Steve McBride

Hey guys!! Looking to sell two SmallHD DP7 Pro OLED monitors. Both are in used but working condition. Minor cosmetic wear and tear to both, one of them has a few rough corners but both monitors work great. Each includes the battery mounting plate and an Anton Bauer Gold Mount (all working). One is missing screws to attach plate to monitor. https://ibb.co/k3Lzds7 https://ibb.co/QKKRhny Looking to sell each for $500, shipping or local pickup in NYC. Feel free to DM me with a counter offer. Cheers!

I like to stick to 4x5.65" filters as much as I can. They're lighter and easier to handle and they'll cover any lens 14mm and above in a 3-stage LMB-15. The only time I use 6x6" is when I have wider lenses than a 14mm or have a zoom that needs it to cover (like a 12:1 Optimo). When I have those lenses I try to pursuade the production to get a duplicate set of filters in each size, but often producers don't see the point in this and just get a full set of 6x6" filters which is annoying when you only have one lens in a 13 lens package that requires it...

Most questions have been answered, but here's my input on a few. - I learned that diffusion goes closest to the lens, and an IR or anything straight like that goes furthest. - If you're using a dumb slate, it doesn't really matter if it's upside down or not. If you're using a smart slate flip first and then mark so that the AE can read the timecode without turning their head. Because of that I always tail sticks by a flip first and then clap to keep it consistent. - If you're using a Cine Tape, don't rely on it solely, use it as a guide to help you figure out which of your own marks that you taped out are correct. - Pulling anamorphic is essentially the same, just have to make sure you're marks are correct because anything off the center of frame may actually be an inch or two off the focal plane. Also, try not to pull excessively as the distortion of out of focus objects with breathe more on anamorphics. - Staedtler non-permenant pens are the best for follow focus discs. Just wet a kimwipe with your spit and wipe clean.

I was was wondering if anyone has plans for a camera truck build for a 14' cube truck, I'll probably make my own, but I'd love something to reference. Looking for one side with a work bench and shelves for chargers and misc equipment and the other side with shelves for gear. Also needs space to strap a built Magliner and sound cart in. I'll post up my plans when I draw them up.

You could always go with a CP2 lens since they're very light weight and relatively inexpensive. Then use your Arri or Preston FI-Z to control everything. Should also look into using a Teradek or Modulus or some other wireless system for monitoring everything and judging exposure.

I use a marking leash that has 1/2" color tape (6-8 different colors) and 2" black paper on it. Then on my belt I have a small core of 1" white and a 1/2" fluorescent tape for marking things quickly. Then I'll have a small dog collar that usually has two different 1" fluorescent colors and electrical tape on it. That's really all I use on set but it's always nice to have more colors of 1" as well as 2" J-Lar and 2" mag tape.

I have a couple different bags that I keep in my kit... - Arri medium production bag to keep AKS and such in on the Magliner - CE Doctor's bag to keep other AKS and less breakable things in, usually stays on the truck - padded ditty bag, again for the cart, works great with cables and charts and such - 12" tool bag for slate, report tin, various on-set AKS and tools - 14" Husky bag for batteries, mags, cards, etc. Usually don't have all of them on one job unless it's a bigger one. The CE Doctor's and 12" tool bag are my go to bags for every job though.

I think it's just a personal preference. I always do it so that it faces the lens. Don't know why, just have always done it that way.

They're PL mount CP2's and we're shooting on the RED. The owner/ operator is a friend so I'll contact him and get in touch with you. Thanks!

Scrims and nets won't soften your light, they will just cut down the amount of light you're getting from a unit. To soften the light you need to put some sort of diffusion in front of the light like a silk or some diff gel (250, 260, Hampshire, etc.). Also putting a Chimera on a Redhead would help.

I'm 1st ACing a feature right now and we got off of an EXT night shoot (very cold out) and my lens markings are mostly off. It's a set of CP2's that we rented from an owner/ operator, and one of the lenses is off between 2"-11" and another is off by a foot. Never had to deal with this before, but I'm just wondering what I should do? Will a rental house take them in and calibrate them? I have a day off tomorrow so I'm going to try and get it solved then. Thanks!

I turn the mag sideways so that the two spindles are pointing away from you instead of across your chest. It makes it easier to pull film out the throat when you're in the bag. Then I'd just hold the load side spindle and pulled the film out the throat like the book says. Just gotta get used to it.

I need to pick up an iPod touch and get either pCam or Toland, but I don't know which to get. I've always used pCam before and I love it, it's very simple and accurate. I saw the ads in AC for Toland and checked it out and it seems to be a lot more powerful. I'm just not sure if it's worth the extra $10. Just want to see if people here have used both of them and what they think.

Loving it! I love the look the anamorphic lenses give especially with all of the flares towards the end. What made you go anamorphic over spherical? I also really like how it stays on steadicam (?) through the whole shoot instead of going handheld when everything starts getting crazy in the end. I think a lot of other DP's (including myself) would have switched to handheld for those shots.

I know the 1st AC for the last job I was on bought a Hilti before the shoot because he knew he was going to be jammed up in corners and against walls where it would be hard to get a mark from a tape since I was 2nd AC and loader so I wasn't always there to actually run the tape for him. At the end of the shoot he was really glad he had bought it.

Well, I recently graduated from school and am doing more and more freelance work as a DP but most has been unpaid so I haven't worried too much about contracts. But as I start to work with new directors and producers whom I have never met nor worked with before I want to get a contract template together for myself. I'm doing a lot of free DP work now, and was looking for some help into what I should include in the contract. What I'm currently looking at is... - duration of project - notification of dates for reshoots - crew, equipment, labs, etc. selection - working on the color correction - DVD copy as well as HD version of selects for reel - meal plans plus penalties (second meal, etc.) What else should I have included in the contract? I'm also going to be putting together contracts for my crew just to protect them as most of my crew that I use regularly have a lot less experience working on larger sets than I do, so I want to make sure they don't get screwed over.

Thanks for the reply. What I'm basically reading is that it wouldn't be safe to run a 2.5k, 1.2k and maybe a few more sources from a single 6500w generator. If I were to get the following, would it all work together? (sorry for the vague question, new to electrics and such) - 6500w generator - 60 Amp Edison Snack Box (3 20 Amp duplexes) - 50' Bates extension To power... - 2x 1.2k Fresnels - 2x 4x4 Kinos Thanks!

I've been on set with generators before, but being an AC I've never set up the distribution myself. I'm just wondering if I get a Honda 6500 to run a 2.5k PAR and 1.2 fresnel as well as misc. other units what would I need to run those as well as how to do this?

Yeah, he's currently editing the feature. No idea about the status of it yet. No, I'm not at RIT, I went to MCC and am now at the New York Film Academy studying cinematography. I had an internship with Barry Sonders at Film Orange in Rochester where I met and worked with Neal a few times.

Thanks. I've actually worked with Neal Dhand a few times (I'm from Rochester) who you've shot for a couple times and he has great things to say about you so I'd love to get in contact with you while I'm out there.

I agree with the learning how to use a gear head, but I have used one before (the Panahead with the Gold II) and let's just say I'm not the best operator with it. I'm much more comfortable with a fluid head for my thesis, and in terms of price, a gear head is twice the whole fluid head plus standard and baby legs. Chris, I'm going to be shooting in LA, where would be a good place to rent the head and sticks from? I'm from NYC so I don't know any good places in LA. I'm currently looking at Indie Rentals, but I still need to check about student discounts at other places. Thanks for the input!

So I'm gearing up to shoot my thesis, and I'm wondering if it is really worth it to upgrade the fluid head you use? I'm renting a fluid head and standard and baby legs because the ones that the school provides are meant to hold no more than 20 pounds and shooting on a fully loaded RED... well that just isn't an option. I'm a fan of O'Connors and I'm wondering if there is any true difference in the 1030S and the 2060HD? I know it has the counterbalance system which definitely helps out. I'm just wondering if it's just a preference which one you choose to use.

I'm in the program in NYC and I love it. You're working with 16mm the first day hands-on and it is a very tough and intense program. It's fast paced but you have plenty of time to ask questions when needed. The way it works is during the week you have your classes like Cinematographer's Craft where you learn all of your theory, Grip and Electric where you learn new G&E gear, camera classes where you learn new cameras, Trends and Groundbreakers where you watch a movie and discuss the cinematography in it, Still Photo Workshop where you take pictures with a still camera and you talk and critique it with the class, Production Workshop where you actually shoot an assignment with whatever new theories/ trends/ gear you learned that week, among other classes. On the weekends you shoot your projects. Each camera that you learn has it's own project and a theme for it (mise en scene, continuity, montage, POV, etc.). You also have your semester and thesis film which is completely open ended and you can do whatever you want. In the first semester you learn 16mm black and white reversal with the Arri 16S, then HD with the Panasonic HPX-170, followed by 16mm color negative with the Arri SR2. In the second semester you learn digital cinema with the RED as well as 35mm with a Panavision camera (not sure which one, we're still on the RED). -- The program originated in NYC and is run by John Loughin, a cinematography graduate from the American Film Institute. He's a great instructor and really knows what he's doing behind a camera and with lighting. LA also has a program, but it is still run by John but he didn't even know it existed until a couple of weeks into the first semester because it was having troubles at that campus, so I don't know what's going on over there. It's a really great program and you will learn a lot from composition to lighting to setting up a c-stand. Just make sure it's what you really want to do because it's a very intense program and can be too much for some people.

I'm actually in New York City now and a friend of mine owns the rig and is coming with it. Are you in the Rochester area as well? I may be coming back after school and will be looking for some work if you need anyone ;) . Good idea with the weight plate. I know the op doesn't have one but I'll ask to see if he knows anywhere to get one out. And another good idea with the boa bag, I'd just be nervous about it swaying around, it seems like it would knock the rig off balance. I'm sure we'll figure out something though. Next weekend I think we're going to work on something to get the camera to be able to be used on the rig.

I've got a music video shoot coming up that I'll be shooting on an EX1 and I'm going to be shooting some of the artist walking down the street doing his thing on a steadicam. I believe the rig is the EFP which has a minimum weight of around 25 pounds. We've done the EX1 naked on the rig before and it was pretty bad. It didn't have enough weight to balance out the sled so it was not very steady. I'm wondering how I can add weight to the camera and be able to use it on the rig? What I'm thinking is putting it on rails and adding the extra batteries and/or weights onto the rails. We did this before when we had a 35mm adaptor on and it was too front heavy and it worked pretty well.