Kevin Sorensen

Disney moves forward with ABC Studios project at Golden Oak Ranch By Richard Verrier LA Times May 22, 2012, 4:18 p.m. Disney liked the property, with its rich variety of meadows, oak groves and mountains, so much that he began buying up land, eventually accumulating 890 acres. Over the decades, the storied Golden Oak Ranch, located in an unincorporated area of northeast Los Angeles County, has been used as backdrop for countless Disney TV shows and movies, including “Old Yeller” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.” Now Walt Disney Co. is moving closer to transforming part of the historic movie ranch into one of the largest high-tech production developments in the last decade – and the public will soon get its first say on the project. Disney proposed plans in 2009 to build a multi-hundred-million-dollar production center for ABC Studios, complete with a dozen sound stages, offices, mill shops, writer bungalows and a commissary. The Burbank-based entertainment conglomerate recently completed a key stage in the planning process – a draft environmental impact report – and will hold the first of several public hearings on the development and its impact on June 4. If approved by the regional planning commission and the county’s Board of Supervisors, Disney/ABC Studios at the Ranch could open by 2016. Already, Disney has been promoting its plans to local residents, sending out brochures touting the economic benefits, saying the complex would create 3,152 construction jobs, in addition to 2,854 positions once completed, and contribute $533 million annually to the county’s economy. “We believe it’s going to have a huge impact on our economy,’’ said Jonas Peterson, chief executive of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corp. “We’ve seen overwhelming positive support from the community.” Disney said the development would affect only 6% of the ranch, on two mostly barren parcels of land, preserving most of the property as natural backdrop. Plans also call for restoring a portion of Placerita Creek with natural vegetation, planting 1,600 oak trees to replace 158 that will be removed, and adding a nature trail to connect to existing trails in the Los Angeles National Forest. “We saw we could create what hasn’t existed since the 1930s – a major studio facility adjacent to a large-scale movie ranch,’’ said Richard Ballering, vice president of production operations for ABC Studios. “It creates a better economic model that hopefully provides us greater opportunities to shoot in Southern California.” The complex would span 58 acres and up to half a million square feet of production and office space. Few large sound stages have been built in Southern California in the last decade because so much production has flocked to such states as Louisiana, Georgia and New York, which is opening five new sound stages at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Still, demand for sound stage space remains tight in this region because of the growth of television programming, ABC’s Ballering said. ABC Studios produces 14 to 18 TV shows at any given time in the L.A. area, including “Castle,” “Cougar Town” and “Private Practice." ABC has long since outgrown available space at its studio in Burbank and currently rents sound stages at various locations throughout the county to accommodate its shows. Golden Oak Ranch, which gets its name from the mini gold rush that occurred nearby in the 1840s, already is a busy movie ranch that handles filming more than 300 days a year. Its versatile landscape makes it a popular shooting location for such TV shows as “CSI,” “Sons of Anarchy” and “Criminal Minds,” as well as feature films that have included “Pearl Harbor” and “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.” Another draw is that the ranch is within the so-called 30-mile zone from West Los Angeles. Productions that stay within the zone pay lower rates to crews. New outdoor sets that have already been built on the ranch include a residential street with 13 steel-frame houses, each with different architectural styles; and a business district with brownstone buildings, shops and a courthouse. The buildings were designed with straight clear roof lines, making it easier to create “virtual set extensions” or digitally created backgrounds that can make the street appear as though it’s in the Rocky Mountains or in Boston. The combination of the outdoor sets and ranch vistas with the proposed new sound stages will make it possible to shoot entire shows without having to leave the property. That can cut down the costs of shooting in residential neighborhoods and moving fleets of film trucks and trailers from one site to the next, Ballering said. “By pairing sound stages with what the movie ranch has to offer,'' he said, “you’re creating efficiencies, which makes it more economical to produce television shows here.’’

Golden Oak Ranch ( Walt Disney Co. / May 22, 2012 ) Walt Disney first leased a horse ranch in Placerita Canyon in the 1950s for filming episodes of "The Adventures of Spin and Marty" that were aired during "The Mickey Mouse Club."

I would go for it. Use some tape or rubber bands to help secure it. I hope you sell it first !

I don't have any "standard setup". I like having a few options, i.e. plan A, B, C, etc. Its sounds fine, gets the job done and gets your car rig done in a minimal amount of time. I treat the Cub more like a mic capsule ( ala Schoeps ) rather than a boundry layer mic. Kevin

In this case, a Sanken Cub in a car...

Anyone who says "scripty, crafty or soundie " sorry but it's true.

Bel Aire, Southern California.

Thats the one. I use a "6 pack"/ lunch box size. Using these instead of the small Pelican case.

They work pretty good don't they!

Thanks for the positive feedback guys :~) Whit, your backpack cart is still the bomb!

If I had to to use this cart for an extended period of time, I would put these tires ( 10" 5/8" axel ) on it. they are from Filmtools in Burbank and they are superior to any other tire/rim combo that I have found so far.

Hey Crew, its funny that you mention that, I think it was you who said that one's cart would go through many different configurations during it's lifetime and to leave room for (that) flexibility. Or words to that effect. I do have a place for a monitor, but I don't mind working without one as long as I can see the set. Could use a 24" high directors chair though...

This one is made by 'Milwaukee' co. via Home depot. The yellow thing an LED light, that when hollowed out, makes an excellent bong! The crisscrossing aluminum bars really makes it rigid. Jeff is spot on about the peg board.

I decided to adapt/adopt, the ergonomics of working out of a bag to the small cart configuration. I don't want to wear it, just have a means to transport it. I can also leap off of this and into a car/rig situation, without to much trouble.

I decided to adapt/adopt, the ergonomics of working out of a bag to the small cart configuration. I don't want to wear it, just have a means to transport it. I can also leap off of this and into a car/rig situation, without to much trouble.

Here is an example of mixing technique, that Robert mentioned. I would like to see more video's like this. The image is revered possibly by a mirror. to get the lens closer to the action? no just reversed..... Some people watch a guitar players hands to improve their playing, just saying.....

I have a dumb question, does the Alexa hold TC during battery changes? or do jam after every batt change ?

I'm with you brother. I boomed with an Senn. 816 for years and messed up both left and right rotator cuffs And deal with tendinitis in both wrists to this day. Doesn't matter how big or strong you are, booming with to heavy of a pole over a period of time will damage your body someway, somehow.

" I spent 3 months jamming a pair of Alexa from my TS3 slates. No problems at all. If it took the jam initially, then did something weird, I'd consider it a camera problem and have them check on it." Hey Robert, why wasn't a an Ambiant Lockit or Deneke SB-2 not used on the Alexa's your show? just curious. Kevin~

This is a beautiful underrated gem, circa 1969

http://youtu.be/YdvcQJuK6Q8 Thanks for the help Jeff ! About 1:12 min. into this promo, is footage of a exterior microphone mounted to a speed rail 'boom', attached to a moving camera truck. Leading a group of racing horses. Freeze on the frame(s) and check it out. It is very cool. 'Hat' is a code word that I am sworn to secrecy not to reveal.

- see YouTube video below -

A game changer for sure & a thing of beauty.

Gentlemen, your compassion and empathy is heartwarming. Having survived addiction myself, these situations always hit close to home. Kevin

I sometimes use plastic puddy knives to wedge into the dash, headboard, rearview mirror or wherever, to support transmitters, microphones, cables etc. They are fairly non-invasive and don't marr, scratch or otherwise ruin vehicle interiors. Also carry a little rubbing alcohol or Windex to clean off the Armor All crap that will be on everything, preventing the best tape's from sticking. (This has been said before, but bears repeating :~) As Jan McL intimates, pre-rig or be the first department in the car !