The Gear Guide is an introduction to filmmaking technology taught by the people who make the most popular, longest lasting gear. It's meant to bring you in contact with the gear before you can physically work with it. Imagine coming to Los Angeles, and having the benefit of meeting privately with the presidents and VPs of companies like Arri, Matthews Studio Equipment (MSE Grip), Kino Flo, Manfrotto (Bogen) and Schneider Optics. Imagine how much more prepared you will be to use their products once you get on the set of your next production. Your mind will be free to focus on creativity and communication, not learning new technical jargon. That's the purpose of the Gear Guide. It also keeps you informed on the latest gear, techniques, and tips on staying ahead in the Film and Video Industry. The Gear Guide module teaches how to use all the Camera and Lighting gear to make movies successfully and get the most out of the gear you already own. Each program focuses on specific gear and techniques. TUNGSTEN & H.M.I FRESNELS - Focuses on Tungsten and H.M.I Fresnels, with John Gresch from Arri Lighting. Learn how to sculpt your frame, light the actors properly and dramatically and throw shadows on parts of the background that you don't like. The information applies to most lighting systems, not just the featured Arri. Teaches: Changing lenses, changing bulbs, attaching Softboxes, using snoots, safety, spotting/flooding & selecting the proper light kit. DIOPTERS & FILTERS - Focuses on Diopters, and Filters with Bill Turner from Schneider Optics. Learn how to modify a fixed-lens camera with a wider wide angle and a deeper telephoto. Teaches how to use Wide Angle Adapters and Converters, as well as Telephoto Converters and their differences. Learn how to film just one part of a face, like lips or eyes and how to make a penny fill the frame. Plus how to protect your camera from misuse of large converters. Using filters, learn how to darken a bright sky to get it within the dynamic range of HDV, but not affect the rest of the scene, how to see through reflections, how to darken the overall scene to allow a wider aperture for shallower depth of field. Teaches: Wide and TeleConverters, Adapters, 4x4 Filters Polarizers, Graduated ND Filters, Color Filters and much more. TRIPODS, BAGS & REFLECTORS - Focuses on Tripods, Bags and Reflectors with Mark Bender from Bogen Imaging. The more you use your pro camera, the more you find that it deserves a pro camera bags, specifically designed to safely and lightly carry cameras and accessories. Learn to pick the right type, and how to make it work for your projects. Also, learn how to setup and operate light and heavy tripods, the difference between friction and fluid heads and how to pick the right tripod to do the job. An added bonus is a section on reflector types, what uses they have and how to get the most out of them. Teaches: Teaches Light Duty Tripods, Medium Duty Tripods, Heavy Capacity Tripods, Camera Bags, Reflectors and much more. FOLLOW FOCUS DEVICES - Focuses on Follow Focus Devices with Karl Horn from Cinetech. Experienced shooters of Pro HD or SD Digital Cinema Camera rely on the focusing dial to create more dramatic transitions into actors or objects. Forget your wrist, learn to use follow focus wheels that reorient the direction of the focus dial to one that more easily fits the movement of the human body. They give you focus stops, so that you don't have to guess where your subject is. Just set up the A and B stops and go from A to B. No guess work. This comes in very handy in cameras that do not have numerical readouts for focus marks. Learn use of whips and extensions for focus pulling devices allowing you or a crew "focus puller" to pull focus from behind the camera so that you can just concentrate on panning and tilting the camera with the actor. Teaches: Focus Pulling Techniques, Follow Focus Types, Single/Double Wheel, Whips and Extensions, Speed Cranks, Rear-Firing Configurations and much more. FOCUSES ON FLUORESECENTS - Focuses on Fluoresecents with Frieder Hocheim and Tom Jacob from KinoFlo. Pros rely on Fluorescent lighting being perfectly tungsten or daylight balanced, soft, emitting almost no heat, and dimmable with very little shift in color temperature. But it's also complex. This program answers the following questions. Which instruments to use? Which color temperature? Do you match with the window or other tungsten instruments? How about DMX dimming and networking? How do you safely replace bulbs? What about color options? How do you safely regulate power output of DC supplies? Teaches: Fluorescent Fixtures, Studio and Portable Models, Diffusion Techniques, Dimming, DMX Controls, Daylight/Interior Bulbs, Special Effects, 12V Car Models and much more. GRIP GEAR - Focuses on Grip Gear with Ed Phillips from MSE (Matthews Studio Equipment). Professional grip equipment lasts longer, looks more professional, holds weight more securely and helps you sculpt precision-lit sets with flags and scrim. Which light stands do you use? Which clamps for which lights? How do you safely equip, mount and weight-balance a C-stand? How do cheaply made roller stands differ from professional ones? What is the difference between a preemie, a HiHi and a combo stand? What is the difference between a half-apple and a pancake? Teaches: C-Stands, Light Stands, Combo Stands, Flags, Black Net, Silks and Diffusers, Cucaloris Modifiers, Cutters, Dots and Fingers and much more. GELS & LIGHTING MODIFIERS - Focuses on Gels and Lighting Modifiers with Joel Svendsen from Rosco Gels. Pro crew rely on color gels for correcting instruments or creating a mood. But it's complex. Which type of gel do you use? How much color temperature correction is necessary? Do you match an HMI instrument with the window or the other tungsten instruments? How does gelling an instrument differ from Digital HD to Film? How do you safely use gels? What options are there in color and and mood? Both Straw and Amber gels cause a mathematical warming shift in the color temperature, so why are there two different types? Teaches: Correction Gels, Film vs. Video Intensities, Color Effect Gels, Modifiers for Stage Lights, Daylight Balance Gels, Tungsten Balance Gels and much more. HEAVY DOLLIES - Focuses on Heavy Dollies with 35-year Veteran Hollywood Key Grip Chet Spinney. Sometimes compact dollies work but you'll always need to know how to set up or operate a heavy dolly. Learn the principles of balancing a dolly track, pushing techniques, proper movement and braking. Steve Schuneman shares his extensive experience operating Pro Mic Booms on multi-million dollar TV shows. Learn how to operate a Pro Mic boom and communicate with your boom operator. This program will help get familiar with gear in a generally ignored part of the industry that doesn't get the glitz of body-mounted camera systems, but has been a mainstay of every indie and studio film for 60 years. Teaches: Heavy Studio Dollies, Balancing Dolly Track, Proper Dollying Methods, Dolly & Jib Moves, Pro Mic Booms. MATTEBOXES & ZOOM CONTROLLERS - Focuses on Matteboxes & Zoom Controllers with James Lee from 16x9inc. (Chrosziel and Bebob). Learn how to achieve that crisp, contrast look in films, when shooting into the sun and avoiding a milky or hazy shot by using a mattebox to shoot into the sun. It gives great highlights everywhere, the actors are naturally backlit, the sun isn't in their eyes and the scene looks more dynamic. Learn how to protect the camera lens from haze and the major culprit, flare. Matteboxes allow you to mount 4x4 and sometimes 4x5.65 filters and shade wide angle lens adapters that do not have lens hoods. Learn the essential zoom controller used to easily change the focal length of your lens without moving your hand away from the pan handle. If zooming for an industrial or how-to video or for effect, the zoom controller is indispensable for providing a smooth focal length change without unnecessary jitter on the camera body. Learn all about electronic zoom and focus controllers. Teaches: Mounting Matteboxes, Using French Flags, Side Flags, Baseplates and Rods, Sunshades, Filter Holders, Camera Design Issues, Zoom Controllers, Electronic Focus and much more. GEAR GUIDE RENTAL - Focuses on Gear Rental with Steve Tobenkin from Birns & Sawyer in Hollywood. It does not make sense to own four different cameras for four different types of shoots. Enter the rental house. You can get a great camera package, lights, grip gear and stay within budget. Just rent the gear, use it, then return it. Makes sense, sounds easy. It's not. It is a very complicated process that invites expensive disaster. This program teaches you all the ins and outs of safely renting gear, as well as avoiding common horrors of discovering that "mysterious disappearances" are not covered by insurance companies and can leave you penniless for years. Learn every line of a common rental contract, every term and real street-advice every step of the way. Teaches: Safe Renting Practices, Rental Contracts, Insurance Types, Negotiating Travel Days, 3-Day Weeks, Building Relationships, Trust and Credit, Economies of Scale insurance tips and much more. PEDESTALS, JIBS & CAMERA LIGHTS - Focuses on Pedestals, Jibs, and Camera Lights with David Butler from Ste-Man (Cartoni and PAG). Dollies get you closer to the subject in a more dynamic smooth manner. But a jib maintains that movement vertically when you need to rise up with an actor getting out of a chair or car, or going upstairs. Learn about jibs, axes of motion and use techniques. Teaches use of on-camera battery operated lights in low interior illumination situations when you can't raise ambient light level or use studio lights. Learn filter accessories and battery systems and chemistries to match. Covers the ease of use of a studio pedestal with a vertical pneumatic lift. Learn bleeding excess pressure, maneuvering and operation. In an underwater or part water shot, learn how to use an underwater bag. Finally, with the use of body-mounted camera support offering a full range of motion when you don't need or can't afford a full steadicam, learn how to mount and operate the popular PAG Orbitor body mounted system. Teaches: Studio Pedestals, Compact Jibs, On-Camera Lights, Dichroic Filters, Diffusing Eye-Lights, 3-Wheel Dollies, Battery Chemistry, Underwater Bags, Body mounted systems and much more.

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