Mike Ford

Yeah thats a little unnerving.

Found this today http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117997298.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

I've had a couple small encounters this past year. One instance where a loud, drunken civilian was yelling at members of our crew how we had ruined his night because we disrupted parking with our massive trucks in an already busy neighborhood. It was after we had wrapped for the evening but that didn't stop him from making threats to the crew. Another occured a short time later on a popular tv show where some of the locals were firing off fireworks onto the set in an area of town that is synonymous with bad...Production never believes us when we say how bad some of those neighborhoods really can be (super busy on a friday night or just bad all round) especially after dark. I guess that a lot of people just don't realize that we have a job to do like anyone else.

Tell Vince I said hello as well and get him a diet coke when he least expects it

I'm glad to hear your working with her. Jan is one of the best. Got my letter today and I'm finally in 52 after almost 2 years of trying so I'm looking forward to bigger and better things... Let me know how it works out for ya. Mike Ford

Phil, did you hear anything yet? I talked to Jan McLaughlin the other day and she mentioned that you're going to be working with her on some things coming up. Let me know when you find out, I'm waiting to hear as well.

Hey Phil. I'm on the ballot as well, been making my calls around just hoping everyones not too busy. Hope your staying busy up there. Good luck to you. Mike Ford

Tell him you will hire him, though all his pay will be deferred...

Foot foam works pretty well on most shoes though I haven't applied it to high heels as it seems a little dangerous. Laying down rubber mats can solve the problem but you have to have pretty good timing in order to get them down before you have the rest of the crew all over the set as well as dolly track, cables, etc. Or you can just have the talent take their shoes off...

Like a few other people have stated, I worked first as a mixer and boom op on alot of little doc stuff and then back at the bottom as a cable man. It's more of a promotion than anything else as I'm working on bigger and better things these days and learning more every time. The last feature I worked on I was fortunate enough to swing a second boom alongside Vince Camuto who showed me a few tips and pointers in the art. Working with guys like this makes me more anxious to try out new little tricks when I'm out there on a one man gig.

Mike Ford Philadelphia, PA and surrounding 215-534-2089 mikford@gmail.com

I've seen these on alot of carts, works well for boom poles in my experience. http://www.pro-sound.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PSS&Product_Code=SPSCBBL&Category_Code=C

I'm looking to see if anyones found any small battery testers out there (9v, AA) that give an accurate voltage readout on the display rather than the old good or no good reading. I've been carrying around a multimeter when I'm working as a cableman but it seems like there could be a quicker way to get a quick read on a partially used battery. Thanks! Mike Ford

I received a call from a producer I've worked with in the past who wants me to work "on call" for a period of 10 to 14 days. The shoots will take place in an ICU unit in a couple of local hospitals. After asking me if I could give him a package deal for the rate and gear, he gave me back a figure that is reasonable, though only if the shoots do last only a couple of hours, as he claims. The rate is really about only 4 and a half days at my regular rate for full 10 hour days with gear. I'm wondering if anyone else has worked "on call" in a situation like this before and how they dealt with not getting taken advantage of as far as last minute calls go, and also if I am cutting myself short on the rate. I know a few plumbers who work on call with their rates inflated for doing so...

It's always the same scene too...

I'm a fan of the PSC elite, internally cabled with the side exit right angle adapter on the base. Works great for run and gun style stuff and I even prefer for all around applications. I know some of the arguments against internally cabled are that it makes noise, heavier etc., but I suppose its just a matter of preference. I've had extensive use with the vDbs, but the end of the day went with the PSC... Curse the producer I once worked with who insisted I use the production companies 18 ft turd called a Gitzo as opposed to my own gear...