ComboTruck.com

THE PERFECT PRODUCTION TRUCK!

Looking for a beefy grip/electric package in one compact truck at a reasonable price?  You've found the only one in town. It's called COMBOTRUCK, made to put your production money $$$$$ on the screen.

 

COMBOTRUCK, designed by Emmy-Award winning gaffer Tom Feldman as a toolbox for his clients, is just 22' feet long yet carries the same or more equipment than many 30-footers. COMBOTRUCK gets into places that big trucks can't, but still brings all the tools and equipment a production needs.

COMBOTRUCK carries a complete grip package, a complete cable and distro package, and a full expendables package. Lights are loaded as ordered.  (We have HMI, Joker,  tungsten, Kino Flo, Source Four, Chimeras, stands, accessories and other specialty equipment to choose from.)  Click THIS LINK for a copy of our equipment inventory.

 COMBOTRUCK uses rolling carts for maximum efficiency and flexibility with less crew.

COMBOTRUCK most lights come with 10 pre-cut gels riding with the scrim bags: 4 CTB's, 4 CTO's, Opal and 216.  Precuts are yours to use - you only pay when they are lost or damaged; this saves both time and money.  No running to the truck every time a standard gel is needed.  But there's also a large selection of expendable specialty gels for you to choose from.  You won't have to buy a roll -- you'll only pay by the foot for what you use.  This alone can save a production A LOT OF MONEY.

COMBOTRUCK equipment, cases and storage areas are clearly labeled. Freelance technicians will quickly find all the pieces that make an item work.   

COMBOTRUCK comes with our driver, who will work as a grip, electric, or griptrician on your shoot.

COMBOTRUCK is full service: Need a crew? We'll recommend or book a crew for you.  (We can even put them through our payroll service!)  We'll get you a dolly or a generator and we'll coordinate with other departments as needed. 

  Need a DP, gaffer, or lighting director? Talk to Tom Feldman. 

View Tom's Reel:TomFeldman.com

Need a stage or a location?  We've worked all over and we'll be happy to make recommendations to fit your needs. 

Give us a call at 818-790-7069 (Office) or 818-445-7935 (Cell) for COMBOTRUCK availability, further information or just to shoot the breeze.

Spacifix, "Old Skool Remix" - Featuring AMG

A producer with whom I've done a lot of work, Lee Gluckman, of Producers Group Ltd., recommended me to a company in New Zealand, Omnicron.  They were shooting a music video for Spacifix (a rock rap group from NZ) and needed a verse shot here in LA by the famous rapper AMG.  The parameters of the shoot were that they would hire me as a Director/DP and I could hire one other person.  That's all!  I did a scout at Skip Saylor's studio, and shot digital stills of the best angles.  I emailed the stills with descriptions to my client and confirmed four set-ups by phone.   

I put all the lights and camera gear in Combotruck and headed for the location.  I shot on a Sony HDV Z1U in HDV PAL. 

Using only equipment from the truck, I created what were essentially two small set-ups: one in the control booth and one in the studio that could be shot without resetting any lights.  I put 500 watt EAL's in the control booth practicals (which were on dimmers), made a menace arm for a back light and chimera for a key and was able to squeeze two set-ups out of the control booth with AMG sitting behind the console lip syncing to the camera.

In the studio, I put 1000H tracing paper on the glass baffles which were in turn put on full apple boxes and then backlit  I t-boned a 12' piece of speed rail and hung two back lights coming over the top of the baffle and made a menace arm and put another chimera above the window from the studio to the control booth.  This allowed me to shoot AMG close and medium in the studio and then drop back into the control booth for a wide shot of AMG through the control booth window and over the shoulder of the mixer. 

Two of us rigged for 3 hours.  I shot four set-ups with AMG and extras, had lunch and wrapped in a ten hour day.  All lighting had been prerigged so I was able to get AMG in and out in 3 hours and shot 40 minutes of footage to cover the single verse that AMG sings. 

Coverage included close-ups, mediums and wides both on sticks and hand held for each of the four set-ups.   I cloned the tape (keeping a protection copy) and  Fedexed the original to New Zealand where it was cut into the rest of the video.

Check out the group at Spacifix.

--- Tom Feldman 

Zoo Productions: Bandits vs. Smokies Host Wraps

We worked with Zoo Productions on the host wrap for "Bandits vs. Smokies." 

The Problem?

We were shooting with 2 handheld Panasonic DV NTSC cameras.  On the previous host wrap the client had booked a truck with a smaller package and they flew a 6x6 1/4 silk for the host.  But because of the police cars parked nearby, a 6 X 6 was too small to go over the host's head.  They went to a 12X12 butterfly, but that gave them trouble too.  Their truck didn't carry anything bigger.

The solution?

Truth and Wine - "The Bombshell"

I was hired as DP for a pilot (a promo) for a new comedy sitcom.  I supplied all the camera gear, grip and electric.  This project was being financed by an individual and so every penny was important. 

The Who: Title Sequence

Spitfire Pictures called me to be the Lighting Director for the title sequence of "THE WHO" documentary.  The producer, Agi Orsi, had used me some years before to light some of the scenes in another documentary, "Big Wave" about the origins of modern surfing.  For this production the producers found a beautiful turntable and record collection that we could photograph in High Definition Video.  The house was small so I decided to do as much of the lighting through the windows as was possible. 

I subrented a 500 amp generator and did all the broad strokes through the windows with HMI's simulating a brightly lit day with sunlight streaming through the windows.  I filled with jokers with chimeras and kinos from inside the house.  We shot both on sticks and with a steadicam. 

HGTV: The Making of the Rose Parade

I've worked for years as the Lighting Director on "The Making of the Rose Parade (HGTV/Weller-Grossman Productions)".  I had a electrician, a grip and pa on my crew.  It's fun and interesting.  You get to see the floats in something less than complete condition being worked on by legions of volunteers from across the country (and I suspect around the world). 

-- Tom Feldman