You should sell this video to every retailer of C-Stands in America, no joke. This is what people should show their helpers & as their first introduction.
Spring-loaded: Yours is the ONLY online tutorial I've found that shows us how to open a spring-loaded c-stand. I also never knew what Rocky Mountain Leg stands were for; yours is the only one that shows us. Thank you!
Nathaniel Day Thanks for the hard work. A summary of the question below is: inexpensive c-stands - what do you recommend, any preferences as to durability and strength? Do you have any recommended brands i.e a good beginners' brand and then the industry standard type. I'm looking at getting the Matthews C-stand but I think it's better people in my situation get Impact or some other generic branded one to save their pennies, unless they are taking plenty of regular work for the stands.
I am so grateful this is still up on RU-vid, as I am just learning how to my C-stands effectively. Also, it is reminding me that gloves are a good idea when handling this heavy gear.
From now on every time I see "Grip" at the end of a film, or tv program my respect will be heightened, and somehow I think this is just scratching the surface of one percent of what they do and know.
Really helpful in understanding the best practices as well as the hidden and not always obvious features of C Stands. Thanks for making and posting this.
This was a TREMENDOUS help! As a newbie who just bought my first C-Stand, I had no idea about the right hand rule, the fact that the back of the arm is a "baby" mount, and the different types of legs. Thank you!
Listen to me when I say, I've been fighting with my stand like the last remaining teeth on the torn up gum line of a crack head . I needed this video! Edit: Also, I made a B line to my C stand and D-Damn it worked! Can't wait to show these skills off in the field .
I agree, Eric, Very informational with safety emphasized, which is essential to know and practice always. Thank you, Nathaniel. Quite helpful and enlightening.
WOW! That was an excellent and very informative video. It was well-presented and packed full of helpful information. I'm going to be buying my first C-stand and had so many questions. I think they were pretty much all answered here. Thanks a bunch for producing and sharing this video.
This should be the last video you see before filmschoolstudents go out and film. Wish someone had shown me this stuff way back then. I eventually learnd but this would have saved me a lot of headechs. :)
"Now, you are totally secure." Perhaps, in a windless humanless box, but I really think the video should cover the science of how much sandbag for how much boom reach/head weight/etc.
Great tutorial! How many c-stands is a good number to own for an indie filmmaker? I'm just thinking the number of lights times the number of diffusers times the number of black negative fill can really start to add up. From experience, how many c-stands do you tend to use per scene?
1.) SAFETY CONCERN: For my spring loaded stands to stack well with my other c-stands, the head has to be set up with the knobs over the long leg. Unfortunately, when I open the legs and stand it up, the knobs end up over the long leg instead of being on the left. If students are too focused on standing them up with the knobs on the left and gobo head on the right - as they're supposed to - the load ends up BETWEEN the legs, making them very UNSAFE and likely to tip forward, causing injuries and damage. 2.) The springs on my spring loaded stands are way too tight. Is there a way to loosen them? I've heard the only way is to take the head off and get a really long extension to hold the bolt head while loosening the nut.
Great video on c-stand basics but I would never turn a c-stand over to open it. It's not only time consuming but unsafe and unwieldy. You can open it the same way you demonstrate how to close it, except with the big leg on the inside of your right leg. You pull the small leg out, then the middle leg. 2 seconds and it's open.
