HBS members...Your thoughts please!!!!!

[Charles King]

I have been in the game for many many years. Some have known me since I started the first HBS website. During that time people have passed through all phases of HBS and many have come to be inspired by what they have seen. Others stay and others move on. HBS has always been about giving and sharing in any way we can. Some show appreciate whilst others snatch, steal and leave without saying thank you... Regardless, HBS has been here taking the access scrummage from all who decide to hang around and give something back to the community. We do not claim to know it all. We learn the facts and try to convey it the best way we know how. Whether HBS is good or bad, we are still here. Some days see a heavy active forum while days see it very quiet. But one things for sure...Traffic has never slowed down...the membership increases everyday...I should know, because I'm the one accepting new members everyday... A big thank you for those new members joining the family. Many come to browse the website and forums. I know many who have been members for 6 months and suddenly decide to post. Mmmmm, what's that all about.    I'm just playing. I'm glad you all decided to registered with HBS

I'll like to thank Phil, Le, Cosmin, Mike, Tom, Michael, Andrea, CP..a.k.a Charles Papert, Pascal, Job, Franco and the MAN himself...Cody. Great inspriration which have followed me through many years. Thanks guys.

So I like to find out from all of you, and I do mean ALL.

1. Which members have influence your stay here on HBS?

2. What you like most about HBS?

3. What systems do you come to see more often when you visit both the HBS Website & Forums?

Please be sincere and honest. Thank you.

[David L. Holmes]

Hello Charles and the HBS board,

For me, my quest for enlightenment has been both enriched, and humbled with the help of this board.  It's the same thing as saying "The more you know, the more you realize how much you don't know..."

Everyone who has taken the time to answer my never ending stream of questions have been my endearing influence to keep pushing forward with my build.  For those who have read my posts but did not respond; I hope my questions, or observations, have answered your own quest for knowledge and inspired you.

The best part of this form is the wide diversity of knowledge and skills of those who put their own time into telling, and showing, what they have accomplished.  I've learned about not just Stabilizers, but also Follow Focus systems, 35mm Adaptor DOF's, Dollies, Jibs, LANC controllers, Pan and Tilt heads, and much much more.

Thanks Charles for all that you do, keep up the outstanding work, and if you ever find yourself in the Detroit metro area...   RUN!!!!  Just kidding   Look me up and we'll have a pint at my local pub!

David L Holmes
Detroit, MI USA

[Charles King]

Thanks David. Now, 15 views and no one wants to respond to this post? Shame on you guys...

[Tom Wills]

1. Which members have influence your stay here on HBS?

2. What you like most about HBS?

3. What systems do you come to see more often when you visit both the HBS Website & Forums?

Hey Charles.

1. I'd say Phil has been a big influence on me staying here. Phil's been an inspiration to me, with his excellent rig, and the drive he's given me to always keep improving, always keep building, whether it be my skill set in terms of operating, or on my actual gear.

2. What I like most about HBS is the fact that we're all one big community, and everyone helps everyone, and everyone trades ideas. The community sense of it is what makes it so special. I know I've been inspired by seeing and reading about others' rigs, and talking to other forum members also. And, at the same time, I've been able to solve a few people's questions here and there. (I really enjoyed being able to help out someone recently who had a question about a homebuilt sled on the same arm I've got - got me back thinking like a builder again!)

3. When I'm browsing through rigs, I mainly seem to be looking at the higher-end homebuilt full rigs - Yours, Phil's, Bob Hill's, Andreas's, and Michael Thonfors's rigs are mostly where I look for inspiration.

Thanks.

[Charles King]

Thank you for your contribution Tom.

[Phil Kindred]

I saw this at work, so I had to wait to reply.  First, thanks for the kind words, Tom.  You've come a long way.  When I started following HBS a thousand years ago, I paid attention to Thanh Le and Charles.  A little later Cody Deegan came along and I was knocked out by his enthusiasm and hard work on his rig and plans.  Many others have come like Seth with work that is pro level and just beautiful to boot.  There a too many to name, but I can't forget Cosmin who went to the trouble to send me a DVD of the EFP tape he had downloaded and asked nothing in return.  Or Michael Carolan who has helped me find things in Europe that were not available here.  That is the best part of HBS--the generousity and willingness  to help each other.  As for the rigs, I periodically check the new rigs section and the updates--pro and homebuilt.  Some of the homebuilds are hard to tell from the pro's.   Let us all move forward!

[Charles King]

...and forward we march Phil. Well said. Thanks for the input.

[Patrick Moore]

1. Mikko was a big influence for me, and also Job. These guys really know there stuff and share lots of ideas and opinions too.

2. I like seeing someone come in with a terrible rig, and evolving into something that really works by using the advice of others. I myself had some pretty crazy looking things when I first started out, I just didn't put up the pics.

3. I really like when someone comes up with something totally different, which is rare but makes you just want to keep building.

[Charles King]

I hear you Patrick. From 0 to a 10...is really inspirational... Thanks for your input.

[Michele Coser]

I admit i have taken inspiration from many of you. My actual sled is similar to Andreas Kielb ones, but i "stoled" ideas from Phil, Charles, John... i forgot all the names since my rig went throug various stages of evolution.
I know i don't post too much lately, but i check the forum almost one or two times a week; i see how this board is like a table where pro, semi-pro and new guys can sit down and talk about this great job, everyone bringing and sharing experience and information.

[Charles King]

Good to hear your point of view Michele. Thanks for sharing.

[Don Queen]

It's mainly depends on you as the owner of this website, Charles.

Let us think about it :

1) If you shuts down the HBS website & forum, how many people are " really" missing it ? 10, 200, all the members ?

2) The member numbers / hits alone does not represent that HBS site popularity, I see many people sign up just to see the "hidden " sections.

3) This site MUST encourage people making HOME built stablilizer. Why displaying commercial overpriced items ?
Some people said this brand is good that brand is bad, this is US made that is Asia made, for what ?

4)This website is not the place to worship Garret Brown.

5) Forget about Intelectual Property BS. Garret  "invent" steadicam is one thing, but he did not invent the basic mechanical design. I.e arm design is taken from a table lamp arm or tappig machine arm. "Iso elastic" principle is already in industry long time ago, remember the pneumatic tool adjustable support wire ? What if mathematic is patented by the Sumerian long time ago ?

6) There are very good members , they design, make and proudly show the equipments they made. My respect to them.

I love this forum, but HBS must back to the root : A website that encorage people making HOME built stabilizer, jib,crane, dolly

[Charles King]

Don, an excellent point of view. You have made some very valid points my friend. Thank u for that. Must admit i do idolize Garrett a bit but it is just because he turned a simple concept and made it functional in a unique contraption. The basic idea has been around for a long time, that i know.

One last point of view of yours that I'll like to point out. You said HBS must encourage people to build (stabilizers, jibs, cranes and dollies). Well Don, I think regardless of how people think, individually or as a coherent group, the fact of the matter, it is still up to the individual to determine  if building a gadget is worth the time and money. HBS or should I say I, do not want to encourage foolishly, that people build these gadgets without know what it is involved. You noticed that in almost most of my comments that revolve around this type of question, that I always state what it entails and that people should not take building these contraptions for granted. So whether the individual listens and understands the job description, it is still up to him to move forward knowing that it might take dedication and money to build a descent contraption.

So, I do encourage it but only with the intention that the individual is aware of the feedback building entails.

[Charles King]

Mike am waiting for your comment.    It was nice talking to you though. don't hold back, that goes for the rest of you HBS members...especially those just signing up.

[michael carolan]

Sorry about the delay Chaarles but my computer has more viruses than a small hospital at the moment...
Without a doubt HBS is my daily favourite stop off ..its the only community I’m a member of and it’s a bit of a second home with old friends. Cody was my first influence here when I realised what was possible but generally I’ve been inspired by all of the regulars especially you Charles, Phil, Andreas, Constantine and more recently Seth.Its nice to hear from the pro’s like Job as well. The combined amount of knowledge and expertise in the forum is astounding…. its all here just waiting.
Pictures and details of the various rigs are what I like most but I can go off on a tangent about CNC or a crane or a dolly at a moments notice.
Something I would like to see is a project which we all could work together on..a kind of Volkswagen rig where we could agree on a basic concept with certain specifications and then contribute designs until we had a whole rig…maybe ?
Mike