steadicam flyer

H

hoofandmouf

Well-known member
ok....

I'm seriously thinking about purchasing one and becoming a steadicam operator....

my question is....

when its all said and done, how much will it cost (for the flyer and the classes) and how long will it take before I'm sick at it (ie: good or at the very least competent)

and whats the turnaround time for shipping and all that jazz?

I'm curious to hear back stories from other steadicam ops who frequent this board.....

although I'm a director/writer at heart, I've ALWAYS wanted to be the dude running down the street with the steadicam rig (just one of those boyhood dreams :beer: )

oh and I'm assuming this is the right forum? a steadicam is hardware right?
 
The best advice I can give you is go to a decent workshop !
Try to read all of the steadicamforum as it will answer any question you can think of and more.
After and only after you have attended a workshop should you be thinking about buying a rig.
Steadicam can and will change your life (i'm serious) but it's not for everybody. Also look at other systems like the new glidecam v25, its got alot more going for it than the flyer (trust me i've owned a flyer).
-matt
 
4mat, I planned on attending a workshop for sure before I dropped cash on a rig

what makes you prefer the glidecam v25 over the steadicam flyer?

also, once you get certified and whatnot, do you get listed in some kind of national database or do you have to hustle clients/jobs yourself?

will I have to move to LA to make the good cash? (shudders at the thought of moving to lala-land)
 
You might want to contact Rezfactor here on dvxuser as I believe he is a Flyer owner/operator. As for how it will take, most good ops that I have hired have many years of experience.
 
I am in the same boat than you, I am actually taking a workshop in about 2 weeks in L.A. I have done research for a long time and find the Flyer to be the best rig for my needs. 4mat is right, you should look at the V25 as well, I have looked at both, and I do like the feel of the Flyer much better, which is why I chose to take a Flyer workshop, but it doesn't mean you would. Also the weight of your camera is a big factor, V25 can carry bigger and heavier camera, however the Flyer seems to be a better rig overall and the V25 is $4k more expensive. Also Steadicam Branded stabilizer keep their value very well should you choose to resell it. Flyer's on Ebay sell for 15%-20%of their original value. Glidcam loose their value much more. But the most important point I have learn, is that choosing a stabilizer is like choosing a good pair of shoes, you want something that feels comfortable since you most likely will have to wear it for hours at a time. Also think carefully of the type of cameras you will more likely use.


Check out :


http://www.steadicamforum.com


This is a great place to find out more about stabilizers, and the pro and con of each one.

Good Luck.
 
Their are a couple of databases like the SOA (Steadicam Operators Association) being the main one that springs to mind.
However it takes many years to become recognized for steadicam operating. Expect to do many (if not hundreds) of low budget films and music videos for years before doing anything high profile (or well paid).
Living in LA would not help you early on as most of the top opps in the world reside their thus more competition i would think.

V25 points that beat the flyer are:
*The arm has far better load capacity (fly upto HDCAM and DIGI Beta).
*The top and bottom stage of the v25 sled has 3 bnc video ports, the flyer only has one (makes remote video sender/recorder possible)
*The bottom stage of the sled has far better adjustment so it can be balanced better and also alow the use of heavy camera setups.
*V25 has a 2 stage post flyer only has 1. This is vital for balancing cameras in low and high mode.
*v25 has a greater mass and therefore is much more steadi in the wind and in general it operates much like a top end rig (try operating the flyer on a windy day with a small fx1 it's not fun).
I can go on and it's not just personal preferance it's all pretty much fact !
 
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Woo, busy thread.

Yeah a Flyer will Fly DigiBETA and DVCPRO HD, along with 16mm and 35mm too if needed. But enough about that for now....

Hoof, taking a workshop is the singe best advice I can offer.

If you are seriouly intersted in becoming a profesional operator. Then I'd recomend you considered attending one of the "big" workshops. The SOA workshop in Philly is generally agreed as teh best one. The next oen is in may and costs $2200 for the week long course.
more info on the (allready mentioned) www.steadicam-ops.com -That's the Steadicam Operators Association website. And it includes the most comprehensive list of Steadicam operators worldwide. To get listed, you do need to pay a membership fee and generally a workshop is recomended then too.

About 90% of operators have taken at least one workshop, many have taken 2 or more!


As for rigs. Again, after the workshop, then you will be in a better position to look into a rig to buy as a profesional tool.
The Flyer is a fantastic system, in my oppinion the best righ in it's class. The arm is just so amazing. Thoguh I agree that the sled could be a little more flexible, it's still never come up short on me. (I've been operating a Flyer for 2 years now)

However the first hing you can do before you get to a "choice" of rig is what size caemras will you be flying? If you are planning on dooing a lot of broadcast or film work, then the Flyer will be too small and you'll need a bigger rig. I'm a TV guy mostly, so I own an Steadicam Archer as it's best suited for the cameras that I'm flying.

Once you do get down to the nitty gritty of which rig to buy.
First think about what you learned at the workshop. Then try on as many rigs as possible. Feel free of course to read comparisons online too (there's loads on here too just by searching for "Steadicam" [yes, including plenty of debate between the Flyer and the V25] but you really shoudl try a system before you buy it.

When you are looking to spend anwhere from $7k for a Flyer with just a battery kit, up to many tens of thousands of dollars for a bigger rig; the few months of "waiting" for a workshop while reading all you can, and a couple of grand on a workshop and a trip to a major tradeshow (I'd recomend attending NAB in April) to try out systems doesn't seem like that mcuh any more.

Some rough costs of getting started...
----
Basic Flyer package for DV work:
$700 for workshop inc. travel
$7000 for Flyer with battery kit
Add $4k for a basic follow focus and as much more money as you can sink in for furthur accessories down the road.
= $8k - $12k plus 6monthes to a year to become proficiant.
----
'general' operator. TV, low end film. "Profesional" production:
$3000 for a workshop inc travel & other costs.
$800 for a trip to NAB
$20,000 - 30,000 for a mid-range rig
Again add the same $4k for basic follow focus and more for other accessories.
= $25k - $35k, plus a couple (2-3) of years to get good enough for reliable profesional operating.
----
'high end' operator. The big work. network TV, feature films, etc:
up to $10,000 for a few workshops and other traingin along the way
$30,000 to $70,000 for a high end Steadicam system.
You can still get away with the same $4k follow focus. However at this level you woudl be expected to have a backup system. And a myriad of other accessories and backups.. So lots more money here.
= somewhere between $50k and $150k of investment and many years of operating to get to this level.


Ok, so it's a VERY wide field. And as such, takes carefull consideration as to how and if you want to get into it. The best place to get started with this, is of course a workshop. :)

Good luck! And if you do decide to do it; Fly safe! :beer:

- Mikko
 
thanx mikko!

thats pretty much exactly the response I was looking for....

I'm gonna be registering for a big workshop coming up soon

:thumbup:
 
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