Tuesday, December 27, 2011

New Hybrid Configuration + End of Year What Did We Learn Post

    I learned something interesting on the last show. The A Camera Dolly Grip pushes a Hybrid regularly. He showed me a new way to configure the head that Chapman offers and some of you die hard Hybrid enthusiasts may appreciate if you don't already know about it. It's simply a plate that bolts down in the same place that the regular four-way levelling head does, using the same bolt. The new style Hustler 4 rotating levelling head then attaches to the plate. Rather than an RO on top of the levelling head, giving you five extra inches of height you rarely need, you now can get a little lower than with the old style head. Having not pushed a Hybrid in a while, I hadn't seen it, but it really works great. I will be sure to ask for it next time I use one. I can file this one in my usual end-of- year what did we learn post, which is as follows:

1:You can get by on way less than you think you can.
2: Soft compound tires aren't as bad as I always thought.
3: Take it down a notch.
4: Don't overthink it. (I knew this already. It's actually one of my regular mantras. It bears repeating).
5: You know the front lifting handles built into the Peewee 4? There's a little slice cut out of the inside edge of each side. I know what that's for. (Think old-school low mode).
6: B Camera isn't so bad after all. I got a lot more stuff done.
7:  The replacement value of a short post seat riser is $845.00.
8: THE REPLACEMENT VALUE OF A SHORT POST SEAT RISER IS $845.00! IT'S A POST WITH A HOLE IN IT!
9: You don't really appreciate roundy-round until you don't have it.
10: Let the young guys take the front up the stairs.
11: That thing I said earlier about the new Hybrid config.
12: Being shushed by a  twenty-two year old PA  irritates me a lot more than it used to.

Here's to a great and prosperous New Year! Wishing you all the best. Take care of each other.
D

9 comments:

gillard said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
gillard said...

The end of the year quotes cracked me up. Like the top 10 on Letterman. Nice job. Thanks to you and Azurgrip for all your hard work running this site.

Have a great new year!

Gil

GHB said...

Very well said as usual. I have two comments. If said seat riser actually fit every seat in the chapman arsenal of equipment it would therefore be worth it's weight in gold. But without having ever touched or seen said seat riser, I can say from experience that it fits less than half the seats out there, so it therefore isn't worth shit. Certainly not $845.

Point number two. If 22 year olds hadn't taken over this business at the highest levels, there would still remain some level of respect on a set and no one would ever need to be shushed. But since this is not the case, I've found myself getting quite snippy with the p.a.s when they are unnecessarily shushing me and have found myself telling them to get away from me before I kill them.

That being said...it's great to have found this site again and experienced our very exclusive community.

Have a great new year and I look forward to 2012's stories!!

The Grip Works said...

22 year old PA's and young AD's get on my nerves more than they ever did.
After I deliberately ran over one Ad's toes, I decided I better calm down and get used to it :-)

Love your end of year summarys D.

Happy New Year.
I will be in LA end Jan and early feb, hope we can meet for a drink ?

Michael Taylor said...

The AD's don't bother me so much -- they're just trying to establish the authority they need to do their job -- but getting shushed by some wet-behind-the-ears PA who can hardly find his ass with both hands is bit much.

Still, I'm glad to hear Sanjay ran over that guys toes. I've no doubt he had it coming.

All the best in the New Year.

Azurgrip said...

Being a Hybrid Lover, for the last year, I've been taking a Fisher RO and taking the riser blocks out. This gets me the functionally without the old DP " we need to get lower - pull the RO!".

Love the Soft tires!

I'm learning to love B camera.

Over the holiday I saw the new Sherlock Holmes movie and the new Mission Impossible. Both great flocs and thrilled to know people who worked on them! Congrats gents - jobs well done all around!

Happy New Year!

The Grip Works said...

Hey Dave,
I make an RO without the risers.
Does not work with geared head though ...

D said...

Thanks everyone. Chapman and fisher also both make a low profile to, but again for fluid heads only. Sanjay, I leave for Atlanta around Jan 27 or so. Will you be here then? Sure hate to miss you again but I will be in the same town as your brother. If you are here then I will absolutely let you buy me a drink : )

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