Chris Keth

I'm looking for a small quantity of 35mm double-x 5222 to shoot in still cameras. I'd love to find a small short end or two, about or under 100ft each, so it'll fit into a bulk loader.

If anyone has a bit of film they want to unload, skip the PM and e-mail me at chris@christopherketh.com

I have 70 or 80 issues of american cinematographer, ICG, and maybe a few other assorted photo related magazines that I don't want to move. They're in pretty nice looking shelf file bozes.

They are free if you come pick them up. I live in the eagle rock neighborhood of LA. PM me if you're interested and we can find a time to meet up.

Sold.

For sale is a used but well cared for TR-04 camera cart. Included is the following:

-TR-04 Senior size cart

-Bracket with Tripod Hooks

-Bracket with Mitchell Crown

-Bracket for RBQ

-36" side box

New, this cost $2315, $2523 including sales tax. I took a screen shot of all the included parts in a filmtools cart to show the new price and also the part numbers.

I'm asking $1850, which is 80% of the new cost without sales tax. I'm happy to pack it up and go to fed-ex but that will, of course, cost extra.

Please e-mail me if you're interested. I am located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Careful buying this knockoff stuff. Remember this is going to be holding $150K + worth of stuff to your cart, or to a crane, etc. Also, I would stick to the Ronford Baker standard. It's really a pain when one person on a crew uses a different quick release than everybody else.

How exactly are these "not worth" it? Let's say I'm on a set in New Orleans or Detroit and a car stunt goes terribly wrong smashing up my only supply of stands- the light is fading- I've gotta get this shot.

 

I could go into an abandoned building, unscrew some plumbing and come out with a C-stand!

 

Do you understand, Adrian? Knowledge is power.

The MacGuyver thing is cute and all but the equipment we use is the way it is for a reason. If I were on set and somebody wanted to put a lamp anywhere near over my head on a stand like that I would head on over for coffee until a proper stand was used safely and properly.

This kind of "screw safety, I want to save $5" crap is why I nearly had a brick dropped on my head from 3 stories up. It missed me by less than 4 feet. That sort of halfassed engineering is fine if you're alone but if you even have one crewmember whose safety depends on your grip equipment and rigging skills, just use the proper gear.

Just get some solid used c-stands. They will work better, be more solid, and won't have your grip crew snickering at you behind your back.

I was just going to buy a steadicam for an upcoming project. Right before I pulled the trigger I was told to look at the CMR blackbird. Im glad i did, it is only $600 and seems smoother than the steadicam, the learning curve isnt bad and it takes 20 seconds to switch. Im may be pitching this and i dont work for the company, just a happy customer. Most "stadium operators" will laugh at a cheap stabalizer but go on vimeo and search for "cmr blackbird" and the footage speaks for itself. Its unreal.

Not at all comparable to a steadicam. If it's smoother than the steadicam, you need to employ a better steadicam operator.

Make sure your 1st and steadicam operator meet at prep and have time to talk things over. They should be able to arrive at and pre-balance for a configuration that is repeatable enough that when the word is given for steadicam, the assistants can hit that configuration while the operator suits up. The rig should already be on a stand with batteries and the vest and arm unpacked. Have your operator teach your loader or utility to do this so it can be ready before it's needed. They should all meet in the middle in about 5 minutes and only need very final balancing.

The other thing that you can do for that type of scene is to have an operator handheld sitting on the mitchell crown on a dolly. Many key grips even have or can make a seat that mounts to the mitchell crown. Boom up and down moves can still be done, adding some great possible moves. This will keep the look of handheld but without footsteps. It's kind of a middle ground between walking handheld and steadicam and convenient since I assume you already have at least one dolly on the show.

Generally, I think common practice here is to chain-vice-grip the stands (folded up) to the inside of the rails of the lift basket. 2 clamps per stand with the weight of the stand on the floor. Once the vice grips are good and tight, tape them shut with bright cloth tape. This is based on what I see on most sets I work on; I am not a grip.

Omar, what's your location?

Your set lighting dept. should really be providing you with power.

If not, most systems will run fine off of a put-put or camera truck generator cleaned up by your UPS, which should always be larger and more robust than you think you need.

As for the show cutting you some days, that's just plain foolish. Personally, I would handle that by stating your concerns clearly and simply and then not going out of your way to rush to catch up. Do your thing completely and methodically. If you're hopelessly behind and mistakes happen because of it, you can be the first and loudest to say "I told you so."

Yeah, sometimes you don't have a choice, and you'll need to use a head in a way it wasn't intended to work, but on every other occasion you should choose the most appropriate tool for the job. In my humble opinion, fluid heads are better for whip pans.

Sometimes a fluid head can lend an imprecise look to the ends of whip pans that even very experienced operators can't fix. It's simple, but something I admire every time I watch it is in The Shining when Jack is chopping at the door with his axe. The camera is panning back and forth with every chop but both ends of the move are very crisp with no vertical movement. Precise. I assume that was a geared head.

1. DIT is not the same as a data manager, quit using them interchangeably.

2. There's no shortcut into IATSE local 600 for a reason. By being a 600 member, it's assumed that you are experienced and good at your job. It's not "extremely difficult" to get in. You just have to work enough days, apply, pay the fees.

The best way to get in is the right way. Quit looking for shortcuts. It's insulting to the people here, myself included, who are working 600 members and who have put in the work to do it all properly. If you expect to get the reward without doing the work, your path in the film industry will be pretty short.

I don't run into it very much so I've only had to deal with it a couple times. I just went with the direction change. It's not a big deal.

The academy is hosting a screening next week of "Lawrence of Arabia" and I was disappointed to read that it's not a 70mm film print. It's described as "a newly created 4K Digital Cinema Package."

Has anybody seen this particular scan? 4K seems awfully low for a 65mm camera negative and I'm afraid it just won't do the film's massive vistas justice.

Well, it's a bit of a cobbled solution but you can take two trays open side to open side and use it like that. Place the bottom of the filter in one tray and the top in the other tray. There should be enough spring in the tray to hold it once you've given it a bit of paper tape top and bottom. It's not a great solution because it wastes a stage, meaning in a 3-stage LMB5 you'll only get 2 filters.

Did you shell out the cash upfront for the scanner? They did and they have to be sure that machine is making a profit before people quit shooting film at all.

I don't have it handy, but I really like some of the very bare, very minimal, very white frames in Fargo.

There are anti-reflection trays for MB18s and MB14s.

I've never had it in my hand but knowing redrock's other gear, I'm very skeptical it will be worth using.

Look at the front of your lens. There will be a number with a symbol that's a little circle with a line through it. That's the size lenscap you need sized by millimeter. The quality will be fine. You'll lose it sooner than break it.

Advil.

You're so cheery, Phil. With your sunny visage, it's a wonder England isn't the new beach-going capital of Europe.

I'd probably have asked ms Brezca, to knock it off after I noticed they were distracting the actors, but that's just me and apparently Tarantino is ok with it (and it's his movie so his call in the end ) but here you can get an idea.

 

I know you posted it with a caveat, but I really hate seeing that video around this forum. Not every kid who comes here to read knows that stunt will get you fired on the majority of professional sets.

I don't really understand the large quantity of discussion over "proper" slate technique. It's simple: keep it accurate and legible. They're expensive and the sound mixer will be pissed if you break it so take care of the slate. When the camera is up to speed you just say "A mark" if you're marking a-camera, "B mark" if you're B-camera, etc. and then hit the sticks. Do this stuff loud if it's loud or you're far from the mike and quiet if it's quiet or if you're close to the mic.

Greg's completely spot on. There is the possibility of a non-union job paying more than a union job but that possibility is very remote. It's like tossing a steak in front of a hungry dog and saying there's a possibility he won't eat it.

Greg, do you work with Greg Dellerson? Your name rings a bell and I think GD's mentioned you, favorably as I recall.