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PRO Sled

GPI PRO1 post

Sled of the PRO series, configurable via a configurator.

Combien vaut le mien ?

Matt Doll

il y a 12 mois

Where to begin. I\'ll start with my 1 year old trinity 2 and pan axis module and operating console sitting in the Cologne Bonn Airport currently as I write this based on my Air Tag. This includes my Artemis 2. The whole system was purchased in July of 2024 by me and only me from ARRI directly through Tyler Rocheleau. I had him come to my home town to train me on the system in August 2024 for 6k. I am a steadicam and operator veteran of 17 years. Why is my system at the airport you may ask? It doesn\'t work. Never has since the date of possession. Here is $152,000.00 year long story.Tyler shows up in Wilmington NC my home town as I am prepping for a series on NETFLIX as A cam/steadi op. My pan axis module is not available so Tyler brings his head and pan axis module. While going through the training the system behaved inconsistently. There were a number of times that Tyler wrote some things a down that puzzled him. I forged through even though I was very concerned at the readiness of the system. My pan axis was not delivered until October. We were 2 months into the shoot and our lead DP chose our B cam operator\'s RONIN as a stabilized head for us. I let it go because I had no choice. When I was able to build my intact system to showcase to our DP to make a change it did not work. The pan axis was shipped directly from Germany to me without going through QC in NY. It had miss matching firmware. So you can imagine how embarrassing it was to come of set between setups to show the DP and nothing happened. I shelve the system until January. No time to trouble shoot. The show is a bear. Finish job with RONIN no rental.January I do a deep dive into the system at home as production stops everywhere. I really get a feel for the RCP and building different user groups and generally getting acquainted with the system and getting the head to respond well to my inputs on the wheels. Throughout this time I really see how clunky the RCP touch screen interface is. Problems processing my commands. Taking the adjusted values in motor power etc. and PID values. A bit of a mind of its own. This is when I am hearing from ARRI the beginnings of do a firmware update. I decide to invest more money in my training and I fly to Burbank and train an additional 2 days with Tyler and 2 other trinity ops at ARRI Burbank. Nice building by the way they have spent our money well FYI. Neither of the operators training me had this version of the trinity or pan axis module. This is where I really started to feel like a guinea pig. Concerning. In those 2 days we discovered there was no 12v service coming out of pan axis module and no video signal. Two critical things. I had a DP come from her home to Burbank to show the pan axis module capabilities but when she arrived I could show no image due to those two flaws. 2nd failure. Just overall lack of support there at Burbank was astonishing. Tyler excluded. But the building looked nice.Returned home not really developing a comfort level with the system but more so growing concerns of my investment. For me I bought the TRINITY 2 system more for the pan axis and future proofing my operating career. Many people state side have been getting jobs or not getting jobs because they do or do not have the system. It was time for me to remain relevant. In doing so if I can have a compact 3 axis stabilized head for more money invested why not?! In my position as the lead operator it was time to boot the RONIN to the side finally. HATE IT. The sky is the limit with this thing. I have a steadicam, TRINITY, gimbal and head all in one.Continue testing and learning the system in the spring. I get an opportunity to utilize the TRINITY on set in 3 modes. TRINITY, gimbal and 3 axis stabilized head. It performs fine in those 3 instances although still not getting video signal out of pan axis or 12v service. I created a work around that. It was a 2 day free shoot for a colleague of mine pushing his directing career. The system really didn\'t get a full fleshing out for me in those 2 days but I saw some positive things happening. At that point I contacted Tyler about getting the pan axis in to be looked at the issues I was having and the RCP and just an overall go through from top to bottom as the system continued to work but not streamlined enough to be an affective tool on set. Tyler informs me he is leaving ARRI. Crickets in Burbank.This is June and I am hearing of a pilot coming to town. DP Oliver Bokelberg ASC hires me for the pilot as A cam/steadi op. He wants to audition the system. I show him the TRINITY at the hair makeup wardrobe test. In that mode it is fine. At lunch I take my time and convert it to remote head mode underslung. When I power it up it spins wildly and nearly takes off my finger and injures my 2nd assistant\'s hand. Needless to say for the pilot Oliver went with my B cam ops 8 year old RONIN that over the course of its life time has only had 2 firm ware updates. Let that sink in, two. I have lost another rental. I contact ARRI (GLENN KENNEL) and he declines any type of creative buy back solution and instructs me to ship everything to ARRI NY where it will be fixed by David Fuentes. I knew in other conversations that I have had with David that my system needed to go to Germany. Glenn fought me on it. I lost. Fought me on shipping costs as well. Great customer support ARRI. I finally win that battle and he agreed to pick up shipping costs to NY. My system spent part of August and all of september in NY where David was able to replicate issues. David gets laid off Alex Voigt gets involved from FOMA and currently my gear is sitting in the airport in Germany. In that time I have secured a feature with my back up PRO sled until Thanksgiving. The DP inquired about my TRINITY 2 system and I said sadly has been down since July. Currently overseas. Oliver comes back to town. My pilot is picked up and it starts the week after thanksgiving and runs into April 2026. He wants to use my system. He asked if it had been fixed. I said no. He was truly floored. So once again I can\'t get any return on it as it sits currently in the airport in Germany unguarded I\'m sure. 5 black cases. I was supposed to receive tracking numbers more than a week ago from ARRI They never arrived.I told Alex through zoom a couple weeks ago when they get done going through everything I want Tyler on set with me for at least 3 days standing behind the product he and ARRI sold me.I could write more. So much more. Please reach out. We need a group call with all of us affected by this so that we can salvage our careers.Sad. Truly have zero faith in the system. Still owe $103,000.00 on a paper weight. WOW. And for good measure I get to use my B ops RONIN on a 5 month series starting 4 days before thanksgiving and running into APRIL 2026. Thanks ARRI. Thanks FoMa. I can\'t even sell my system in good conscience in the market. I wouldn\'t wish this on my most fiercest competitor.I NEED ARRI TO RESPOND TO ME. I NEED FOMA TO RESPOND TO ME.I HAVE LOST 4 OPPORTUNIES TO REGAIN MY LOSS.