useing Hardwhere on the Red

REd Sensor, originally uploaded by vincent pascoe.

Is that the Red? asks a random customer at a
true value store on Ventura... "yes it is"
I reply back as the worker there is trying
to remove the last torx screw from the PL
mount...then in front of my eyes I see the
impossible... Metal of the screwdriver bent
and twisted like taffy and nothing from the
screw..."when you need this done?" asks the
worker... "about an hour ago" I say. we where
running late to the shoot and had to have the Nikon mount on to do the shoot. We where down to the last Screw holding the PL mount on ..SNAP

the second and last bit she had breaks off
into the screw. Funny I didn't swear more
when that happened... but the week of
shooting with kids kept my F-bomb count
low..."So I guess I need a Tap and Die Set" I reply as calmly as possible.
I call the owner of the camera and ask If I
can use a large power drill by one of the
most sensitive parts of his Baby... "It's
your insurance...go ahead" he says kind of
like " Go Ahead, your funeral!"...

the director had moved the car since it was
illegally parked. and was waiting... "great
lets go where late" says the director that
I've never worked with ... and wanted to
work with for a wile... I sadly told him we
where going to be even later...and that we needed
a drill.

"is that sweat?" my roommate asks pointing to
my drenched shirt. My hands clutched on to
the cordless drill dripping in sweat. the
director holding on to the camera right
below it."why Just give me a 435 and a mag
and will shoot this!" jokes the director." I try to explane that
you don't always have to perform a major
Gear surgery every time you shoot with the
red. I use my bisness card to cover up the
sensor to protect it from metal pieces. "lets
scrap this red thing and just shoot on HVX!" he screamed.
Determined to make this work I start up the
Drill. I figure we have wasted all this time if I chicken out just because a peice of gear is getting in the way of what I want to create. I lower the drill very slowly and just as I
make contact the bit flies out of the
screw... theres something that happens upon
relief, like that summer rain that finally breaks
the heat. my eyes relax and open. I am so
happy I don't have to drill a hole in the
camera!

Of course its not over with yet changing
over to Nikon had its own issues. but in the
end we got it working... so we could shoot
Red on a tour bus for 4 nights and 3
concerts...

crazy I am...

VP