[Frank Otto]

[Kara Jensen] “The thought that it gets stuck is a scary one though. Do we know this is true?”

Yes, it is true. They have about a 30% failure rate due to incompatability or non format issues. They also slip off the tray and jam. Overall failure rate is closer to 45% when mechanical issues are considered.

I’d never recommend them – they are a cutsie gimmick that the dupilcators like to sell up with.

[Kara Jensen] “to have a copy of your wedding video in your wallet to whip out at work. Pretty cool.”

Another thing to consider – wallet carraige could cause warpage of the disc…remember if the disc isn’t perfectly flat to within 75-100 microns it won’t play correctly if, at all.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Frank Otto]

It’s correctly called an “Academy Leader” and only lasts 10 sec. The last two seconds are black with a 1000khz tone blip at 1.

Do a search for Countdown leader, film countdown, academy leader, acadedmy countdown.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Frank Otto]

Y’know…it’s not so much the knowledge as it is the tools and the certification. The products we use aren’t exactly difficult to create – but building one…that’s different.

List of item you’ll need are:

* Supply of LEDs in the proper color temp and amount for your application
* Power supply and circuit to drive the LED
* AC cable not exceeding 12′ in length and typed to match load
* PC board of a design to adequately mount the LEDs
* Case, constructed of metal or thermoplactic
* Yoke or other mounting device (third party supplied or design and mill yourself)
* Misc. hardware (screws, bolt nut washer, grommets, etc.)

TOOLS:
* Drill press and jigs
* Metal saw
* Metal bending tool(unless you buy case from a third party)
* Soldering tool and heat sink – LED can be dammaged by heat like any diode
* Buffer and grinding wheel for deburring and polishing

IF YOU USE PLASTIC:
* Thermoplastic peg table or vaccumn table
* Forming tools
Note the Drill press, bits, saws, buffer and grinding wheel can be used as well – but you’ll need specific wheels, bits and blades for plastic.

Once you have created your design, it’s time to prototype. If you are using this for just yourself, then your prototype becomes the end product or possibly first of several you’ll build for your use.

You’ll also want to register your plans with the Patent Office…just in case you’ve, A) infringed on someone, and, B) might have designed something unique – you may not want to manufacture it, but you don’t want someone else profiting off your hard work eiather.

Last is getting certification. If you use the device at home you have very limited liability – if you use it for hire there will be insurance issues – most insurance riders will demand UL, CSA type acceptance, many will accept Calif. Fire approval. If your “homemade” device lights up a fire you will automatically be liable – regardless of how professional the construction was.

This isn’t to discourage you from building your own devices – I’ve built many in my shop. But I did spend time at Century-Strand as an assembler and machinist (thought it would be a stepping stone into lighting design – it wasn’t) and know the complexity of the build process and the legalities.

Bottom line – unless you are developing something for retail, the cost of one-offing is far more (labor, supplies-parts, etc) than the cost of purchasing.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Frank Otto]

I don’t thinbk I’d co-mingle the reels.

You have your company reel to show the work of the company…as you are utilizing “day hire” editors I’d have the sample reel of each one availiable to show clients who may be on the bubble or have expressed an interest in your shop and want to pick an editor that matches their project.

It’s not an uncommon practice in the larger agencies to have the editors’ reels availible along with DoP’s and other artists who are allied with the agency, regardless of who’s agency produced. Those reels are also used to brainstorm or avoid a look-a-like situation.

When I’ve seen those “house stable” reels there has been a slate of the editor’s name and the agency the spot was done by…then there’s no question as to who did what.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Frank Otto]

Mitch:

Our jib never leaves the property…although that property is about 300 acres worth of the Las Vegas Strip ( Flamingo, Paris, Ballys, Caesars Palace, Harrah’s).

It hangs nicely on a hotel Bell Cart and rides with an Arri light kit, the weights, c-stands, AC, tripods and heads, 14″ monitor and WFM and misc grip stuff.We just roll (and it rolls very well) from site to site via the several miles of concrete connecting the resorts.

Your “monolith” sounds like the case we had made for our rig at Pacific Telephone – 3’x3’x6′ – stand it on end and wheel the E.N.G (brand name) crash cart fully loaded into it and ship. We called our “the Coffin” which made for interesting comments picking up at air freight.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Frank Otto]

Hey Todd:

I’ve used both the Focus and the Alfa heads from Cartoni. The Focus is a step up from the Alfa, but the Alfa is pure junk – ears for pan handles strip or snap off (same with Vinton’s DV line) and the lock for the wedge plate jams or just plain breaks.

The Focus is a bit more robust, but still shares the same issues of handle locks stripping. The wedge plate is better, with a more positive locking mechanism/lever. I’m not real sold on the Cartoni fluid drags on the Focus…seem to act more as locks than drags and they don’t have the range of drag you’d expect from an O’Connor, Miller or Vinten pro head.

If you have the need for more weight – like a prompter or studio rig – the C-20 is a superb head…equal to the 100 for capacity and very smooth. I use it for shooting with 36:1 and 45:1 lenses and at full zoom in with no real backlash or jitter.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Frank Otto]

If you have the budget, the Porta-Jib is (IMHO) the best small jib on the market. All machined and very smooth to operate.

Having said that, we own a EZ-FX jib. It’s less expensive, but moves well. My only fault with it is the nylon bushings instead of bearings on the vertical travel points – and it does require tightening of the bolts on the vertical travel points occasionally. Set up is faster than the Porta-Jib, but not by much.

But for the price it may well be the best bet out there, especially for medium weight cameras (we use a Panasonic 575 w/DVCPRO 50 back – 18 lbs).

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Frank Otto]

Regardless of how the proceeds are divided up, you should take all the “partners” together and form an LLC or Limited Liability Company. This limits each partners’ liability to specific areas of production as well as amount of return each partner should get. Most jusrisdictions have law firms that do this type of contract law. Plus it doesn’t hurt from a tax situation to form the LLC, especially if you have multiple partners, multiple investors or multiple projects.

Anytime you are co-mingling assests (hard like equipment or soft like a screenplay) you need to spell out each contibution to the whole and how the profits (if any) as well as other assets (rights, royalties, purchased materials, etc) shall be divided when the temination of the company is finalized. Most production LLC’s have a specific termination date when all parties have recieved the profits from the sale of the end product to a distributor. In the case of an LLC who has a distribution chain as a company asset, the company (if no new product is developed) ends up selecting (voting)for one member to serve as distributions officer to continue to make payments to all qualified parties.

This is also valid if you are going to use “deferred” payment to offset production costs upfront. Pay plus points, points, no-pay-distribution end profit are all methods of payment that can be placed as language in the LLC. The LLC also spells out who does what, who manages what and who gets what.

This is just a general idea for you to go forward on…really you should contact legal professionals before you get too deep in the production.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Frank Otto]

Kara:

As a marketing tool I can testify that I have about 60 or 70 given to me that I’ve never looked at in a drawer in my office.

Half the time when I’ve tried them, the computer won’t read them or they hang up.

If you’re going the disc route – use fullsize or better yet, give out swag with the ol’ company info on it…it may not get you any work, but it won’t get you cursed out for munging up someone’s computer or dvd player.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Frank Otto]

Here’s a link to a review in Videomaker Magazine:

https://www.videomaker.com/scripts/article.cfm?id=9033

Having full-on flags, scrims and cutters already, I don’t have many opportunities for using “kits”. I did use the original “Road Rags” and “Survival” kits on a few magazine assignments – they take a few more minutes to assemble but they work quite the same.

If you travel by air, then this kit is more compact than lugging around a grip box…

Cheers,

Frank Otto