Don Juan idea? at DVinfo.net

George Ellis · April 24th, 2005, 09:33 AM

Someone may already do this, just I had not heard of it.

I was looking at Matt Wilson's thread and thought of an idea to make something a little easier, but it will take practice. In Don Juan, you are looking off center at the monitor while doing whatever, which is usually going up/down stairs. It makes it hard to watch the shot and your step. If you used a secondary monitor hung off you vest on the centerline, you would have your feet in line of sight and the shot there too. It would take a little practice as it is a new muscle memory thing to learn, but you already have it down. The relationship is already there. Then again, might not use it enough to justify about a new arm that attaches to the vest, another monitor, and cable running off of the rig.

Charles Papert · April 24th, 2005, 11:28 AM

Hi George:

Adding a second monitor for Don Juan is an old idea, I have done it myself over the years for certain types of shots. One problem with mounting it in the way you suggest is that it would be in the way in case you had to come out of DJ into Missionary, which is fairly typical. A shot I did on a feature a few weeks ago required me to pull two actresses down a long exterior stairacase and then around a garden party; I did the stairs in DJ and then switched to Missionary at the bottom of the stairs so I could back up the rest of the shot (better control).

When I have added the second monitor, it's attached to the center post of the rig 180 degrees off from the original monitor. Requires some rebalancing, but you are set either direction. It can be confusing to operate though, because tilt is essentially reversed to what you are used to, making headroom adjustments a bit funky. Pan stays the same, thankfully.

I have long thought that a glasses-mounted display might be worthwhile for this sort of thing but never tested it.

George Ellis · April 25th, 2005, 10:46 AM

Yes. I see the problem from DJ to Missionary. I figured, but no one talked about it. That would be why.

Here is the next gen of glasses (I had started to type "I wish I remember where I read it" and I did remember it was still in my sent mail box... ;) )

http://www.emagin.com/3dvisor/

Edit - but it is a visor and not glasses.

April 24th, 2005, 09:33 AM	#1
George Ellis Trustee Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Suwanee, GA Posts: 1,241	Don Juan idea? Someone may already do this, just I had not heard of it. I was looking at Matt Wilson's thread and thought of an idea to make something a little easier, but it will take practice. In Don Juan, you are looking off center at the monitor while doing whatever, which is usually going up/down stairs. It makes it hard to watch the shot and your step. If you used a secondary monitor hung off you vest on the centerline, you would have your feet in line of sight and the shot there too. It would take a little practice as it is a new muscle memory thing to learn, but you already have it down. The relationship is already there. Then again, might not use it enough to justify about a new arm that attaches to the vest, another monitor, and cable running off of the rig.

April 24th, 2005, 11:28 AM	#2
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Hi George: Adding a second monitor for Don Juan is an old idea, I have done it myself over the years for certain types of shots. One problem with mounting it in the way you suggest is that it would be in the way in case you had to come out of DJ into Missionary, which is fairly typical. A shot I did on a feature a few weeks ago required me to pull two actresses down a long exterior stairacase and then around a garden party; I did the stairs in DJ and then switched to Missionary at the bottom of the stairs so I could back up the rest of the shot (better control). When I have added the second monitor, it's attached to the center post of the rig 180 degrees off from the original monitor. Requires some rebalancing, but you are set either direction. It can be confusing to operate though, because tilt is essentially reversed to what you are used to, making headroom adjustments a bit funky. Pan stays the same, thankfully. I have long thought that a glasses-mounted display might be worthwhile for this sort of thing but never tested it. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

April 25th, 2005, 10:46 AM	#3
George Ellis Trustee Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Suwanee, GA Posts: 1,241	Yes. I see the problem from DJ to Missionary. I figured, but no one talked about it. That would be why. Here is the next gen of glasses (I had started to type "I wish I remember where I read it" and I did remember it was still in my sent mail box... ;) ) http://www.emagin.com/3dvisor/ Edit - but it is a visor and not glasses.