New Indie Film Tech Tip: C-Stands 101
 

Here's a new tech tip. It goes over the basics of how to use C-Stands on your set. My film school didn't have any so when I started freelancing I felt dumb for not knowing what to do with them, so I wanted to spare you that experience.

http://www.scottspears.net/filmmakpg3.html


Enjoy.

Scott

Another edition in the great series! Nice! Thanks very much for that
again Scott, it is much appreciated!

Thanks Scott, your tutorials are very much appreciated.

One question though, why is it called a C-stand?

I believe it's short for Century Stand, who may have been the original or a big maker of them. That's what I've heard, but anybody who wants to add a new view, feel free.

Scott

Nice work Scott. Great stuff.

If I may add a couple of things (or are they covered in the 201 and 301 classes? I may be jumping ahead):

The Right Hand Rule: As you work a grip head, and the grip head is in front of you, the handle should be on the right. This is a good way to remember it. As you pointed out, it is self tightening. Righty-tighty. Lefty-loosey. You talked about this but didn't mention it by name. To nit pick: The load should also be over the handle (fulcrum). Through a good part of the clip, it is below the fulcrum. When you hang the Pepper, it is properly positioned.

When putting a sandbag on the leg, it is best to put the bag on the top most leg, so that it is hanging in the air and therefore, "working". "If it's touchin' the floor, it ain't workin'!" One can also place the sandbag so that it is more vertical and doesn't touch the floor.

The different leg heights allow for C-Stands to nest under stands, furniture, or other C-Stands on a set.

There are also several different types of C-Stands:

C+Stands, in which the riser can be detached from the base making storage/transportation easier. Removing the riser makes the base, also called a Turtle Base, into a low height light stand. You need a 1 1/8" to 5/8" adapter for smaller "baby" fixtures. Are we getting too far a head by talking about Baby and Junior lighting fixtures?

Sliding leg C-Stands have one leg that slides up and down the length of the riser so that it can rest on a curb, or piece of furniture or a higher part of the set.

20" C-Stands also known as a "Webster", "Shorty", or "Gary Coleman". They, um, are small.

Mark,

Thanks for the expert pointers. You're right. I'm a DP, not a grip, but I play a grip on TV or should I say the Net. ; )

I did end up rushing through the shoot a bit because I was under a time constraint, but that's not a good excuse.

If I do a part two, I'll add these new points.

I have a friend who has a picture of Gary Coleman with a "Gary Coleman." He was cool with the pic.

Scott

No worries, Scott, the series is great . That you did it at all is pretty nifty. It was late, I was bored, there were nits. So, I picked.

Gary Coleman rocks.

I've also heard people call a "Gary Coleman" an "Emmanuel Lewis".