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.

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

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!

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

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

Priorities, baby, priorities!

Hey Charles

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

You must have had an afternoon to kill.

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.

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

Cool Charles!

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

Hopefully the video will have funnier stuff than that!

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 ...

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 :)

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!