Todd Terry
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COW Coin
Forum Replies Created
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[Dennis Size] “…18″ scoops. At about $150 apiece (probably less on ebay) you’d be able to do it really inexpensively.”
Good idea, Dennis… and maybe even cheaper than that. The last time I was shooting promos in a television station just outside the stage door was a room full of perfectly usable-yet-discarded scoops (with globes!)… that they were willing to give away.
Scoops are out of favor in most television studios… yet there’s almost always a packrat mentality and those guys rarely completely get rid of anything. Might be worth a call to see if a local station has any in the “junk pile.”
It would be an easy way to light a limbo set for pennies… call it “temporary” while saving up the nickles for those sweet-but-pricey Kinos.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Nick’s post makes me sad, for two reasons.
Firstly his “I have little trust in the financial sector” observation, which I completely share. Even though our biggest, best, fastest-paying, most fun, most willing-to-take-a-gamble and most lets-turn-these-creative-guys-loose-and-see-what-they-can-do client is….. a credit union (actualy, these are great folks, couldn’t ask for better).
Secondly… my brand-new mortgage has just been purchased by his “Skank” friends. Aaaarrrgggh.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Seems like anything to do with banks these days can easily escalate into a nightmare.
In the past I have considered a LOC tied to my house as well… I’ve always been reluctant to do so, wanting to keep my personal financial world and my corporate financial worlds from colliding. It would seem that was the right decision.
I just bought a new house, my second such purchase.
Fifteen years ago when I bought my first house I had to do little more than sign my name. I had a crappy job, low income, zero credit history, and no assets. Yet they were happy to hand me the keys practically on a handshake.
Earlier this year, it was a nightmare. I have a good job, am well paid, am principal owner of a quasi-successful company for 12 years, have great credit history, zero debt, own a house that’s paid for, and semi-respectable net worth. Yet it was still like pulling teeth to get the house financed. They “just-one-more-thing”ed me to death, and it took weeks and weeks.
And this was with a bank that is a client of our company (we produce all their television commercials), and whose president is a personal friend.
I can imagine if I had been a stranger.
It’s getting harder.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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[Craig Alan] “What paint colors would you recommend for the walls?”
Black.
And any studio or stage setting should be able to be made completely dark when needed, so you’ll definitely want to do something about any and all of the available light, such as the windows and skylight… either temporarily or permanently completely blocking them. Floor can be white or a neutral gray if you think white will give you too much kick. Although some people don’t like a white floor, our stage floor is white and it works well. Our floor required repainting semi-often, until we finally put down a proper industrial epoxy “garage floor” coating, which works well if you are starting with a concrete floor.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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I’d politely suggest that she left the last zero off of her offer.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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[Fred Pachter] “I was wondering if you might have anything in your files–manuals, schematics, service instructions”
I would be happy to give you that, Fred… if I had it. I have absolutely bupkus. No documentation or instructions or anything of the sort. She arrived to us completely bare of anything like that… and still is.
One piece of info that might prove slightly useful, which I learned after talking with someone else who has one of these beasts: If it needs major work or an overhaul, you can send it to most any place that does major cine equipment repair work and they’ll fix it right up for you. And charge you an arm and a leg. OR… you can take it to most any dealer that services forklifts. Much of the mechanism (especially the hydraulics) is exactly the same… and they can service it, replace seals, or whatever… for a fraction of the cost.
Want another one? 🙂
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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We feel out potential clients as best we can, and for the serious/legit ones we always meet in person. It’s invaluable.
For potential clients who want to meet at our place (which is what we encourage), we’re always happy to do that. For ones that want us to come to them, we save that for the ones we know are serious and/or have sufficiently deep pockets.
Just visiting our place is enough to give the extra nudge and hook some potential clients. It might seem boring and mundane here to us, but for most people they’ve never visited a studio or production facility before and can find the two-minute nickle tour fascinating. As Fred Willard said in Waiting for Guffman “Being a travel agent, in one of the glamor industries…” Just seeing the sheer workings of the beast is fun for potential clients, and seeing a place full of toys and gizmos helps them understand where their money is going.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Personally?… if I were shooting for stock, I’d shoot neither. I’d shoot 24p.
I think the more high-end look of 24p would be the most marketable.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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I just depends on what you want it to look like. 60i is going to give you a very “live” videoy look. 30p is going to give a slightly more dramatic filmic look (although not quite so much as 24p).
It’s just a matter of aesthetics and what you want it to look like. It will make no difference in the editing process.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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If the XHA1 audio works the same as the XLH1 (and I think in that regard they are identical), then no… you can’t do exactly what you are trying to do.
You have to commit to using the on-board mic or the rear XLR inputs… one or the other, you can’t mix-n-match (I think part of that logic is the fact that the on-board mic is a stereo mic feeding both L and R channels).
To do what you want is easy enough, but would require a separate (and different) mic to feed into channel 2.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com