Doug Brantner

Haha, of course! I forgot the little green tab on the ground lift was actually there for a reason... I guess I'd try to ground it to the outlet box, not sure how I feel about tying ground to neutral.

Not sure what model specifically, but it's the very common Arri 575/1200 model, not DMX. According to what Arri literature I could find, it seems hard-wired and not optional.

Probably faster to properly apply the ground lift (now ground add!) adapter than to field-modify the ballast anyway...

Thank you, gentlemen!

There appears to be a built in safety circuit Arri 575/1200 ballasts that renders them useless if they are not properly grounded. I imagine this is to child-proof them since they're very popular in film school rental houses.

But I've definitely seen larger units (6k and up) work fine with no ground, not that I condone such behavior.

If you find yourself in a location where the circuits aren't grounded (i.e. most of NYC), is there a user-accessible (read: repair-tech accessible) jumper to disable the safety circuit? Or would you have to run your own ground?

Please feel free to PM me, or point me in the direction of the appropriate repair manual. I agree this isn't the safest thing to do and it needn't be plastered on the walls of the internet for all to see. Thanks.

This seems as good a place for this question as any:

 

Why can 800 watt HMIs (jokers) be made in such a small package and you guys are worrying about making a 1200 in a 575 package? Isn't it comparable? I don't really know enough about the specifics of HMI fixtures to know if that's a dumb question or not, by the way.

Also, I've noticed that a Joker 800 gets much hotter (and takes a lot longer to cool down) than an Arri 1200.

Lightning Strikes strobes are designed specifically for film. The minimum flash duration is 1/24th of a second, so if you're shooting 24fps you can't miss it.

9- and 12-light Maxi Brutes have either a 100amp bates plug, or 3x 60amp bates... A single 60A plug wouldn't hold 9k worth of lamps.

The 9-light FAY aka. Mini Brute has a 60A plug but it uses 650w Par36 lamps

I've never seen these before, but judging by the pictures, it looks to be made of plastic which is no good.

Also, the stand mount/tilt lock looks sketchy on the bottom. KinoFlo's mount on the back, closer to the center of gravity, and they still slip a little.

This is cute too: "The included barn doors not only control spill but focus and intensify the light over a small area."

Control spill? Sure.

Focus and intensify? You've got to be kidding me.

If Hal is correct about the ballast, etc., which he probably is, it might be worth it to just buy the fixture and use as-is. Maybe make yourself a tin foil t-shirt that you can cut up and only expose the parts you want to hit...

Also, have you considered a tanning salon? Not sure if it's the same UVA/UVB wavelengths but it might do the trick...

Does this apply to the IA at large or do the Locals have any say in this?

I'm not sure exactly how the contract(s) or health care plans work, not a member yet but just applied to Local 52 as a spark.

All this talk is making me nervous...

Thanks guys,

I think they have enough people now.

Matt, I'll let you know when I get my cert and we'll have some fun.

-Doug

I am trying to get a few more people together for an aerial lift training class at Modern Equipment Group in East Brunswick, NJ. The date is TBA but probably sometime in December.

If you are interested I will get you in touch with the instructor so that he can start scheduling the class.

PS- I am not affiliated with Modern Equipment Group, I'm just taking the class and trying to find a few more people so we can get rolling.

Howdy.

I am new to the NYC area, recently graduated from film school (RIT, Rochester, NY) and looking to get into G&E, especially Rigging (camera & lights).

I have been Swinging on some smaller shoots and I've had a few days as an Additional on larger shoots. I worked in the school's equipment rental for 3 years, spent the last year as head Repair Tech, and also 2.5 years as a Stagehand/Sound Tech.

I am familiar with Lighting & Power Distro, and very mechanically inclined. For one project I collaborated with a Mechanical Engineer to design & fabricate a car mount rated for a 50lb. camera, and lived to tell about it.

Any feedback on the resume is greatly appreciated, as well as any advice for the job hunt.

Thank you.

dougBrantnerGE.pdf

Very cool, beautiful scenery. A few shots are a little soft or the color is a little washed out (swimming through the reef, towards the beginning- great shot, try correcting it?) but overall very good shooting, and very steady which is difficult.

What camera/housing did you use?

I just got my Advanced card, care to recommend any dive spots???

Somewhat off topic, but I hope The Dark Knight inspires more practical stunts too- the shot with the semi flipping over was incredible, yet tastefully understated, which is something you don't often see when directors get carried away with CGI. Also, pyro is a lot more fun than roto :)

http://www.utilikilts.com/

Who's with me???

After doing some more research, this came to my attention on meter safety ratings:

http://www-group.slac.stanford.edu/essg/pd...eter_Safety.pdf

Scary stuff, and we probably fall in the CAT-IV realm since we do a lot of outdoor distro work. Certainly no less than a CAT-III meter.

-Doug

GFCI = Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt, ie. the outlets in your bathroom with the Test/Reset buttons that trip the circuit if you drop the hair dryer in the sink by accident.

Try something like this or have an Electrician make you one. Plug it into the Genny first, away from the water, and run your stinger from it.

I agree, definitely use something more secure than gaff tape- it doesn't stick well to damp/dusty surfaces.

This goes without saying, but make sure your light stand is secure too, you definitely don't want the light head falling into the water either.

Be careful.

I'm just getting into professional G&E, looking to upgrade my hobby multimeter. Any recommendations as far as manufacturers, digital vs. analog, all-in-one vs. specialized units?

I think what I'm looking for is something with a basic VOM, audible continuity tester, plus an amp clamp large enough for 4/0, and a line frequency meter.

Any other suggestions are much appreciated.

Thanks.

Dave, you should really take Salvaggio's M&P class, you'd love it. And I know Chris will agree.