John Sharaf
Forum Replies Created
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The best prices I’ve found for such items is from the specialty grip vendors like American Studio Equipment and Norms Studio Equipment in LA. The manufacture these items in large quantity and offer substancial discounts when you buy direct as they do not have a conventional dealer network.
JS
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Nick,
Even though it’s not listed in their catalog, it’s a standard rigging accessory. It’s often used to make large framesets for silks and solids, just describe what you have in mind and they’ll come up with something. You can also use 2×4″ lumber, c-clamped together, but it just doesn’t look as elegant.
JS
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Nick,
Yeah, a 2000 watt fresnel. The speedrail is just as you say, a pipe made of aluminum so that it’s lightweight. Whatever vendor you find that sells or rents it will also have the fittings. To hang the lights you’ll want pipe clamps with baby spuds. You’re best off sourcing all this stuff (with the high roller stands and sandbags) from a grip lighting vendor. I don’t know where you live but you could check Mandy.com to find the closest one.
JS
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Nick,
what they showed you was “truss”. that is overkill for the purpose of hanging a few small lights. You can get speedrail of reasonable length (like 8-10′) and join them to make long enough. Another alternative is to use “boom arms” to dangle the lights into position. If all you can do is have tall stand left and right, the best design would be to have a harder light (Like a 2k baby junior with thin diffusion like Opal on one side (as key) and on the other a soft light (like 2k zip soft). This way you won’t have double shadows, rather it will seem like the key, or main source is coming from one direction. Another design would be to use three or four theatrical spot lights (like 750w Source Four Lekos with 26 degree lenses) from high up and further away. Needless to say, the actual layout and architecture of the room often determine the best light placement, and if an audience is present, safety concerns come into play.
JS
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This thread has been going on for years and over that time the rates have been going steadily down. I was asked this week by a producer if I’d match Wexler Video’s rate of $980/week for a HDX900 camera package (with tripod, batts and charger). Labor rates are under stress too. Sign of the times, and beware once rates are lowered they’ll never come back, and in many cases now it’s the producers setting the rates not the crew.
JS
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Although the unit can record digital component HD 4:2:0 files at both 1080i (35/25/18 Mbps) and 720 (35/25) it only plays back the 1080 at 18 Mbps. This info is on page 9 of the manual. I don’t think there is software upgrade to fix this.
JS
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Yes, you could play out of camera through HD-SDI spigot, but you’d need capture card like AJA Kona or Blackmagic. Since you already have lens this is a very economical path to an HD future. An HD monitor would also be nice!
JS
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Varicams are widely accepted in documentary and low budget feature world and used units are readily available at very reasonable entry prices. Remember that you’ll have to invest in HD glass too or else the picture will suffer noticeably. Be prepared to spend as much or more on the glass (even used) than on the camera.
As far as 1080, the DVCPRO100 at 720 “transcodes” on playback from the 1200A/1400/1700/1800 decks to 1080 so it should not be an issue.
JS
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I stand corrected. Good luck finding one of these decks.
JS
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Bad instinct, will not work. The only way I could imagine making this work is import to 24 timeline using best codec available (ProRes on FCP) and them exporting to HDCAM deck. This is the only way to pull the “A” frames out of the DVCRO100; no deck will do this.
JS