Cody's plans are back

Chris Black · June 11th, 2004, 01:33 PM

Welp, I've done it! ..I've just ordered my very own copy of Cody's how-to-manual. I'm feeling a rush of emotions. Excited, nervous, worried, happy, stressful. The question looms, "will i be able to build my own camera stabilizer?" ...I have dreams of cracking open Cody's manual and seeing pages full of super easy to follow diagrams, with a minimal amount of text, and whatever text the manual contains, it is written at a 3rd grade level, so that I will be able to understand it. But then, I have this horrible feeling that I will open the manual and see page after page of text, intertwined with algebraic formulas and quantum mechanic theories, at which point I will stack the manual on top of my ever growing pile of books from which ..at one point ..I felt like I wanted to be smart so I would make these desperate runs to Barnes and Noble to pick out 2 or 3 books on string theory or the discoveries of radiation emitting black holes, racing home and reading the first 3 pages of the foward and realizing there were only 3 pictures in the entire book, at which point i would close it and toss it in the closet. Maybe just maybe, I will be able to follow Cody's manual? Maybe for the first time in my life I will actually be able to see something through? I have these visions of me running through my apartment complex with the Camera Stabilizer strapped to my body, boldly ignoring the curious stares and intermittent giggles from my fellow residents. I won't care, because I will feel cool. Empowered by the tangled mass of metal extended from my bony body. Knowing that every crack i step on, every curb I jump from, every step I climb, smoothness will defeat it all. Is it just me, or do you feel like you would have the courage to approach that hot girl you always see working the kiosk in the mall, if you had the camera stabilizer strapped to your waist? Even if she would laugh at me, I would say to her "Go ahead and laugh, pretty girl, But just know that I will have silky smooth footage of you, laughing at me. I can tell you, that I will base the rest of my life on the outcome of the home built camera stabilizer. I just thought I'd share with you all, my excitement and thoughts on my upcoming challenge of building a worthy camera stabilizer courtesy of Cody's book.

Chris.

Charles King · June 14th, 2004, 05:08 AM

Amen Chris. Talk about craze excitment :). I am sure you will be very satisfied. Make sure you check his forum on the HBS website.

Jean-Philippe Archibald · June 14th, 2004, 07:00 AM

Chris,

In a few days, your dreams will come true! The cody's plans are so clear, well written and plenty of easy to catch diagrams! It is a great work from Cody! You will understand his plan without problems and perhaps in a few weeks, you will approach that hot girl "armed" with a third arm!

Have fun with your project!

Charles Papert · June 14th, 2004, 01:02 PM

Guys, here's proof positive that flying a stabilizer is irresistible to women! Enjoy...

Cosmin Rotaru · June 14th, 2004, 01:45 PM

Say Charles, after 15mins in the rig, do you still care about the girls? :)

Charles Papert · June 14th, 2004, 01:57 PM

Priorities, baby, priorities!

Norman Woo · June 14th, 2004, 07:36 PM

Hey Charles

You're a natural in front of the camera as well.

You must have had an afternoon to kill.

Charles Papert · June 14th, 2004, 08:26 PM

Believe it or not, Norman, we shot that in exactly 35 minutes (seriously, we timed it)...! The opening part was actually filmed on the set while it was being lit, and I "snuck away"; I had the dolly grip park the dolly at the far end of the ICU and we banged out that scene in about 10 minutes and then went back to work. It was a little (read: a lot) stressful, especially with the other guys on the crew wandering over to heckle me.

Then I convinced the background girls to stay for half of their lunch by promising them they could walk after twenty minutes. One, maybe two takes of everything, and no dicking around inbetween. The last shot was them running down the hall; before the second take, I told them to just keep running right to the lunch line!

Finally the "lonely man" shots, 5 minutes.

My Instant Films background stood me in good stead on this one, I forgot to count the number of setups but it's something like a new one every 90 seconds! A record I hope to never break, if you know what I mean.

Rob Lohman · June 15th, 2004, 03:05 AM

That was just too funny! Thanks for putting a big grin on my
face today Charles!

Jean-Philippe Archibald · June 15th, 2004, 07:32 AM

Cool Charles!

Is this funny clip will be in your instructionnal steadicam video? :-)

Charles Papert · June 15th, 2004, 03:52 PM

Hopefully the video will have funnier stuff than that!

Norman Woo · June 16th, 2004, 02:56 PM

Sign me up for your tape ...

Hey Charles how about doing one of those late night info-commercials where we see you strapped up in your rig running around demonstrating the unit and promoting your tape. Then "fake" reaction shots of the audience (all babes) "ooohhing" and "aaahhhing".

If Ron Popeel can do it ...

Shealan Forshaw · June 17th, 2004, 09:42 AM

Oh my god Charles, I just looked at your IMDB profile. I can't beleive you were stedicam op in some of my favorite stuff.

Office Space and Action (my fave tv show ever!).

A big hello from the UK :)

Charles Papert · June 17th, 2004, 10:50 AM

Hello back!

I just re-watched my tapes of "Action" with my girlfriend who had never seen the show. That was a fun show, some great writing!

June 14th, 2004, 05:08 AM	#32
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	Amen Chris. Talk about craze excitment :). I am sure you will be very satisfied. Make sure you check his forum on the HBS website. __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

June 14th, 2004, 07:00 AM	#33
Jean-Philippe Archibald Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Saguenay, Québec, Canada Posts: 1,051	Chris, In a few days, your dreams will come true! The cody's plans are so clear, well written and plenty of easy to catch diagrams! It is a great work from Cody! You will understand his plan without problems and perhaps in a few weeks, you will approach that hot girl "armed" with a third arm! Have fun with your project! __________________ Jean-Philippe Archibald http://www.jparchibald.com - http://www.vimeo.com/jparchib

June 14th, 2004, 01:02 PM	#34
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Guys, here's proof positive that flying a stabilizer is irresistible to women! Enjoy... __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

June 14th, 2004, 01:45 PM	#35
Cosmin Rotaru Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Romania, Timisoara Posts: 453	Say Charles, after 15mins in the rig, do you still care about the girls? :) __________________ Cosmin Rotaru

June 14th, 2004, 01:57 PM	#36
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Priorities, baby, priorities! __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

June 11th, 2004, 01:33 PM	#31
Chris Black New Boot Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Corpus Christi texas Posts: 14	Welp, I've done it! ..I've just ordered my very own copy of Cody's how-to-manual. I'm feeling a rush of emotions. Excited, nervous, worried, happy, stressful. The question looms, "will i be able to build my own camera stabilizer?" ...I have dreams of cracking open Cody's manual and seeing pages full of super easy to follow diagrams, with a minimal amount of text, and whatever text the manual contains, it is written at a 3rd grade level, so that I will be able to understand it. But then, I have this horrible feeling that I will open the manual and see page after page of text, intertwined with algebraic formulas and quantum mechanic theories, at which point I will stack the manual on top of my ever growing pile of books from which ..at one point ..I felt like I wanted to be smart so I would make these desperate runs to Barnes and Noble to pick out 2 or 3 books on string theory or the discoveries of radiation emitting black holes, racing home and reading the first 3 pages of the foward and realizing there were only 3 pictures in the entire book, at which point i would close it and toss it in the closet. Maybe just maybe, I will be able to follow Cody's manual? Maybe for the first time in my life I will actually be able to see something through? I have these visions of me running through my apartment complex with the Camera Stabilizer strapped to my body, boldly ignoring the curious stares and intermittent giggles from my fellow residents. I won't care, because I will feel cool. Empowered by the tangled mass of metal extended from my bony body. Knowing that every crack i step on, every curb I jump from, every step I climb, smoothness will defeat it all. Is it just me, or do you feel like you would have the courage to approach that hot girl you always see working the kiosk in the mall, if you had the camera stabilizer strapped to your waist? Even if she would laugh at me, I would say to her "Go ahead and laugh, pretty girl, But just know that I will have silky smooth footage of you, laughing at me. I can tell you, that I will base the rest of my life on the outcome of the home built camera stabilizer. I just thought I'd share with you all, my excitement and thoughts on my upcoming challenge of building a worthy camera stabilizer courtesy of Cody's book. Chris.

June 14th, 2004, 07:36 PM	#37
Norman Woo Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Brossard, Quebec, Canada Posts: 147	Hey Charles You're a natural in front of the camera as well. You must have had an afternoon to kill.

June 14th, 2004, 08:26 PM	#38
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Believe it or not, Norman, we shot that in exactly 35 minutes (seriously, we timed it)...! The opening part was actually filmed on the set while it was being lit, and I "snuck away"; I had the dolly grip park the dolly at the far end of the ICU and we banged out that scene in about 10 minutes and then went back to work. It was a little (read: a lot) stressful, especially with the other guys on the crew wandering over to heckle me. Then I convinced the background girls to stay for half of their lunch by promising them they could walk after twenty minutes. One, maybe two takes of everything, and no dicking around inbetween. The last shot was them running down the hall; before the second take, I told them to just keep running right to the lunch line! Finally the "lonely man" shots, 5 minutes. My Instant Films background stood me in good stead on this one, I forgot to count the number of setups but it's something like a new one every 90 seconds! A record I hope to never break, if you know what I mean. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

June 15th, 2004, 03:05 AM	#39
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	That was just too funny! Thanks for putting a big grin on my face today Charles! __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

June 15th, 2004, 07:32 AM	#40
Jean-Philippe Archibald Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Saguenay, Québec, Canada Posts: 1,051	Cool Charles! Is this funny clip will be in your instructionnal steadicam video? :-) __________________ Jean-Philippe Archibald http://www.jparchibald.com - http://www.vimeo.com/jparchib

June 15th, 2004, 03:52 PM	#41
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Hopefully the video will have funnier stuff than that! __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

June 16th, 2004, 02:56 PM	#42
Norman Woo Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Brossard, Quebec, Canada Posts: 147	Sign me up for your tape ... Hey Charles how about doing one of those late night info-commercials where we see you strapped up in your rig running around demonstrating the unit and promoting your tape. Then "fake" reaction shots of the audience (all babes) "ooohhing" and "aaahhhing". If Ron Popeel can do it ...

June 17th, 2004, 09:42 AM	#43
Shealan Forshaw New Boot Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 21	Oh my god Charles, I just looked at your IMDB profile. I can't beleive you were stedicam op in some of my favorite stuff. Office Space and Action (my fave tv show ever!). A big hello from the UK :)

June 17th, 2004, 10:50 AM	#44
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Hello back! I just re-watched my tapes of "Action" with my girlfriend who had never seen the show. That was a fun show, some great writing! __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com