Comments on: An Interview With Nick Phillips of Libra: My Barbara Walters Moment http://waronwobblies.com/2007/06/20/an-interview-with-nick-phillips-of-libra-my-barbara-walters-moment/ Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:41:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: nycac http://waronwobblies.com/2007/06/20/an-interview-with-nick-phillips-of-libra-my-barbara-walters-moment/#comment-117 nycac Fri, 22 Jun 2007 05:33:30 +0000 http://waronwobblies.com/2007/06/20/an-interview-with-nick-phillips-of-libra-my-barbara-walters-moment/#comment-117 It is interesting to hear from Nick Phillips. Great job introducing electronic stability to the world. Problem I hear from Libra techs, both in NYC and LA is that he wants to tech every job. Great. However, if you are making more than one of a product it's hard to be in 3 places at once. The Libra has a reputation but also is known for failure. I hear from everyone who has used it that it has gone down on the job. The worst thing I hear is that he is reticent to help out other Libra Techs. Too bad. Not exactly what I call open hmm?? As far as the Scorpio goes, I've seen it come in to replace the L on jobs. More and more. I also know of Servicevision from their other heads, and their remote focus. All work as well as or better than their competition. The grips don't seem to think it's that much heavier than the Libra either. As far as Motion Control, I appreciate their efforts to interface with various software and know it was instrumental for making the virtual movie, "Polar Express". However I also know that motion control and stabilization are polar opposites of the equation. You can't tell the head to go from point A to point B at this rate and at the same time say "hey do your own thing when you need to stabilize." Some footage we shot with it played back THE BUMPY ROAD!! when using it as a Mo Con head. And why put the tilt axis inside of the roll??? Other heads can compensate for the dutch. I hope that they have continued success and don't rest on their Laurels too much anymore. It is interesting to hear from Nick Phillips. Great job introducing electronic stability to the world. Problem I hear from Libra techs, both in NYC and LA is that he wants to tech every job. Great. However, if you are making more than one of a product it’s hard to be in 3 places at once. The Libra has a reputation but also is known for failure. I hear from everyone who has used it that it has gone down on the job. The worst thing I hear is that he is reticent to help out other Libra Techs. Too bad. Not exactly what I call open hmm?? As far as the Scorpio goes, I’ve seen it come in to replace the L on jobs. More and more. I also know of Servicevision from their other heads, and their remote focus. All work as well as or better than their competition. The grips don’t seem to think it’s that much heavier than the Libra either. As far as Motion Control, I appreciate their efforts to interface with various software and know it was instrumental for making the virtual movie, “Polar Express”. However I also know that motion control and stabilization are polar opposites of the equation. You can’t tell the head to go from point A to point B at this rate and at the same time say “hey do your own thing when you need to stabilize.” Some footage we shot with it played back THE BUMPY ROAD!! when using it as a Mo Con head. And why put the tilt axis inside of the roll??? Other heads can compensate for the dutch. I hope that they have continued success and don’t rest on their Laurels too much anymore.

]]> By: Lee Kazista http://waronwobblies.com/2007/06/20/an-interview-with-nick-phillips-of-libra-my-barbara-walters-moment/#comment-123 Lee Kazista Sat, 23 Jun 2007 01:16:35 +0000 http://waronwobblies.com/2007/06/20/an-interview-with-nick-phillips-of-libra-my-barbara-walters-moment/#comment-123 Who is NYCAC? I always find it more creditable to know who is speaking. As a Libra Tech myself, I would love to know who said that Nick likes to tech all of the jobs himself and does not like to help the techs. In addition, as far as "being known for failure"? The Libra has existed for a much longer period of time than most of its direct competitors, the head tends to find itself in the most demanding positions all of the time, it books more than most heads as well. With all of that 'extra' workload, odds are that you will see one glitch sooner or later. A glitch is far from a failure, a lost take is exactly that, the term failure is pure overkill for 99.9% of what NYCAC is speaking of. I have personally seen a Libra, that I was teching, struck by an out of control stunt car (causing a 300k damage to the camera that was attached) and then continue to shoot for another 8 hours, with a different camera ofcourse. Until a stabilized head has become 'battle tested' for a few years of actual work, I think a comparision of durability is unfair. I agree with the General that silver bullets are meant for story lines in the movies, not for the rental equipment making the movies. Best, Lee Kazista Who is NYCAC? I always find it more creditable to know who is speaking.

As a Libra Tech myself, I would love to know who said that Nick likes to tech all of the jobs himself and does not like to help the techs.

In addition, as far as “being known for failure”? The Libra has existed for a much longer period of time than most of its direct competitors, the head tends to find itself in the most demanding positions all of the time, it books more than most heads as well. With all of that ‘extra’ workload, odds are that you will see one glitch sooner or later. A glitch is far from a failure, a lost take is exactly that, the term failure is pure overkill for 99.9% of what NYCAC is speaking of.

I have personally seen a Libra, that I was teching, struck by an out of control stunt car (causing a 300k damage to the camera that was attached) and then continue to shoot for another 8 hours, with a different camera ofcourse.

Until a stabilized head has become ‘battle tested’ for a few years of actual work, I think a comparision of durability is unfair.

I agree with the General that silver bullets are meant for story lines in the movies, not for the rental equipment making the movies.

Best,

Lee Kazista

]]> By: Lance Mayer http://waronwobblies.com/2007/06/20/an-interview-with-nick-phillips-of-libra-my-barbara-walters-moment/#comment-125 Lance Mayer Sat, 23 Jun 2007 14:15:59 +0000 http://waronwobblies.com/2007/06/20/an-interview-with-nick-phillips-of-libra-my-barbara-walters-moment/#comment-125 How can someone be creditable when there story has so many inconsistencies? In keeping with the noble theme of this site. I am one of the many soldiers in the war against wobblies. I have always been true to the cause of helping a DP or Key Grip in choosing there weapon or weapons in there battle against this enemy. I have been to battle with other soldiers who use other weapons other than mine and we have fought this adversary side by side. So why is NYCAC, who obviously works with a scorpio, slinging dagger into our back and saying the libra is a failure? What is to stop this person from doing the same, if he hasn't already, to other weapons in this battle? We work with electronic equipment that is being pushed to it limits so a flaw might show up out of a 100 days 1% to 2% of the time but that is why we fight the fight. That is why when we show of for battle we know the layout of the battleground before we advance. Since NYCAC is slinging daggers let me tell you a story about Spiderman 3 2nd unit. Phoenix crane 435 400ft mag 4:1 primo lens. Had to be nodal on the tilt axis. Since the two other Libra Heads were being used on another rooftop the production brought in a scorpio head from NY to get the shot. Unfortunately the NY Scorpio tech did not properly prepare for this battle. He claimed that service vision told him he never has to counter weight the head. Well how can you do a nodal shot on the tilt axis if it is out of balance? I noticed from a far that a soldier was in trouble so I ask another Libra Head Tech on the job if the scorpio could borrow his counter weights to get the shot. The short of the story is that even with counter weights the scorpio could not handle the mass sticking out from the fulcrum of the head and unfortunatley had a system failure. The scorpio was replaced with a Libra in 30 minutes and the production got the shot. We have made great strides in this cause so I would choose my words more wiselymthan to say something is a failure. Not one of our weapons are perfect. Keep up your noble cause General! Regards Lance Mayer How can someone be creditable when there story has so many inconsistencies? In keeping with the noble theme of this site. I am one of the many soldiers in the war against wobblies. I have always been true to the cause of helping a DP or Key Grip in choosing there weapon or weapons in there battle against this enemy. I have been to battle with other soldiers who use other weapons other than mine and we have fought this adversary side by side. So why is NYCAC, who obviously works with a scorpio, slinging dagger into our back and saying the libra is a failure? What is to stop this person from doing the same, if he hasn’t already, to other weapons in this battle? We work with electronic equipment that is being pushed to it limits so a flaw might show up out of a 100 days 1% to 2% of the time but that is why we fight the fight. That is why when we show of for battle we know the layout of the battleground before we advance. Since NYCAC is slinging daggers let me tell you a story about Spiderman 3 2nd unit. Phoenix crane 435 400ft mag 4:1 primo lens. Had to be nodal on the tilt axis. Since the two other Libra Heads were being used on another rooftop the production brought in a scorpio head from NY to get the shot. Unfortunately the NY Scorpio tech did not properly prepare for this battle. He claimed that service vision told him he never has to counter weight the head. Well how can you do a nodal shot on the tilt axis if it is out of balance? I noticed from a far that a soldier was in trouble so I ask another Libra Head Tech on the job if the scorpio could borrow his counter weights to get the shot. The short of the story is that even with counter weights the scorpio could not handle the mass sticking out from the fulcrum of the head and unfortunatley had a system failure. The scorpio was replaced with a Libra in 30 minutes and the production got the shot. We have made great strides in this cause so I would choose my words more wiselymthan to say something is a failure. Not one of our weapons are perfect. Keep up your noble cause General!

Regards
Lance Mayer

]]>