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Codgers' Corner


Nick Flowers

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Today's reverie  brought me back to my first feature film ('Made': mixer Rene Borisewitz), where I was responsible, among other things, for operating the rotary converter or hooking up the BNC Mitchell camera to three phase mains via a transformer and start box. The electricians showed me how to jam the bare ends on the three phase lead into the local fuse box, if there was one handy on location, and the thought of 440 volts kept my mind on the job! When there was no three phase supply available, the rotary was used, powered of two lorry batteries (24 volts). There was a mechanical frequency meter on it and when I heard 'turn over' from the First Assistant Director I would push the switch and wait for the meter to indicate that 50 Hz had been reached, then I would sing out "Speed", and the clapper could go on. On a cold morning the camera seemed to take ages to reach speed, and I was the centre of attention, as film passed through the gate, wasted. I could feel everyone was willing me to say 'speed', but I was the slave of the meter. 

 

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In a similar vein: in the '60s-'70's into the early '80s it was very common for movie electricians to "tie in" to the local box with twist-clamps when the producers were too cheap to rent a generator (often).  This made for a very tense start (and end) to each day (or location) as the "hands of a surgeon" were required to slide the clamps into place without letting them touch the surrounding metal.  I had to do this alone several times (really a bad idea, but we were young, right?), usually the gaffer would do this and the best boy would take off his belt, loop it though the back of the gaffer's belt, and stand by to "pull off" the gaffer if he electrocuted himself.  I had to do this only once, thank God.  (If you touch the person being electrocuted, you get electrocuted too, hence the belt gag.)  Finally fire depts, building owners and insurance companies put a stop to this wild west practice, although most electric trucks still have a tie-in rig hidden somewhere just in case...

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