just set-up standing edit bay - it is indeed a bit different!

R

robfilms

Veteran
been sitting on my butt way too long.

i run a hilly 5mile cross country course 3x a week.

i can bench press my weight.

i still hump the gear no matter how many pas are on the shoot.

i think i'm in decent shape for 61yrs old.

but hours in an edit room where all i do is sit and watch and sit and sit.

i saw a piece where walter murch talks about editing while standing.

well, i figured what the heck and so i have the table 41" up (i'm 6'1") with the screens also raised to my eye level.

been on my feet for the past few hours.

feels...different... ;-)

anyone else edit while standing?

be well.

rob
smalltalk.media/nyc
 
mcgeedigital said:
Pics?
Click to expand...

matt-

not much to see.

a lovely old wooden table sitting on vintage apple crates with a 27" i7 imac perched on top of the square brick that once contained fcp studio 2.

this space used to contain a more robust set-up of drives and tape machines connected to a mac pro 3,1 which was my fcp7 edit bay.

i have yet to set-up the 2nd monitor since i'm working my way thru lynda.com on fcpx and starting my transition to fcpx, pp and resolve.

since i am off for a few weeks, i thought i would re-do the edit space.

(along with updating the website-i'm using squarespace & hope to be done done by end of 2015!)

all of this NEW is very unsettling but VERY much part of what I need to be doing.

sometimes i am so busy on projects that i neglect the obvious.

i'm just saying.

ymmv

be well.

rob
smalltalk.media/nyc
 
I rigged up something similar to what you describe. But there were times when I definitely wanted to sit to do some things other than editing, so i returned to my sitting position. I hope to try again later with one of those expensive adjustable tables.
 
I'm editing at a standing work station. It is different, but getting out of the chair is a good idea on many fronts- especially for a guy who had a triple bypass, and 10 years later had to have a leg artery opened back up. My feet hate me at the end of the day. though.
 
I have a friend who has installed sit/stand rising desks at his facility but I don't think it would work for me, as too many things would need to move up or down. And a permanent standing position would not be ideal for when clients are in for edits. Maybe something to think about for my future building.
 
My partner set up a standing editing space a bit back but when we work together it's not very practical so we went back to sitting... BTW I recently moved from fcp to PP/Resolve and Lynda is a great resource to get up to speed...
 
I've been working at a standing desk for the past 5 years or so. It started as an experiment. I had some 1in electrical conduit lying around (like ya do), so I cut some sections to length and my desk's legs slid right into them to raise the desk's surface up to 41in high.

Standing-Desk_001_Cutting-conduit-to-length.jpgStanding-Desk_002_Height-adjustment-with-conduit.jpgStanding-Desk_003_Standing-desk.jpg

There is definitely an adjustment period, but once that passes, it's the best thing ever. It's great to be able to move while editing something– keeps you fresh and focused.

The most important thing is that the height of the keyboard and the height of the monitor are correct for your height. If not, you'll have pain all over (shoulder, neck, headaches, etc.), but when it's set up right, it's quite nice.

The other thing that makes a big difference in your overall comfort is a good anti-fatigue mat. I went through several in the beginning, as most mats are good at first, but then get compressed and your feet are basically pressing directly on the hard floor.

The one that finally worked is the Rubber-Cal Bubble Top mat ($25). It's rubber, rather than foam, so it keeps its shape and doesn't get compressed. I picked it up in 2012 and it's still going strong. The bubble top nubs feel like a massage on your feet, and I put a soft memory foam bath mat over it when I want less of that.

I would caution anyone starting to work at a standing desk that it's still important to maintain a balance between sitting and standing. Standing up all day isn't good either (though perhaps not as bad as sitting all day). After several years with my "experiment" desk, I finally just picked up a height-adjustable sit/stand desk (Calico Designs 51230 Sierra Desk - $190) so that I can mix it up a bit more throughout the day.
 
I use a sit/stand desk as my editing desk. The base is a GeekDesk Max with a custom two-tier top I made out of a chunk of Ikea butcher block countertop.

I can throw some pics up here when I get home if anyone's interested.

I also do web/software design and development, so I like the versatility of the sit/stand setup for that as well.
 
I converted my desk at work to stand up. All my previous jobs I was on my feet all day- retail, catching shoplifters, martial arts instructor, personal trainer... Now that I'm doing film and video as both a day job and my personal work, I was sitting way too much. The worst was after lunch, I'd start to get really sluggish around 2-3pm. Since I went to standing, I have more energy and I'm much more productive. I stand for work and sit for breaks. At home when I'm doing my films, I'm still sitting, but I'm glad to be on my feet most of the day now. I bought some puzzle mats off Amazon to stand on since we have tile floors here. Standing does take some getting used to, but ultimately I'm happy with the choice and have no intention of going back.
 
I think the mix approach would be best. I try to take a walk every morning to offset the sitting. But I do agree, cable management would have to figure in the elevated design. Three monitors and nearfield speakers is a bit to hoist up and down...
 
Just got management at my office to approve some sitting standing desks for all of the editors.

Can't wait to try them out.
 
I'm thinking of trying a standing up edit work station also, but I don't understand why people need a desk that goes up and down for when they want to sit. Why not just get a tall desk/table and a tall chair to go with it? Am I missing something here? Think bar-stool type chair, but with a back & arm rest.

MW
 
Mark Watson said:
I'm thinking of trying a standing up edit work station also, but I don't understand why people need a desk that goes up and down for when they want to sit. Why not just get a tall desk/table and a tall chair to go with it? Am I missing something here? Think bar-stool type chair, but with a back & arm rest.

MW
Click to expand...


^ This is how many of the radio stations I had worked at over the years were set up.

Currently my studio is designed around the rack mount cabinetry I built some 20 + years ago for my last location, and it's all low boy sit down. I'll try to post a few pics when I get a chance. I'd love to see some of the standing setups folks are using now, for future reference.
 
Mark Watson said:
I'm thinking of trying a standing up edit work station also, but I don't understand why people need a desk that goes up and down for when they want to sit. Why not just get a tall desk/table and a tall chair to go with it? Am I missing something here? Think bar-stool type chair, but with a back & arm rest.
Click to expand...

Have you ever spent a few hours working in a high chair? It's not very comfortable. Even with a back and arm rests and a foot rest, the body mechanics in a tall chair are sub-optimal. I've worked with the setup you're describing and it made my back and shoulders sore very quickly. It was also REALLY hard to get into position while sitting in it.

The sit/stand desk is superior for me. YMMV.
 
I've sat on a bar stool for hours at a time and have no recollection of discomfort. Now what about going the other direction... editing while reclined in the barcalounger? Nowadays they come with massage rollers and built-in beverage cooler. I did edit for 2 years sitting indian-style at low Japanese coffee table. That was not comfortable, even after getting pad to sit on, and risers to raise up the table height a couple inches. Do a google on drafting chairs, I think I can find something that will work for me.

MW
 
We kind of have this. There's a wireless keyboard/mouse combo on one of our machines, and the video goes to both the monitors and a large TV screen. If you switch to the TV screen you can move the mouse and keyboard to an adjustable table. I'm a big fan. Someday I might rig up full on adjustable desks. One of my business partners is also a personal trainer (his gym is downstairs), so there's a focus on staying healthy while we work. Obviously there's balance involved, getting to pick is nice. Still refining it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top