New toys for me...

... and for Becky (but mostly me).  As most of you know, we have needed a car for awhile since we are expecting a baby.  We were fortunate enough to get a car from Becky's cousin for a very affordable price.  It is a 1995 Honda Accord with half a billion miles.  It runs and is clean despite having dented doors and strange quirks like unlocking itself.  We are fortunate to have good family and friends who are kind enough to help us out.  Thanks!

The second toy is actually more of a toy.  I have been wanting these things called DSLR sliders for my camera work.  They are 2-3 feet in length and mount to tripods or on stands.  These mount to the camera and then slide along a track so you get a "dolly-ish" kind of camera move.  I have wanted one because I actually really enjoy working off of a tripod more than handheld but I still like movement in my shots.  These DSLR sliders came out and solved the problem along with increasing the production value exponentially.  The problem was that they were SO expensive with cheaper models running about $500.  I wanted to try and make one but decided that would be hard because I have no tools.  That is when I came across indiSYSTEM.  They make price point equipment that really suits an independent filmmaker's budget.  I got the indisliderMINI for $100.  I will make that much renting it out a few times.  Anyways,  it came today and I was so excited to go and test it.  I just shot some stuff around the yard and apartment to give it and test and it worked great.  Not perfect, but definitely worth the $100.  Here is the result.

Autumn from travispitcher on Vimeo.