park. It was a real eye opening experience and we got to know the Echo Park people really well and came to understand that the gangs aren't all bad...a lot of it is just about protecting your neighborhood and your sister etc.. There were several generations involved that kept order in the hood. One night though we were on a process trailer and we drove into another gangs turf and the guys in the car that we were shooting started throwing signs to guys hanging out on the street, the LAPD quickly advised us that we needed to get out of there ASAP. We went back to Echo Park and continued shooting and a car drove by from the rival gang and pumped 3 or 4 bullets into the grip/electric truck. We called a wrap shortly after :) Had a similar experience shooting a Bon Jovi video in Hollywood in what was then a well known crack dealing spot, the LAPD made us seal up the back of the trucks and stay inside them because the local gang had threatened us. Ice Cube video in Compton, the LAPD told us we had to be out by night fall because the guys we were shooting had made a hit on a rival gang 2 days earlier and the funeral was that day and they expected retaliation, Of course we went into dark, the LAPD left...said we were on our own... AND told us to feel free to run the red lights in order to get out of Compton and get on the freeway. Ahhhh got to love LA!!! Andy

Perfect tool. http://www.makohead.com/ Andy

Not sure where you are located James but if you are in the Los Angeles area everybody here uses George at Quality Light Metric. His yellow sticker on the back of your meter is the stamp of approval :) You'll need to google Quality Light Metric as he has changed offices. He used to keep an office right on Hollywood Blvd but I think he might be working out of his house now, I think he has a drop off/pick up location you can use now. Problem is, I don't think he can work on the color meter. I might be wrong but I seem to remember that I had to send my color temp meter in to Minolta when it started acting up. And of course now that Minolta no longer exists.....? Just curious...does anyone know what meter is going to replace the Minolta Color Meter? I've seen a Japanese company that seems to be mimicking all of Minolta's meters but I don't know anything about them. Andy

So......... You don't pay anybody...yet you plan to sell the films? Obviously you sold "Voices in Iraq", does the crew see any of these profits? Just asking is all :) Andy

I've shot out of the country quite a few times and what you really need is a local expediter type. Somebody who will help you get through customs smoothly and someone who will help with local labor and equipment. If you don't have that you have a tough road in front of you. Especially in Lagos, Nigeria. I was offered a film there several years ago and as much as my sense of adventure was calling me to do it, I eventually turned it down after doing research on Lagos. Lagos is probably one of the most corrupt places on this planet, from what I hear you have to grease somebody every time time you round a corner over there. This is something you'll run into in any 3'rd world country but Nigeria goes well above and beyond all of them. I remember listening to stories from an older cinematographer friend of mine who was telling me of being at a soccer game there on his weekend off from filming. During half time the crowd got very excited as a pole was brought out to the middle of the field. After placing the pole a man was brought out and tied to it and then promptly executed. Don't mean to scare you off your project, but when I was thinking about going all these same warnings are what made me decide not to go. If you do go, good luck :) Andy

Thanks Tim, I emailed you.

Thank you Joe. That is exactly what I was looking for. Andy

Wow The lack of responses scares me a bit. I was hoping the NYC guys would at least chime in and tell me they exist there :)

Out here in LA the self contained van generator is a thing of the past. Young used to have a nice 750 AMP van that was very useful in certain situations. Anyway, I'm looking for two 1000 Amp Van Generators preferably in the Florida area. I know they exist in NYC because of tight spaces and if I need to I'll get them from there, but I need to load two of them on a barge in Miami at the end of next month for a shoot I'm doing in the Bahamas. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks Andy

Flew over Freeport on the way back home today and it seems like a pretty developed island. I know you're a steadicam operator so just one warning; it's crazy humid down there. You start pouring sweat just standing still sometimes. And yeah, Rich Davis is definitely coming. Rich is an amazing steadicam op who has saved my ass more times than I can count. Have fun! Andy

Hi Brad I'm actually down here in the Bahamas right now scouting. We want to shoot on Elbow Cay in Hope Town which is extremely picturesque but also very challenging as there are no roads in the township. Looks like we're barging in the generator and grip & lighting from Miami then flying our camera package in. We'll be shooting the last week of June as well. It's an episode of the ABC comedy "Scrubs" . Good luck on your shoot. Andy

Getting ready to possibly shoot in Hope Town Bahamas. Would love to hear from anyone who has shot on that island. I understand part of Casino Royale was shot there so if anybody here worked on that please contact me. Thanks in advance. Andy

Niki, Unless you change your attitude I predict you will go absolutely nowhere in this business. Film making is a collaborative effort and unless you can communicate and get along with your coworkers nobody is going to want to work with you. Yes, we all get frustrated because, as in all walks of life, you are always bound to run into a few idiots and incompetent people on the set. By the same token there are some geniuses out there as well. But even the super talented directors and cinematographers did not just wake up one morning and be that person. No matter how smart you think you are film making is a technical craft that can only be mastered by doing it over and over again day in and day out for years. I have been in this business for 20 years and I constantly find myself learning new things daily. That is what is so wonderful about this business. But even the smartest and most visionary person out there will have a tough time of it if they do not have the people skills to be tolerant and patient of others. Sorry to sound preachy but your post stunned me. Andy

Is it worthwhile to start a new topic on here that calls out scumbag companies that don't pay. The job we worked on most of the crew were only paid partial payment and some not at all and this is a company that seems to keep on working steadily in Santa Monica. These people are criminals and scum and deserve to be called out, however I hesitate to name them in a public forum like this because I worry about the legal ramifications. Andy

I don't know about the rest of the country but for those of you in California, file a case with the Labor Commission. I ran into a company last year that decided after the fact not to pay us our agreed upon rates. The company's lawyer even told me that the last thing they wanted was to get the Labor Commission involved because the workers usually win when it gets to that point. I have an open case right now with them and while it's a long drawn out bureaucratic process it works in the workers favor. If they do find in your favor you are also due 30 days wages at your full rate if they are more than 30 days past due paying you. I usually only work for reputable union companies but we jumped over to a non-union music video for one job and it was a complete nightmare AND they didn't pay us our agreed upon rates. I guess that'll teach me to stay away from non-union gigs. If it had been a union gig then the Labor Commission can't touch it. Hope it works out for you, Andy

Like Robert said Chapman has the HydroScope and the HydroHead, the HydroScope is basically Chapman's version of the Techno. They also have a Lenny Arm rigged with counterbalancing weights to compensate for the camera entering and leaving the water. I was actually chatting to a dolly grip friend of mine when I read your post this morning who has used both systems quite a bit. From what he tells me the problem you're going to have is dollying with the swimmer, he's telling me you'll never be able to dolly fast enough underwater to keep up with swimmer. There is a special rig out there apparently that the guys use who shoot the Olympics. Seems like you could get reasonably close to your shot using the Hydroscope and panning the arm with him underwater and telescoping out and backpanning as you come out of the water. Jason at Chapman is the guy you want to talk to about your shot. Good Luck Andy

Call John O'Malley at 24/7 Studio Rentals in Burbank at (818) 840-8247. I've known John for years since his days at NES and Rebel and he is one of the main guys that has been renting condors in the LA area. At least you know then that you will get a nice new unit that only works on motion picture jobs and not construction jobs where they get trashed. As far as your question is concerned, you as the gaffer are responsible ultimately for the safety of whatever rig you put on there. The key grip should rig the basket for you, either with candlesticks or a condor mount chain vise gripped to the rails and the heads safetied with strong webbing. You also need to know how to cable the arm correctly with your head feeders. These days in LA if you are working a union job you need to be certified to fly the condor and all electricians have to go through safety training classes to not only fly but rig and drive the condor. You are also now required to have leveling blocks if you are even slightly off level. These are all good things because you are dealing with a lot of elements and the potential for someone getting hurt certainly exists. Not to state the obvious but also watch out for power lines, high voltage electricity can arc 25' so stay at least that far away from them. If you don't feel comfortable with all this hire someone who is and has experience, also talk to John O'Malley he's been doing this a long time and can be invaluable. I don't mean to scare with you this post but it's serious business putting somebody up 80' in the air with a lot of amperage flowing. Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions. Andy