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View From The Office:


Philip Perkins

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Crew,

The rig isn't as big as it looks. The rack comes off the base and the whole shooting match fits in my minivan, no problem. The base cart is being replaced, which will lower the whole cart a few inches. The Rock'n'Roller  with a lumber base was an interim step - I didn't want to spend a bunch on a layout I ended up  unhappy with. And it turns out the rack doesn't need to be as big as the one I ended up with. Room for expansion I guess....

Your Halloween pic really does bring to mind my 3rd grade teacher. She was younger then, though, so her beard wasn't gray yet. Haven't thought of Sister Marie Eileen in years.

Best regards,

Jim

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@Jim do you have more pics of your Rock N Roller? I'm interested in possibly trying that out. I was going to go for the AV Cart with the heavy duty tires but i'm having a change of heart. Need something a little more portable(size wise).

Thanks

Nicole

Sorry, Nicole

I don't have any good photos of the rig right now, and it's in pieces for a major tune-up. My console's in the shop and I'm cleaning up cabling, doing some reconfiguring and doing some reinforcement to the rack case. It should be finished in a week or so. When it's reassembled. I'll post some pictures in the Images of Interest thread if you like. The Rock'n'Roller is a fine piece of gear although I never intended it as a permanent part of this system. I wanted to be sure about layout, etc before I committed to fabricating an aluminum base to ride on a Magliner with the 18" front swivel caster mod from Backstage Equipment. I bought the Rock'n'Roller a while back to rent to out of town crews I've worked with in the past as a convenience to them. For this purpose, the swivel casters aren't robust enough, but it's fine otherwise. With the accessories available it can make a fine and adaptable recording cart that folds down pretty small.

Best regards,

Jim

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  • 2 weeks later...

This movie is over, after only 7 weeks... seemed like more.  Rewarding, but hard work.

This day we had 1000 extras, 150 military vehicles, 7 helicopters + 1 picture helicopter, not to mention all the f/x make-up and buildings burning.  In the middle of the crowd, the lead actors stopped and had about a page of dialog, which actually worked out quite well.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here's some pics from last night, back at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley to record and shoot fiddler Bruce Molsky.  This time things were much simpler and lower key and went quite well (compared to my opening night experience).  Full multitrack this time.  Visible @ right is the Freight's new Soundcraft vi4 digital console, much more tamed than the last time I worked with it, in the center is the lighting board, with my rack/laptop on the left.

Philip Perkins

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Hey Jeff--do ever get to set up that close to the cameras/action anymore?  I find that if I set up that close I get shooed farther back by grip/electric/production....

Philip Perkins

I was going to mention how close we all were together in the shot and you are of course right --- we're never that close to camera (unless were working "over the shoulder" documentary with one camera) anymore. I think we were especially all bunched up together because of some space limitation (even though we were outdoors). I certainly do remember that I was almost always right on the set with my cart on every movie and no one thought it was odd. Today, if I even come on the set, everyone looks at me like "do we have a problem?". I do like to be on the set, watch at least a rehearsal, and get a feeling for what is really going on --- not the view filtered by my little video monitor or my headphones. I also like the social aspect --- we're all supposed to be working on the same movie and I like to try and encourage everyone to get to know each other. I know BobD may chime in here about his feelings on socializing, but to each his own --- I miss the days when the whole crew could easily fit on the set together and we all enjoyed being together.

-  Jeff Wexler

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I was going to mention how close we all were together in the shot and you are of course right --- we're never that close to camera (unless were working "over the shoulder" documentary with one camera) anymore. I think we were especially all bunched up together because of some space limitation (even though we were outdoors). I certainly do remember that I was almost always right on the set with my cart on every movie and no one thought it was odd. Today, if I even come on the set, everyone looks at me like "do we have a problem?". I do like to be on the set, watch at least a rehearsal, and get a feeling for what is really going on --- not the view filtered by my little video monitor or my headphones. I also like the social aspect --- we're all supposed to be working on the same movie and I like to try and encourage everyone to get to know each other. I know BobD may chime in here about his feelings on socializing, but to each his own --- I miss the days when the whole crew could easily fit on the set together and we all enjoyed being together.

-  Jeff Wexler

It's true, one of the things I like about one-man-band production is that I'm right in the action with the camera and the talent and director--much simpler communication, and I feel more part of the process.  I fully understand that there are many "processes" (shoots) going on these days where it would be better to stay OUT of the action, of course.  And with the megacarts needed for digital boards and multi-multitrack being close isn't ever going to be possible.

Philip Perkins

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I miss the days when even big films had by todays standards small crews. Like Custers Last Stand we were circled up and working together to make the movie. Everyone knew all the crew members by name. Even commercials get bigger crews every year. Maybe it happens that way these days on some shows, but not the one's I fill in on or do 2nd unit. Love the Picture Jeff. Is Pat still alive? He was a legend at boom.

  This has been said before, but this may be my favorite topic. Thanks.

CrewC

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Here's an article from today's Wall Street Journal about our "office" on "The Fantastic Mr. Fox", with some views (if you click on the "slideshow" tab) -- thankfully it was much warmer when we shot it than when some of these photos of the property and "sets" were taken!

Article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703558004574584290474933358.html#project%3DSLIDESHOW08%26articleTabs%3Darticle

Slideshow:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703558004574584290474933358.html#project%3DSLIDESHOW08%26articleTabs%3Dslideshow

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Thanks John!  And thanks, Michael, for the link...hadn't seen that one.  This is a great thread that I somehow did not discover until recently.  It's great to see these images of everyone hard at work practicing our craft, and all of the different places and methods it brings us to.  I'll try to find some stills and things around from other jobs that might be interesting.

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A Youthful Schubert Concert

Rehearsal on October 31st, 2009

Concert on November 1st, 2009

This took place at First Presbyterian Church of Burlingame, CA.

Couple of players were missing, but eventually added another 15 on the day of perforance

The ORTF setup wasn't a true ORTF, but worked.  Placed right behind the Decca Tree at conductor's ear level.

Decca Tree

L: Schoeps MK5 Omni

C: Neumann KM130 Omni

R: Schoeps MK5 Omni

ORTF

L: Rode NT5 Cardioid

R: Rode NT5 Cardioid

Recorder/Preamp

Sound Devices 788T

5 ISO tracks recorded

63-piece choir: 17 Soprano, 11 Tenor, 23 Alto, 12 Bass

23-piece orchestra: 10 Violin, 5 Viola, 4 Cello, 4 Bass, Organ

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