Home-made dv matte box

Andrew Petrie · April 25th, 2003, 07:18 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Dylan Couper : I'd buy one of those homebuilt steadicams. Some of them look better than "real" models! -->>>

True dat. Hence my question up above. Seriously, can I buy one? :) I've been eyeing up a mattebox with rods and grips, but this home made one looks mighty impressive.

Charles King · April 25th, 2003, 11:08 PM

"...Seriously, can I buy one?

Are you refering to the matte box combo with plate handles and rods or homebuiltstabilizer?

Dylan Couper · April 26th, 2003, 09:12 AM

I think there would be a market for both.

Charles King · April 26th, 2003, 11:08 AM

The shoulder support system is a little easier to handle then building a rig system. More work more money. It can be done, but I've always said. If you are going into the business of manufacturing a stabilizer you better know all the ins and outs of the technical side things. It's never easy just slapping together something and selling it as a stabilizer. Trust me, I've seen many new stabilizer business blowing up all over the place with little or no technical know-how. Don't get me wrong. Some are good and some are really bad. I'm not saying I'm better but truthfully speaking, if you want excellent performance in a very low budget rig then you might as well built it yourself. The reason - it cost.

I've been into homebuilding stabilizers for almost six years now and I'm still learning new things. I've been asked many times to build for people but never thought I was capable enough to jump into this venture. The first and only rig I've built for someone was back in 99' . You can see the model in the full rig section under the title : 'A friend's rig' I sold that rig to some who call me from the states and begged me to build a rig for him. The reason. He was about to do a low budget movie and needed a stabilizer proto. I advice him to rent one. It would have been cheaper but he wanted to own on for this shoot.

Finally I agreed and build a rig for him. It took 2 1/2 weeks to complete. Working day and well into the night to get this rig ready before his shoot. He was surprised that it took such a short time but I mentioned to him that it did not have any real bearings in the arm (I made he knew about this before building) and told him I couldn't garentee the smoothness of the arm.
Any way, to make a long story short. He got it was surprisingly and finally made his shoot with the stabiliser. The only problem was that the spring that I had surplied was too light. He managed to exchange.

If I was to build a rig a again, it would, definately not take two 1/2 weeks. It will difinately have bearings in every part of the arm. The sled would be better etc. I've learned alot during the years and always tell people if you want to built a homebuilt rig then do your homework. Know exactly want you want in terms of features.
I always tell people to read the article under the tip section on the homebuiltstabilizer site, that Thanh Le wrote. Then if you think you're up for it, then do it; but be prepared for a lot of work.

In short gentlemen - If you want to buy a homebuilt rig then it would be better to either build one yourself or buy an already made low budget rig. It'll spare you the headache.

Sorry for the long post. I could say much more but I'll kill here before I get a head of myself :)

Dylan Couper · April 26th, 2003, 11:10 PM

What did you charge, or what would one of the home built full rigs be worth to someone to build and sell it.

Charles King · April 27th, 2003, 01:53 AM

For the one I sold to this guy, I charged 700 dollars. This was for the sled, vest and arm. A handheld type would be cheaper,way cheaper but I would rather buy a ready made one from Glidecam instead.Now, Like I said it mostly workshop time that took most of the bulk.
Today, I can get it cheap because I know the people better. The parts are not really that expensive if you know where to look depending on what one decides to use in terms of quality. Everything depends on the quality of the rig. I would definately want to make a quality rig if I was to build for someone. It doesn't have to be world class otherwise you might just as well buy a pro rig.
When I was at the IBC in Amsterdam last year, I met with the VD of the Glidecam company who recognized the name on my name tag as owning the homebuiltstabilizer site. I was stunned such a person would even view the website. I Was honored and we talked. He mentioned that he usaully direct people to my site who were interested in a cheaper alternative. He would tell that it was the closes thing to a professional rigs. Now that, took the icing. I felt great when he said that. We talked for and hour. Nice guy.
Any way, for someone to built you a rig they will have to know what your preference would be(at least I would like to know) before giving you an estimitation. Like what the maximum weight will be and how much finesse you will want on the rig, etc. These things will determine the type of material and the density(quality) of the material in terms of the maximum weight that will be used.
So I'm giving a rough estimate between 800-1800 dollars. This will include monitor and battery.
You have note that this is my estimation. Someone else might do it cheaper but then again who knows.

Dylan Couper · April 27th, 2003, 01:01 PM

Charles, you should consider offering a few custom built full rigs for sale. I would be interested in one later this summer, and probably many people would be interested in one now. I would keep it closer to $800, leaving out the monitor and battery if you had to.

Charles King · April 28th, 2003, 04:33 AM

Dylan, i'll certainlylook into it but first I'n going to start offering the shoulder support system first. Anyone interested? I'll get back with the estimatation.

Dylan Couper · April 28th, 2003, 05:41 PM

What does your shoulder support look like Charles?
I'm interested. I have a Mightywondercam right now, but it is kind of weak, and doesn't put enough weight back on your shoulder.

Charles King · April 28th, 2003, 06:37 PM

Take a look at the link: http://homebuiltstabilizers.com/char...ldsupport.html

Like the pic but minus the matte box and the support at the battery support at the back. The frame would be slightly curved with added plates to produce a little more weight. The handles will be little shorter than the ones you see. The rods can rotate depending on the angle you choose. I'm putting together a prototype to show you guys what it will look like. Hopefully it will be done in about three weeks.

Dylan Couper · April 28th, 2003, 11:52 PM

Should be interesting!

Joe Cirino · April 29th, 2003, 09:00 PM

Could someone tell me what a matte box does? Sorry to sneak in...

Don Berube · April 29th, 2003, 09:06 PM

Hi Joe,

You can refer to the following thread as a starting point:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...8445#post58445

- don

Joe Cirino · April 29th, 2003, 09:10 PM

Thanks Don... kindly.

Cosmin Rotaru · April 30th, 2003, 03:20 AM

Hi all!
Charles is making a realy great offer here! I know his work and I know how valuable are his knowledges. 800 to 1800, it will all worth it!
Good luck Charles!
You should make for sale the shoulder suport and the matte box also. And make a discount for the package (suport+matte box). I'd like to have them both!

April 25th, 2003, 07:18 PM	#31
Andrew Petrie Major Player Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 484	<<<-- Originally posted by Dylan Couper : I'd buy one of those homebuilt steadicams. Some of them look better than "real" models! -->>> True dat. Hence my question up above. Seriously, can I buy one? :) I've been eyeing up a mattebox with rods and grips, but this home made one looks mighty impressive. __________________ Andrew \| Canon XL1s, ME66, Vinten Vision 3, GlideCam V16 (for sale!)

April 25th, 2003, 11:08 PM	#32
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	"...Seriously, can I buy one? Are you refering to the matte box combo with plate handles and rods or homebuiltstabilizer? __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

April 26th, 2003, 09:12 AM	#33
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	I think there would be a market for both. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

April 26th, 2003, 11:08 AM	#34
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	The shoulder support system is a little easier to handle then building a rig system. More work more money. It can be done, but I've always said. If you are going into the business of manufacturing a stabilizer you better know all the ins and outs of the technical side things. It's never easy just slapping together something and selling it as a stabilizer. Trust me, I've seen many new stabilizer business blowing up all over the place with little or no technical know-how. Don't get me wrong. Some are good and some are really bad. I'm not saying I'm better but truthfully speaking, if you want excellent performance in a very low budget rig then you might as well built it yourself. The reason - it cost. I've been into homebuilding stabilizers for almost six years now and I'm still learning new things. I've been asked many times to build for people but never thought I was capable enough to jump into this venture. The first and only rig I've built for someone was back in 99' . You can see the model in the full rig section under the title : 'A friend's rig' I sold that rig to some who call me from the states and begged me to build a rig for him. The reason. He was about to do a low budget movie and needed a stabilizer proto. I advice him to rent one. It would have been cheaper but he wanted to own on for this shoot. Finally I agreed and build a rig for him. It took 2 1/2 weeks to complete. Working day and well into the night to get this rig ready before his shoot. He was surprised that it took such a short time but I mentioned to him that it did not have any real bearings in the arm (I made he knew about this before building) and told him I couldn't garentee the smoothness of the arm. Any way, to make a long story short. He got it was surprisingly and finally made his shoot with the stabiliser. The only problem was that the spring that I had surplied was too light. He managed to exchange. If I was to build a rig a again, it would, definately not take two 1/2 weeks. It will difinately have bearings in every part of the arm. The sled would be better etc. I've learned alot during the years and always tell people if you want to built a homebuilt rig then do your homework. Know exactly want you want in terms of features. I always tell people to read the article under the tip section on the homebuiltstabilizer site, that Thanh Le wrote. Then if you think you're up for it, then do it; but be prepared for a lot of work. In short gentlemen - If you want to buy a homebuilt rig then it would be better to either build one yourself or buy an already made low budget rig. It'll spare you the headache. Sorry for the long post. I could say much more but I'll kill here before I get a head of myself :) __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

April 26th, 2003, 11:10 PM	#35
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	What did you charge, or what would one of the home built full rigs be worth to someone to build and sell it. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

April 27th, 2003, 01:53 AM	#36
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	For the one I sold to this guy, I charged 700 dollars. This was for the sled, vest and arm. A handheld type would be cheaper,way cheaper but I would rather buy a ready made one from Glidecam instead.Now, Like I said it mostly workshop time that took most of the bulk. Today, I can get it cheap because I know the people better. The parts are not really that expensive if you know where to look depending on what one decides to use in terms of quality. Everything depends on the quality of the rig. I would definately want to make a quality rig if I was to build for someone. It doesn't have to be world class otherwise you might just as well buy a pro rig. When I was at the IBC in Amsterdam last year, I met with the VD of the Glidecam company who recognized the name on my name tag as owning the homebuiltstabilizer site. I was stunned such a person would even view the website. I Was honored and we talked. He mentioned that he usaully direct people to my site who were interested in a cheaper alternative. He would tell that it was the closes thing to a professional rigs. Now that, took the icing. I felt great when he said that. We talked for and hour. Nice guy. Any way, for someone to built you a rig they will have to know what your preference would be(at least I would like to know) before giving you an estimitation. Like what the maximum weight will be and how much finesse you will want on the rig, etc. These things will determine the type of material and the density(quality) of the material in terms of the maximum weight that will be used. So I'm giving a rough estimate between 800-1800 dollars. This will include monitor and battery. You have note that this is my estimation. Someone else might do it cheaper but then again who knows. __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

April 27th, 2003, 01:01 PM	#37
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	Charles, you should consider offering a few custom built full rigs for sale. I would be interested in one later this summer, and probably many people would be interested in one now. I would keep it closer to $800, leaving out the monitor and battery if you had to. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

April 28th, 2003, 04:33 AM	#38
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	Dylan, i'll certainlylook into it but first I'n going to start offering the shoulder support system first. Anyone interested? I'll get back with the estimatation. __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

April 28th, 2003, 05:41 PM	#39
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	What does your shoulder support look like Charles? I'm interested. I have a Mightywondercam right now, but it is kind of weak, and doesn't put enough weight back on your shoulder. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

April 28th, 2003, 06:37 PM	#40
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	Take a look at the link: http://homebuiltstabilizers.com/char...ldsupport.html Like the pic but minus the matte box and the support at the battery support at the back. The frame would be slightly curved with added plates to produce a little more weight. The handles will be little shorter than the ones you see. The rods can rotate depending on the angle you choose. I'm putting together a prototype to show you guys what it will look like. Hopefully it will be done in about three weeks. __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

April 28th, 2003, 11:52 PM	#41
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	Should be interesting! __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

April 29th, 2003, 09:00 PM	#42
Joe Cirino Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: United States Posts: 101	Could someone tell me what a matte box does? Sorry to sneak in...

April 29th, 2003, 09:06 PM	#43
Don Berube Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Boston, MA (travel frequently) Posts: 837	Hi Joe, You can refer to the following thread as a starting point: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...8445#post58445 - don __________________ DONALD BERUBE - noisybrain. Productions, LLC Director Of Photography/ Producer/ Consultant http://noisybrain.com/donbio.html CREATE and NETWORK with http://www.bosfcpug.org and also http://fcpugnetwork.org

April 29th, 2003, 09:10 PM	#44
Joe Cirino Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: United States Posts: 101	Thanks Don... kindly.

April 30th, 2003, 03:20 AM	#45
Cosmin Rotaru Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Romania, Timisoara Posts: 453	Hi all! Charles is making a realy great offer here! I know his work and I know how valuable are his knowledges. 800 to 1800, it will all worth it! Good luck Charles! You should make for sale the shoulder suport and the matte box also. And make a discount for the package (suport+matte box). I'd like to have them both!