Chris Millar

Watched once. Yes, music not good (in itself and as a match to the clip) - beat too heavy... Re. 'scene order' >>Google 'establishing shot'. Try a little post stabilisation maybe or cut the bumps - also something about the wide shots makes me feel a little ill (stop the ride I wanna get off!) - maybe simply cutting shots a little sooner could solve this issue. What's wrong with some static shots on sticks? You can still have dynamic features in the frame, like a boat cruising up to the jetty etc... Also try to keep the house in centre frame, felt like it was given too much overhead space in one of the aerials. Many possibilities, and no need to be super artistic.

I got 'operator' training on the Techno Dolly at the Super Techno factory in Pilzn, CZ ... Got the t-shirt, the handshake from Martin and Jan etc. The counterweights weren't mentioned - they were considered someone else's job presumably, or too basic for training - I don't know? But keep in mind I was distinguished as an operator, i.e. I programmed the thing moving - potential disconnect between the person who balanced the crane and the person who commands it later in the day. They seemed confident with me trying to find out how I could make it fail - it had the bogey type casters that someone mentioned earlier - so perhaps no tips, but I reckon I could probably make the whole track and unit slide along the ground and slip on it's wedges after a hard stop. Anyhoo, since then I've relocated into a city without one :rolleyes:

I agree, it's easy - but it remains more complex than the static case. Also once these limits on the acceleration (decel) are known as numbers, how does a grip then use them ? ...and then throw in a bad bit of track etc. I think you're simply left with relying on the experience and general sense of the grip. As interesting as these discussions are (for those inclined), they remain as academic as the reciprocal of our interest in becoming dolly grips :)

Thanks for the link, it's much clearer now how it works - (the 'connector rod'). Sure if it's balanced, then it is balanced ;) ...very easy to convince yourself statically, and when it's low. But any accel/decel along the track especially with the arm aligned with the direction of track will create a dynamic consideration that is more complex. Irregularities in the track and/or dolly wheels and the height of the CoM all exacerbate the effects - for better or worse - the better case not usually taken notice of. ...then the camera operator puts his leg out.

I wasn't. I agree with what you're saying. (apart from right now I guess :rolleyes: ) I also agree with David - therefore in lieu of the details I gave conditional agreement with your statement that: ;)

I'm with both of you also :) It is indeed enlightening to look at it in terms of restricted planes, but eventually it needs to be analysed in 3 Dimensions - many devices (like, um 'stuff') are in terms of their functionality planar (2D), but not in this case. Gregg is quite correct about the plan view and it is the primary consideration, however adding height, especially to a dynamic object will increase the ease at which the CoM extends over the base constraints.

Worth looking into it of course - it's an interesting device - but in terms of Y Tu Mama También, the timing is a bit off... Google:

Yip, and it's what is what he did when he got the feeling things weren't going to plan and unfortunately in the exact direction to exacerbate the situation. Very true a remote head wont solve that. (a competent grip should) Still though, it's obviously preferred in terms of safety. A remote head will have a lot less weight, and wont move around so much ... Also all those fun issues that come with the operator mounting and dismounting the jib. It looks awkward also, so maybe even the arguments of being hands on vs. wheels fail to make the case valid?

Neat! another physics discussion :) I would say that if the wheel locks up the pivot point actually runs along the circumference of the wheel. If the wheel is free to turn then again it's a moving target, close to the wheel axle as you point out, but not perfectly centre (conservation of momentum, friction etc...)

Although it's a little bit armchair CSI... The unit is obviously heavy on the operator end of the arm, that combined with: - the rotation of the unit had just aligned the arm with the direction of motion - the continual rise of the centre column - a bit of dodgy track, maybe a joint or wedge fail - (the 'pop' at 28 secs... - within 1 sec the unit stops on the tracks and over it goes ?) Did someone mention motion control - or at least operator on remote wheels and focus? And as David mentions, lower it's CoM - and/or extend it's natural pivots (the dimension of the base) - >edit:as Bruce suggests

Does any one have a link or name of that rig (or one just like it if it is generic enough) - I'd like to find a clearer image of it so I can get my head around it's dynamics... Of course any resultant discussion is all academic, but yeah - still interested :)

Ring Spectra and ask them? :blink:

You're referring in the particular to the Chadstone drone sub-species? If so, yes, they're quite snooty - and you have to catch a bus. I took a retina macbook pro in with a dead pixel (along with another more pressing issue) - response re. pixel: "that's impossible, you cant see retina pixels"

While these things are all true and worthy - but they don't make the question clever ;) (or dumber I guess)

I never fully understood this, it's up there with 'the customer is always right' - but doesn't have the motivation of sales pushing it through. Is that formula a model based on empirical results or does it come from theory? (and how much has that theoretical basis been simplified since...). Either way, I figure Mark meant there is variability in results (manufacturing etc.), the term 'unpredictable' simply refers to this variability crossing of a bound of acceptability. Something a human decides. ...in other words: whatevs :)

... by 'constant' I mean not just an average of 7.5 deg/s - but 7.5 deg/s for the whole move ...

Gregg has asked the direct questions that I alluded to above also - they'll need some consideration. David, I agree that an operator could achieve a total of 48 seconds for the total move (esp, with a countdown as you mention), but what an operator will struggle with relative to that task is maintaining a constant rotational velocity throughout the move - something we're not 100% sure is a design spec at this stage - Eric? 360/48 = 7.5 deg/s As Phil points out a timelapse head may not have that capability directly but maybe you can gear it, or change the timing divisor in code (electronic gearing). Who knows, suspect it's trivial but really up to the initiative of the person you end up renting it from. A web search of 'motion control pan head' reveals many off the shelf solutions also. What is your budget? ...and the same question but from another perspective: are you tinkering or is this a paid job?

If the motion is choreographed with talent then speeding it up and slowing down in post wont work... (well, that's the safer assumption at least) Howabout just a head with a motor input ? No need for a full crane (!) Lots of bodges like steppers/arduino/lazy susan set ups to be hacked together if that's your style/budget ... Once you have it going the next question is how to coordinate all the elements to be in sync with each other - in other words, when/what position do you start the rotation...

Two circular rings mounted on the body, then on offset camera mounted to the ring with pretty much roller-coaster like design um, roller-coasters thingies: Picture from a search from 'roller coaster bogie'. Use the natural pivot and mass of the set up to your advantage in terms of the roller design. ;) No need to be that full on, and obviously scale it down... If you want it motorised rig up some gilmer belt, a thingy and some what not and away you go. Of course, you'll need a fair amount of cash, time and a machinist with shop if you want it to last. Potential for adequate results on the cheap, but don't go and book the rest of your shoot around it - false economy ...

For Melbourne locals: 'INTERSTELLAR will be presented on IMAX 1570 FILM.' Nov 6 Evening before my Advanced Control Theory exam :P

I guess ... Yeaaah :)

It's not quite 25% - measurements on 2 models indicated more like 16~18% (I can't remember exactly but it was an even number in the teens at least) But why trust me, I'm just another guy on the internet ;) ... maybe I measured incorrectly twice ...aaaaand anyway, 25% seems to work just fine.

standby real name and double post comment: