Skate Wheel Talk

Thanks so much, guys , for keeping the discussion going. Internet is sketchy here so I'm popping in when I can.

Gripworks had a question about whether Porta-Glides worked for large dollies. The answer is yes. They are the same as other trough systems as far as that goes. I use Hybrids and Hustlers on them as well as Peewees (and Fisher 10's). I would be hesitant to put anything extreme like a dolly with a Fisher 23 jib on them (although I've done it) just because of the swing arm system they use. The wheels aren't directly under the troughs, they are extended out from them on swing arms. Like I say, I don't know that you shouldn't, I just didn't want to until I got the specs. As far as the wheels go, as Azurgrip says, they are different size wheels interspersed across the track, which keeps a smooth wheel always in contact with the rail, eliminating the bumps from flat spots. I mainly love them for this reason. It takes the headaches and second guessing out of moves where long dialogue necessitates sitting in one spot before tracking. I love 'em and the redesign sounds interesting.

Thanks CB and Megamoose for the play by play of the Fisher Open House and the panel. Sorry I missed it.

Sanjaya sent pictures and I'll go through them and post when I can.

Keep the discussions going. That's why we're here, to learn from each other and advance the craft.

D

Sitting on Stage

Hi all,
Sitting here on stage and finally got a minute to break away ("B" only shot). We're on airplane mockups all day so I expected a relatively dolly free day until they decided to build the crane and jam the arm down the aisle. I'm still having dance floor problems. The lumber up here (which is pretty crappy to begin with) seems to swell and contract. I'm getting floors with 1/32" lips at the joints, even with double laying everything. we ordered a whole new batch of birch and it all doesn't match, so it's been a nightmare but we're making it work. The rest of the show is mostly on stage until the last two days when we go to New York. I hear LA is extremely busy gearing up to the SAG strike.
I'm curious as well about how the Fisher speed wheels perform, but I can't see trading in my Porta-Glides for anything.
I hope everyone is well. I'll have more to post when all this is over.
D

New Pictures

Just because I haven't posted in a while, I added some new pictures just of various grip crap. Mainly to let you know I'm still here.

JL Fisher Open House

This post was written about the 2008 Open House. I'm writing this from the future. It's now 2009 and I noticed some searches for the open house leading here, so wanted to help you guys out. The Open House is on Saturday May 16, 2009. The address is JL Fisher, 1000 Isabel St. Burbank, Ca 91506. Please come on out. You can also visit http://jlfisher.com.

Since the both of us are on the East Coast now and are a few time zones away from L.A. I was wondering if anyone was going to the JL Fisher open house this Sat, May 17th. I would love to go and am disappointed to miss out on the "Movement of Camera" panel. If you do go, could you please drop us a line here and tell us about (the panel, any new products, etc)? Thank you kindly!

Cranes on Boats

This job involves a good amount of water work. We've had both the Techno 15 and the Phoenix on boats. I've learned two things- It's freaking cold in New England in May; Sightlines on crane shots change as the tide comes in (or goes out). The first two weeks of the show, everything I laid track on moved (docks, crappy carpet dance floors). I'm constantly tweaking my track because it moves. Anyway, we got some great crane stuff on the water, and we have one more day of it (I hope). Our cranes are mounted on a boat called a "Flight Deck." This thing will fly.It's not easy muscling around 2000 lbs of mass when you're flying and you can't feel your fingers. Hope everyone's doing well.