LizardlandVideo.com

A long hiatus

2010-06-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well after a long hiatus I am back on my blog. Paul and I went on a long excursion to Texas. We were thinking of relocating back to Texas. We tried working for an agency for a few weeks but it just didn't work out. We came home to Phoenix and almost immediately started working on an independent movie. We have been on that set for about three weeks. Paul is DP and they are using Lizardland Film Video HD grip truck and genny. We have met many talented people from the area. I will be back in full swing with my grip equipment tomorrow. Yesterday I worked with a female grip who is excellent AND knows lighting. Spectacular find for this area. It feels good to be blogging again. More to come from LizardlandVideo.com. Picture is of Paul on set.

ABA link

2010-04-16T13:17:00.001-07:00

http://www.azhomesforsale.com

Lowel Tota

2010-04-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

Today I found these at Lizardland Film Video HD. They are Lowel Tota lights. They come with a gel frame or you can add diffusion. They have doors that shut completely so they are good for travel and you can double stack them. They are tungsten halogen lights. The gulf wing doors have reflectors on them which create a smooth and even background light. You can also point it toward the ceiling to raise the ambient light level of a room. I have not seen these used much in the Phoenix Video Production community. Not much more from LizardlandVideo.com

Frezzi

2010-04-13T20:13:00.001-07:00

These are Frezzi Mini-Fill lights. We just have a couple of these at Lizardland Film Video HD. They were originally made by Frezzolini for the first Mt Everst climb. The have traditionally been used in the broadcast industry but are now used by many in video.It is a quartz-tungsten light that mounts on your camera. You can get them with dimmers but ours just have an on/off switch. You can put a little piece of diffusion on it to soften up your subject. They actually have a soft box you can buy and the newer ones have dimmers. That's all for today from LizardlandVideo.com from the Phoenix Video Production community.

Beadboard

2010-04-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

Beadboard is basically rigid panel insulation made out of a plastic foam material. This is easy to pick up at Home Depot or Lowe's. You can also use it to make reflectors. Just by some Rosco 3902 and use gaff tape to attach it to the beadboard.

Base Camp

2010-04-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

I am very familiar with Base Camp when we are on location for Lizardland Film Video HD. It is usually one of my jobs to watch the equipment. The Base Camp is where all the grip trucks are parked. I love how the grip looks like a monkey in our truck. On location we usually have our taco carts staged next to the grip trucks. With the economy the way it is there are definitely sticky fingers out there. LizardlandVideo.com has been very fortunate to do work on many MLM (network marketing videos) the last few years. These companies always demand the highest quality and have the budget to get it done. We have set up Base Camps at carnivals, office buildings, parks, closed city streets and rented homes. Many of these shoots were for MLM companies. This is a link to our last video. How about that tabletop? I love doing tabletop. Yes, it is tedious. What I like about is that ,it is you, your imagination, your camera and the product. In case you haven't picked up on it yet I do get a lot of the grunt jobs on the set. That is totally ok because I know the least. I am constantly learning. We do get a lot of work in the Phoenix Video Production community. Enjoy the video.
http://www.vimeo.com/10290894

Cucoloris

2010-04-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

Cucoloris, don't you just love this word? We have a couple of these at Lizardland Film Video HD. These are really cool. They create a shadow pattern on a backdrop or subject. You place it in front of your light and it breaks the light up into shadows. When you put it really close to your light the result will be diffused. When you put it close to the backdrop or subject the patterns from the shadows will be sharp. The ones we have are made of wood. You can also get mesh ones. I have not seen these. These are very easy to make. I have been on the road before without our grip truck and made one with a piece of styrofoam insulation (bead board) from Home Depot. Then just cut out amoeba like shapes with a sharp knife. You'll be set to go. There really is no reason to ever buy one Just get a piece of 2' x 3' plywood and use a jigsaw to cut out your shapes. Then spray paint it black. For the pin cut a piece of 3/8" bar stock and weld that to two plates that you screw to the wood. It's nickname is cuke. When you use a branch it's a brancholoris. It really is silly to pay $95.00 for these. They like using these in the Phoenix Video Production community. One of these pictures is during the filming of National Treasure. That's all from LizardlandVideo.com

The Great Shops of Burbank

2010-04-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

Lizardland Film Video HD took to the road yesterday and drove to Burbank on a repair and buying trip. My partner Paul in business and life has been in this business for 30+ years. With that comes a level of knowledge that you can't learn in school, on message boards or with the newest, neatest model of equipment. He is a lighting genius. He also knows his equipment and absolutely loves to tinker with his grip equipment. Many items we use Paul made himself as opposed to paying high prices for new equipment. Many things he makes are better than store bought. So today I'm going to write about the great places to buy grip equipment. We took a HMI with us to Advance Motion Picture Lighting in North Hollywood to be repaired by Eddie the owner. He can fix any HMI. We were only there two days and our light needed a part he couldn't find so he had it made. We started our buying trip at Modern Studio Equipment Inc. The stuff they have in there is amazing. Any part you need. Then we went to Pyramid-films.com in Sun Valley (Burbank). They buy and sell used movie equipment. If you are looking for something you should always call them. Just because it isn't on their website doesn't mean they don't have it. Paul was so happy in this place. Stands, lights, stacks and stacks of them. Next we were off to Norm's Studio Equipment. Now some of you may have heard that they closed but the just restructured and moved. They actually have a website now. Got this great picture of Norm from inside the shop. We drove by Kino Flo and wound up our trip at Film Tools. If only the Phoenix Video Production community had places like this. But those are just dreams. If you really are a good grip and want this as your career I would highly suggest this sojourn. I was promised a trip to the Getty on our next trip. Keep reading and commenting on LizardlandVideo.com

Easter Egg

2010-04-04T06:25:00.001-07:00

Today at Lizardland Film Video HD I am going to write about Easter eggs. These are not the ones you will find in your house or outside today. These are the little gems filmmakers insert in their movies for the sharp movie fan. They are items that you have to really look for. Akin to Directors making cameos in their movies. The most famous being Alfred Hitchcock. More recently we see Quentin Tarentino doing this. In dvd's many times there is additional menu information you can reach just by clicking around and sometimes they have an additional scene after the credits. Some say the term came from Atari from a game. I am not a gamer so I am not going to explore that avenue. The origin I like best that I came across comes from the movie Rocky Horror Picture Show. Tim Curry is just great in this movie. They had a real easter egg hunt on the set and not all the eggs were found. They show up in some of the scenes. In the Phoenix Video Production community that would require a lot of imagination. We have never done it in our commercials but as I write this it makes me ponder. I know this is not an item a grip would handle I just thought I would acknowledge the commercial aspect of the holiday today. After all isn't that what we are here for? Well I'm off to look for easter eggs if my low boys haven't already found them. They do have an edge over me. More to come from LizardlandVideo.com

Low-Boy Stand

2010-04-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

A Low-Boy Stand is just like a combo/light stand but lower. Imagine that a term that makes sense. It was designed specifically for when a combo stand is too tall. The receiver is a 1 1/8" hole. We carry several of these on our grip truck for use in the Phoenix Production community. Lizardland Film Video HD purchased one that just came in the mail. We bought it from Norm's in California. Great little shop near Hollywood. Norm's has been around along time. Easy to talk with someone knowledgeable and friendly on the phone. They also give 25% off if you pay over the phone as opposed to putting it on account. This one just arrived today. As you can see one of my other low boys made it in the picture. I actually have three of those low boys. I am still figuring out their best use. This particular low boy is Oscar. He has been to Hollywood with his two mates on a working trip. Keep reading LizardlandVideo.com

HMI's

2010-03-30T16:25:00.001-07:00

The invention of the HMI did wonders for lighting in Hollywood. Hydrargyrum Medium-Arc Iodide. That is a mouthful. I wonder how many gaffers know that. HMI's use an arc light instead of incandescents so they use less power and run cooler. They require a ballast. They are balanced for daylight. They usually burn at 5600k also known as blue light. We have 6 at Lizardland Film Video HD. If you can afford them these lights work great. They take the place of many smaller lights. My friend Jarrod who owns Pirate Grip & Electric here in town also has a few of these. So they do use these in the Phoenix Video Production community here. More to come from LizardlandVideo.com.

Blondes and Redheads

2010-03-27T19:46:00.001-07:00

Wow, this time I was away a long time. Sorry. Lizardland Film Video HD does not have a Blonde or Redhead light. These are made by De Sisti in Italy. You really can't go wrong with something made in Italy. I mean really, can you think of anything that they make that is crappy? This company was founded in 1982 by the famous designer Mario De Sisti. Not to be confused with Super Mario. The Blonde is a 2k, lightweight high intensity, focusing quartz light. You can adjust the beam spread. These are called blondes because they are painted yellow. We have an Arri not a De Sisti but it is still called a Blonde. The Redhead is a 1k light that is painted red, if it is made by De Sisti. Mole-Richardson calls the same light Mickeys. Wouldn't that be great if the grip or gaffer really brought a good looking blonde or redhead when the director called for it? I mean a woman. That would certainly perk up many a dull set. But they might come with babys and you can't keep them quite on the set. So if you are working on the set in the Phoenix Video Production community make sure you grab the correct light. Won't be away so long again so please keep reading LizardlandVideo.com.

Shoot

2010-03-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

I did not go to Lizardland Film Video HD and take a picture today so I am once again going to write about a term. Shoot. We certainly use this word many times a day in our business. Are you going to the shoot? What was your last shoot like? Where is the shoot? Or here in Arizona a good one is Is it a paying shoot? It also means to point the camera and Shoot. Who knows what it is derived from? My trusty partner in this venture had not heard this. The first cameras on the set had a crank handle. The camera operator turned the crank in the same motion as a machine gun. Back in the day, say 1930, the director would shout "Gun It" to cue the cameraman to start filming. I still hear "Speed" today. This is also from the days of yore when the motors in the cameras were completely running. "Up to Speed" I imagine that there are very few industry people in the Phoenix Video Production community that knows this. Or I could be completely wrong. Perhaps this is the most knowledge bastion of film knowledge in the United States. Right. The camera on the right is a Universal movie camera. The crank is not original. The camera below belonged to Frank Hurley. He was an Australian film maker who sailed to the Antarctic on the Discovery in 1929. He made a talkie with this camera titled Siege of the South. This film depicted life on the Discovery and the various animals and scenery of the Antarctic. Very cool, no pun intended. This film premiered in Brisbane in 1931. Keep reading LizardlandVideo.com to learn more.

Hi-Hat

2010-03-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

Today at Lizardland Film Video HD we used a Hi-Hat with a slider to do some tabletop. We have our camera mounted on a Hi-Hat which in turn is clamped on a piece of wood with skate board wheels. This Hi Hat was made by the infamous Willy Widgets. He actually lives here in Scottsdale so I have met him. I will devote an entire post to him and his company later. In the picture you can see we use Cardellini clamps which I have written about previously. You use the Hi-Hat to mount your camera on a flat surface. You can use your fluid head off your tripod to mount your camera on the Hi-Hat. We use our Hi-Hat the most on our slider set up. You can also use it for low angle shots by putting the Hi-Hat on the ground with a sand bag. It is definitely something you need along with your tripod. So if you go out into the Phoenix Video production community don't forget your Hi-Hat. You know I can only guess that these are called Hi-Hats because they resemble a man's High Hat from a long time ago. This is picture of a man at the Wagner Festival in Germany. You can just imagine a camera sitting there instead of the picture of Richard Wagner. Check out LizardlandVideo.com

"Hollywood It"

2010-03-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

I just heard this term yesterday on the Lizardland Film Video HD set. When you first start hearing these terms it seems too absurd that people really use them in everyday speech and don't expect to be laughed at. If you over think this one you might get it wrong. I'm thinking "Hollywood It" means make it look good like they do in Hollywood. Wrong, it means to hold something by hand such as a flag or sometimes a light in a pinch. When I listen to the director spew this vast encyclopedia of nonsensical words it is sometimes hard not to believe I am not in a Dr Seuss book. Definitely my author of choice in my younger years. I belonged to his book of the month club. Wow, sorry to get off track. I find the set an amazing library of knowledge if I keep my mouth shut and stay very alert. Sometimes I wonder if the Phoenix Video Production Community possesses this vast knowledge. I should have snapped some pics yesterday of our grip to post. I will get a picture of a grip in "Hollywood it" mode. Thanks for reading LizardlandVideo.com. Feel free to comment or email.

Honey Wagon

2010-03-17T07:24:00.000-07:00

So I am back and not in the icky way Jay Leno is. I have been busy with a new commercial and some tabletop. Those are just excuses. I was just being a slacker. So who knows what a Honey Wagon is? Well I am glad to say that we do not own a Honey Wagon. We do however own a RV which we take to location shoots in the Phoenix Video Production community for our Honey Wagon. A Honey Wagon is the set bathroom. It sounds like something so nice. The origin of the phrase is from Honey Bucket, a slang phrase for a container or bucket that was used when a toilet wasn't available. Wikipedia states it might come from the honey colored liquid that comes out when it is drained. Ok I promise I won't be this disgusting again in my blog. I'm turning in our taxes today so I will go to the studio tomorrow and find something good to write about. Thanks for reading LizardlandVideo.com

Baby Senior Solarspot

2010-03-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

Ok so I am back on my Mole-Richardson kick. We have a many of these at Lizardland Film Video HD. I suppose I am fond of them because I love old movies and they remind me of that era. This is a picture of our Baby Senior Solarspot. This is a 5k light. That's right folks 5000 watts with a Fresnel lens. It makes a great key light and fill light. We have it on an old Mole-Richardson junior stand. You can't plug this into a socket like you find in your home which are 15 amps. We have a Bates plug at the studio which is 60 amps which more than covers the 45 amps that you need. If we are out in the Phoenix Video Production community we plug it in our trusty generator. It is a sweet light to have. Later from Lizardland Film Video HD.

Safety Cables

2010-03-05T18:27:00.001-08:00

Today at Lizardland Film Video HD I am going to talk about safety cables. We have several dozen of these hanging in our studio. Our trucks never go anywhere with out them. On a personal note they saved my butt once too. We were working an event at the Anaheim Convention Center and I was taking down our DVD players that we had in the clients store. These were hooked up to big 42" monitors showing their merchandise. Well, the pipe and drape people started taking their stuff down and their drape started falling. This knocked over the trussing I was standing next to. The trussing had the monitor attached about 8' up. I was also standing next to a large glass jewelry case. Well, it all fell, I escaped thanks to the help of my grip Mason who pulled me out. The jewelry case stopped the trussing from falling to the ground. When it was all over the Lizardland Monitor was hanging by it's Safety Cable unharmed. Yea!! I don't suggest a learning curve such as this to anyone but I am safety cable queen now. You should always cable a heavy light if you put it up high. We also use them to hang our speakers in our studio. If they are not using these on the set in the Phoenix Video Production community or anywhere else in the film world you should walk off the set. More to come from Lizardlandvideo.com

Wedges

2010-03-04T15:09:00.001-08:00

Well this is exactly what you think it is. Wooden wedges are invaluable on the Lizardland Film Video HD set. In a pinch you can use half a C 47 for a camera wedge. We have one legal milk crate filled with small wooden pieces. In the Phoenix Video Production community these come in handy. Wedges and cribbing. Cribbing is a must with C clamps. Signing off, LizardlandVideo.com

C Clamp

2010-03-03T14:15:00.001-08:00

C clamps are another useful tool we have on our Lizardland Film Video HD taco carts. They come in many sizes from 1" to 12". Most of the ones used in the Phoenix Video Production community have a 5/8" baby pin or a 1 1/8" junior receiver mounted vertically or horizontally. If you have to use them on wood make sure you put some shims in between so you don't put dents in the wood. Clamps are an absolute must for any taco cart. LizardlandVideo.com will be back tomorrow.

Cardellini Clamps

2010-03-02T15:12:00.003-08:00

Cardellini clamps are awesome. At Lizardland Film Video HD we have quite a few of these on our taco carts. With the pads they have on them they are safe for even delicate uses. They are made and designed by Steve Cardellini. He is a Key Grip in the San Francisco area. The rating for weight is 20 pounds. If you have used these you know they will actually hold more. The jaws are cast with an aluminum alloy which is stronger than die-cast parts like those used on the Matthellini's. One of the ways we use them is for our high hat when we put it on our slider. In the Phoenix Video Production community they are used often. If you have your choice between a Cardellini and a Mattellini I would pick the Cardellini everytime. They are stronger. See you from LizardlandVideo.com.

Sand Bags

2010-02-28T17:16:00.000-08:00

Well sorry to be away for so long. Things got a little hectic at Lizardland Film Video HD there for awhile. Since I mentioned Sand Bags in my last post I have decided to write about them. You may think they are too trivial to write about but you must have them on the set. They come in a few different sizes but the most common are 15 and 35 pounds. The 35 pound is called a Ball Buster. I have carried these frequently and have no balls so this term obviously came about before female grips. You can buy these empty with velcro or zippers. I have used these to travel and filled them with rocks, dirt or sand off the beach. These ones are a bit of a pain in the studio as they tend to leak. When you buy them they are filled with sand or lead pellets. Another term used for them in Phoenix Video Production circles is Silent Grip. You can hang them from the head on C-stand. They also make good door stops.

C-stand

2010-02-24T18:42:00.001-08:00

At Lizardland Film Video HD we have many, many C-stands. C-stand is short for century stand. Some say that is how long it will take you to master it's many uses. When set up their three legs are staggered in height. Some have sliding legs so the legs can be placed at different heights. These legs are called Rocky Mountains. While handling these be careful! These are real ankle bruisers which I can attest to. On the set they are used to support many things. Lights, flags anything that changes the light. When my husband and I do table top pours we use a C-stand to hold a funnel. A C-stand has a 5/8" pin on top and has two sections which can be raised higher. If you are not using it for a light you almost always need an arm and a head. The head is a clamp to hold whatever you put in it. The arms come in different lengths. The head has a knob or knuckle that you use to tighten the head. The knuckle should always be put on the right. Let's say you have a flag. The weight will pull the knuckle and tighten it. For safety you should always put a sandbag on one of the legs. We also use tennis balls with a hole in them to put on the ends of arms so no one gets an arm in their eye. C-stands come in two heights. The shorter one is called a Gary Coleman. The other day while working in the Phoenix Video Production community on our set I got to see two non-grips try to set up a C-stand. We were filming a music video for a Miss Krystle for free so we were running with a skeleton crew. They never got the legs apart. It really was hilarious. The director finally grabbed it and opened it. I would have done it but I didn't get the chance to. LizardlandVideo.com signing off.

Junior Stand

2010-02-23T21:06:00.001-08:00

Keeping with the lights I have been talking about I am going to talk about junior stands today at Lizardland Film Video HD. This stand in the picture is a Matthews. They don't come painted blue. This one is used and I suppose the previous owner painted it. The difference between C-stands and Junior Stands is that the Juniors have inies and the C-stands have outies. That said you can use a Junior stand for heavy lighting and equipment. We actually have an E fan on one of our Junior stands. They are much beefier than C-stands. So if you are out in the Phoenix Video Production community working they should have Junior stands for Junior lights. LizardlandVideo.com will be back tomorrow to write about C-stands.

Shop Posters

2010-02-21T17:13:00.000-08:00

Well today is sunday and I am not going to Lizardland Film Video HD. So I thought I would talk about shop decor. I picked this poster up at an antique mall here in Chandler, AZ. Clint seems to be a favorite among film types. This is an actual movie theatre poster from France. Didn't you always want to know how to say Out Law Josey Wales in french? Anyway it is a hit with our crew. I mean when you are working in the studio and you think you are done for the day just look at the poster and say arggggh I can do it if Clint can. We had a charitable day today helping the Phoenix Video Production community with a project. So more tomorrow from LizardlandVideo.com.

Juniors

2010-02-20T17:14:00.001-08:00

Well I am still on my Mole-Richardson kick. Today at LizardlandVideo.com we are going to talk about the Junior, a 2000 watt light. These are pictures of an 8" Junior from the Lizardland Film Video HD inventory. They also make 6" Baby Juniors and 10" Juniors. They have Fresnel glass in them. Mole-Richardson has been around since 1927 and were recognized by The Academy for their technical achievements as early as 1928. Peter Mole was born in Sicily in 1891. His birth name was Pietro Mule. His family immigrated to Manhattan in the early 1900's. He actually had a vaudeville act. Moved west, met Richardson and opened his doors 1927. Still in business today, another american company. These are excellent lights to have. That's all from LizardlandVideo.com.

Inkys

2010-02-19T17:22:00.000-08:00

Inkys, mini-moles you truly feel like you have somehow traveled to a new country when you step on the set of a Lizardland Film Video HD production. Wondering what language they are speaking. Todays post is no exception. Once again I have decided to write about a Mole-Richardson product. As you can clearly see they call these lights Mini-Moles. These are also known as Inkys. A small 100W or 200W Fresnel spotlight. The term Inky comes from incandescent. Incandescent is also known as white light. Also known as an Inky Dink. While you might think you have been transported to the Land of Munchkins with this kind of lingo in the Phoenix Video Production community and anywhere else you film you are actually just working with grips and gaffers. Still sounds like munchkins doesn't it. Just don't let the director catch you humming "If I only had a brain". It will only confirm what he already thinks of you and everyone else on the set. Thanks for reading from LizardlandVideo.com

Babys

2010-02-17T18:26:00.000-08:00

These are classic babys. Mole-Richardson calls them Baby Solar Spots. A 500-1,000 watt Fresnel light. Fresnel is the type of glass. Many times on the set of Lizardland Film Video HD what worked 40 years ago does the exact some excellent job today. While smaller and lighter is better as the industry goes that way these work great. You can use these as a Key Light, Back Light or Kicker. You can adjust the light with barn doors, gels and scrims. So when someone form the Phoenix Video Production community or anywhere else yells get the baby, baby-baby, or baby junior make sure you get the correct one. Remember bad grips are sent on erroneous tasks. Signing off from LizardlandVideo.com

Duckbills

2010-02-16T18:15:00.000-08:00

At Lizardland Film Video HD we have all sorts of animal parts laying around our studio. These are Duckbills. Another invaluable tool to have on set in the Phoenix Video Production community and everywhere else. They are also called platypus and onkie-bonk. They are great for holding bead board. This produces a soft light. It looks like these were created with just a little imagination. They do not go as far back in film as most other items I have written about. Short and sweet from LizardlandVideo.com.

Baby Plates

2010-02-15T20:45:00.000-08:00

Mmmm baby plates. Lizardland Film Video HD has quite a few of these. Although these tend to disappear too. Just left places, not stolen. They work great on an apple box to make a light stand. In New York City they are known as pigeons. Probably because they were originally used to mount baby fixtures on the top of set walls. You know like pigeons sitting on the top of a wall. They come in 3 sizes; 3", 6-12", and right angle. The pin is 5/8" in diameter. Anything with this diameter mount is called baby. The pin has a small hole in it where you can put a safety wire. A must if using up high. I have my own experience with safety cables. They are mandatory on Lizardlandvideo.com sets. I was breaking down a convention room when the 20 foot curtains surrounding the room started to fall which then knocked over the trussing I was standing next to which had a 36" tv on it attached to a safety cable next to a glass case. Everything fell, the tv (which Lizardland owns) was dangling by it's safety cable unharmed. I was unharmed also but very scary. Anyway any good taco cart in the Phoenix Video Production community has a crate of baby plates. Of course along with this you need screws and a drill.

Apple Boxes

2010-02-14T15:37:00.000-08:00

Lizardland Film Video HD wants to talk about Apple Boxes today. I thought that they maybe made them out of old apple crates back in the day. However they are actually made out of appleply which is alder or birch. They come in 4 sizes, full, half, quarter and the 1" is called a pancake. They have many uses. Mostly to raise things. We use them for our slider often. You can use them for electrical cords, grip chairs and with a baby plate for a light stand. A nickname for an apple box is "man maker". It makes a short actor taller. So when a director in the Phoenix Video Production community calls for a full or half you know what they are talking about. A really seasoned grip knows New York, California and Texas applies to apple boxes. New York is upright, Texas is flat and California is on it's side. At Lizardlandvideo.com we have made a lot of our own boxes, however upon pricing them it works out about to be about the same cost to purchase them. Today I would not be surprised if our young grips thought the name had something to do with Apple corporation because just about everything else you use does. Doesn't it?

A or Pony Clamps

2010-02-13T16:46:00.000-08:00

Wow, this time I have missed 3 days. I insist on being more diligent, or at least try. Today we are going to talk about A clamps. There are many different clamps on a Lizardland Film Video HD set. You can not film anything without clamps. "A" clamps are a must on any set. Typically they come in 4 different sizes, 1,2,3 and 4. I don't have a 4 in my picture. The numbers are the size of the jaws in inches. It is larger than what I have pictured. You can clip gels, diffusion, cords, wardrobe, flags, green screen, etc, etc. These also have a way of disappearing. It's just that they are quite small. Perusing one set we have on one of our taco carts (another blog) it seems that perhaps they are not all ours. Good grips usually bring some of there own so perhaps we have some of theirs. Having one in your pocket at the exact right moment on the set will make you a hero. And I don't mean the shot. In the Phoenix Video Production community as in any production area they are mandatory on the set. At least this is a term that actually makes sense. They are shaped like the letter A. The word Pony comes from The Adjustable Clamp Company. They patented the term around 1920 or 1930. That company is also a good old USA company in it's 5th generation of ownership. You can purchase these at any hardware store, Harbor Freight and places like B&H Photo in New York City. We like to buy inexpensive ones since they do have a tendency to walk off the set. It's good to label these as well as all your equipment. Sharpies work nicely. More to come from LizardlandVideo.com

Road Rags

2010-02-09T14:15:00.000-08:00

When Lizardland Film Video HD goes on the road we never leave home without our Road Rags by Matthews. This is an invaluable tool for the road. Worth every penny I paid for them. Weighing in at about 4 lbs it fits quite nicely in my suitcase. This kit contains 2 flag frames that break down and 2 scrims, 1 double, 1 single. It also contains a silk and a flag. It has a nice shoulder strap too. Now I doctor my kit up with diffusion and C-47's. I also found some very lightweight and slim light stands that I found At Kennedy's in Euless, TX. Then to top it off a have 2 very small knuckles (grip heads) that I found in Hollywood. Then you are set. What surprised me was that more than one seasoned grip has commented on how spiffy they are. So maybe the Phoenix Video Production just hasn't used them that much. So if you are traveling with a camera and a light kit these are worth their weight in gold. I did miss posting yesterday so this month I will have a double post covering 2 items from the vast LizardlandVideo.com inventory. We do rent out our equipment. See you tomorrow with another fascinating film and video tool.

Geaux Saints

2010-02-07T14:08:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Super Bowl Sunday. I have decided to take the day off from Lizardland Film Video HD and writing on the LizardlandVideo.com blog. I know for the next several hours there is very little going on in the Phoenix Video Production community. Stayed tuned for the exciting and titillating post that is coming on Monday.

Crazy Set Lingo

2010-02-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

Today is saturday and I don't feel much like heading out to the office to find a piece of equipment to write about for LizardlandVideo.com. Instead we will look at a few of the strange words used on the set and even in the Phoenix Video Production community. If you are not in the film industry I am sure you have not heard of any of these. Martini shot (by the time you get to this you will wish it had to do with alcohol), Gary Coleman (has nothing to do with being arrested), Taco Cart (has nothing to do with food), Warner Brothers (not the studio), Kill the Baby (don't worry you won't have to call Nancy Grace), Baby Baby (not the Starlet), Junior Baby (maybe some talent), Baby (definitely the writer at times), Michael Jackson (this term could have new meaning now), Mickey Rooney (does not mean song and dance), Flying the Moon (I am sure that at some time during a shoot many crew members would like to fly to the moon), Greek it (no college kids), Branch-A-Loris (not to be confused with a Cucoloris), Dingo (not just in the outback), Charlie Bar (not Willie Wonka), Becky (ah sweet Becky), Belly Lines (could apply to some grips I have worked with) Abby Singer (sometimes I wish there was a monk on set), Beaver Side (we don't shoot porn), and my favorite Bastard Side. So now you know the key words so you to can be super cool on the set when working for Lizardland Film Video HD. Just a couple of pictures of gaffers. Don't they look important?

Gaffer Tape

2010-02-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

Today at LizardlandVideo.com we are going to talk about Gaffers Tape. I have a couple examples above. Not only does it sick to everything in the Phoenix Video Production community it makes a great ball to play with on the set. The producer is generally in control of the ball. So where did gaff tape come from? Once again we travel back to war time and discover that the government commissioned Permacel, a division of Johnson & Johnson at the time, to create a water proof tape. Permacel was sold to a company in Japan but I am happy to report that it is now back in the good old USA. I have seen gaffers tape used for everything on the set including fixing pants. Another reason behind the name is from another company that produced it called Gaffa. I have thought often about taping the entire crew together with Gaff tape. Much like en episode of The Muppet Show where the entire crew was super glued together. I also have had the thought to gaff tape the mouths of all the grips. Less random ideas floating around the set. I am sure the have a society for the prevention of cruelty to grips and gaffers somewhere. Oh well I digress. Here at Lizardland Flim Video HD we treat our crew with the utmost respect. It's late as I drift off into dreams of world domination with gaffers tape.

The unsung hero C47

2010-02-04T11:07:00.000-08:00

When I first starting working on a set for Lizardland Video Film HD in the Phoenix Video Production community I saw that bags of clothes pins were always available. I soon found out that that these were NOT clothes pins but the correct term was C47. What the heck does that mean? My first thought was,Oh of course this is a man's world so of course they are not going to call them clothes pins. I mean how manly does that sound, "Hey Butch, throw me a couple of clothes pins" So of course I ask, why are they called C47's? Hmmmm, don't know, not sure and of course they are just called that! When you google C47 you mostly get hits of a military transport aircraft. You have to add the word grip to your search to delve into the world of the ever humble C47. Seems no one is quite sure where the term came from. Perhaps from World War II, a requisition number, or the amount in the bag. As for me I have used them for everything in our warehouse/studio. Makes a great hair clip too, which I have most definitely done. I always see our younger grips clipping them on each other in secret. Ha, Ha. Upon further research I have found on the great site DVXuser.com further definitions. It seems in the film community that amidst a time of great budget cuts they decided to rename them from clothes pins to C47's so they sounded important and would not be cut. Whatever the origin don't be a fool and call them clothes pins on the set. They might send you looking for focus fluid. More fun to come from LizardLandVideo.com

Purpose of my blog

2010-02-03T15:45:00.001-08:00

Today I have created this blog for Lizardlandvideo.com. Lizardland Film Video HD is a company my husband and I started in the fall of 2007 upon moving to Phoenix, AZ. My husband has 30 years in this industry and I have been around it since I met him at the end of 2002. I have been working full-time in Phoenix video production since we started the company. I don't know the names of all the equipment or their uses so this will be a learning experiment for me. If you are new to film production perhaps you will learn something too. I will also be adding my anecdotes of my experience with the equipment. All this will be from a female perspective. So for you seasoned grips follow me for laughs. I am going to try to post an item a day for a year. Of course all this depends on the willingness and help of my ever faithful husband Paul. A man with such a good heart, he just doesn't know it.