[Rouge_LAmour]

Wow, thanks for all the info! Maybe I can get a semi-professional looking vid out there with these tips and tricks https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif Or at least one where I don’t look like a pasty-white ghost floating around the pole.
Try using a peach toned bulb for warmth, high wattage so it shows up or bounce it onto a mirror or other shiny surface. That should get some warmth.
Also try a warm filter in your editing programme, this will help.

[Rouge_LAmour]

The trick with lighting is to ensure there’s enough lighting from the front and the back.
This ensures definition.
This article here has info on Film Noir lighting, http://www.videomaker.com/article/13548/ however for dancing you need something to show what is going on.
My advice is to put a bright light facing upwards – a study lamp with a high watt bulb is fine. Place is highish so it bounces off the ceiling – esp if the ceiling is white or a pale colour. Use mirrors (behind the camera) and other shiny surfaces to bounce light onto you.

Always test the lighting prior to shooting your routine. this will tell you immediately what changes you need.

When we shot at the studio, I used a double headed halogen I got from Mitre10 (Hardware shop) and bounce one lamp onto the ceiling (for brightness) and the other onto the wall for warmth. I also bounced light onto the subject by using flecky boards. These are big sheets of white polystyrene that reflect a softer light onto the subject. White sheets over something pale will work just as well.
I’ve not done formal study, however, this is what I’ve tried that works.
A couple of angle poise lamps can get great lighting if positioned well. get this sorted before you shoot your routine and you’ll notice a big difference.
gels are expensive and scarves can be a fire hazard so be careful with what you put over the lamp.
Also remember that flouro lighting gives a blue light, whereas incandescent has a softer glow.

[Rouge_LAmour]

I was wondering if a "tech head" thread is in order, perhaps a subbie under not pole related.

Purely for those who need the advice of a boffin, be it on computers, editing, "art direction", lighting, editing programmes or other non-pole related stuff. Mr Rouge (Dave) has been helpful so far and I’m sure I can ask him lots more.

I’m happy to advise on technical issues surrounding lighting of vids etc, how to dress rooms and advice on costumes, having a bit of a film background. Dave has a technical editing skills, mainly Final Cut editing on a Mac but a little on Sony Vegas, and I can ask him questions.

Thoughts? Feedback??

[Rouge_LAmour]

OMG!!! Caramel, you are probably the first person EVER to get what we were doing…
The intro is a play on the Alan Smithee directing credit used when a director doesn’t want their name attached to the project.
Mr Rouge did the trailer, it’s far better than our film.

hmmm, will the Webmaster move this to a whole new thread? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_scratch.gif

[Rouge_LAmour]

That was the beautiful Hermes. She is now also a reference animal for Weta. (yay!!)
we got nowhere as no-one understood we were making a z-grade European arthouse action film.

We had comments on how the dialogue didn’t match the mouth movements, um, it wasn’t supposed to and I v/o’d all the female characters while sitting at a desk wanting to sleep. And all the comments were about the "strippers" and I was told that I was being "retentive" when I pointed out that these were dancers, not strippers and that at no point did our girls get their kit off.

However, at the screening, we did get loads of people turn up to see the "lesbian vampire poledancing strippers"…
Luscious LisaT wrote the music too.

[Rouge_LAmour]

I’m loving the set for dancing.
Honestly my efforts were mainly caffeine and V driven (V is a kiwi equivalent of Red Bull). https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_eek.gif (the closest to wired i could find) it was for a 48hour film competition. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_ugeek.gif
I love film and am trying hard to get back into the industry as I love it so much.
Being 8 minutes drive from Peter Jacksons emporium doesn’t help… https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cry.gif

itching to see the results of your shoot Sascha. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif

[Rouge_LAmour]

Transitions are great to work with the pole, so I have to second Veena.
But def go see a sports Dr for some tips and explain what you do.

Use some Samba steps in the transitions, we’ve introduced a Latin based dance fitness class which has helped the girls heaps. They’re also using a lot of Zouk and chacha moves. It’s mainly Cuban based, but it’s still a great way to use non-weight bearing moves in a routine – and if you’re like any Latin American I’ve ever met, the chance of you not knowing how to salsa at the very least is remote.

If you can get some arnica and synphitum, that will help heal the injury. Arnica reduces swelling and bruising and synphitum addresses bones and soft tissue. Drops are the way to go, but don’t take them within 15 minutes of coffee or mint products.

[Rouge_LAmour]

See a sports Dr to find out what won’t put pressure on the injury.
I tightened my shoulder capsule and the big thing for me is to keep my shoulders down and back and also keeping my upper arm no more than 90degrees from my body when doing stretches. Also ensure that when doing the across body stretch with your arms, that the shoulders are in alignment and you don’t have one shoulder under your ear. That again places strain on the joint and doesn’t give a very good stretch. My GP has a Masters in Sports medicine and gives me great exercises when I get injured.
We send all our girls there for pole related injuries as he’s amazing. Very dry and funny. Doesn’t blink when he gets told it’s another pole injury. Fixed dislocated metatarsals in 5 minutes! She’d been limping for weeks and he fixes her problem in 5 minutes.

[Rouge_LAmour]

what, down here in little old Nu Zulland??? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

So maybe you need to come down here, teach some classes to the fans and get a whole pile of 42mm and silver titanium poles to take home with you!! (hint, hint!!!!) February is a nice time of year to visit, late summer… https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cool.gif

We tend to get ours via Australia.

[Rouge_LAmour]

Methylated spirits.
Methyl Alcohol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denatured_alcohol
Purple stuff used in braziers and under buffet hotplate things.

Not Meth-amphetamines (Speed, P etc)

[Rouge_LAmour]

My vote is for the x-pole 45mm, we have 2 for the studio, although one isn’t up as it’s a travelling pole.

What I do like about Xpole is the responsiveness to issues.
I FB’d* Stacey re getting a replacement bearing for the dome, ie could it be done and they’re happy to send me another. I know I’m not the only one either who has had great response from them.
PS aren’t very big in NZ, Elite is the only other reputable company here. However, most girls go for x-pole once they’ve tried them out.
My vote is the X. Good quality and my husband who trained as a mechanical engineer thinks they’re very well designed and sturdy.
I use stainless as well and swap easily between them.

X-pole also make a 42mm, if you need something smaller, Veena can confirm if you can get that in the US.

* Facebook

[Rouge_LAmour]

The Studio’s 45mm is currently called "bruiser" (by me) and I broke her dome when we had a tussle.
The others are just 50mm and gold 45mm.

naming cars happens in about 10 seconds; my first was Balthazar (corrolla), my DS citroen was Albert and my truck is Belle.
cats, like Veena and kids, took forever.

[Rouge_LAmour]

YAY!! B Grade horrors with pole dancers!!!

Having directed one of those myself (Z-Grade for my effort), they are great fun. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sTVT1uKKGA (this is a fake trailer we made). Totally jealous.

Oh dear, I seem to be in hijack thread mode today…

Really glad you enjoyed yourself and had fun. Film shoots are the best!
Can’t wait to see the footage.

[Rouge_LAmour]

New Zealand isn’t as litigious as the US, therefore we’ve got $2mil public liability for our studio.
Fortunately, if someone has an accident, then it’s also covered by the government under ACC. However, if there is any chance of recklessness or carelessness by us, that can be proven, then we are open to action.
This is covered in a relatively cheap monthly payment that also covers all liability and contents insurance.

A basic first aid cert + CPR is always good, the more advanced the better. We seem to have a lot of nurses at the school too, which helps a lot!

I would also look at a basic sports instruction cert from a community college or online place too, purely to learn physiology, anatomy etc. Growing up wanting to be a Dr, means I already have a good knowledge of anatomy, but I’m still learning. My GP has his masters in Sports medicine, he’s great for brain picking.

Vertical Dance would be my choice as it’s KT Coates and extramural.

[Rouge_LAmour]

As the queen of skin irritations, stop using the windex. In fact never, ever use it on the pole.
We use meths, which is sprayed onto a cloth, then thoroughly wiped off.
The last major issue I had was using a pole that was cleaned with "spray and wipe". My hands were swollen within 8 hours and were painful, burning, itchy and hot. Cold water made them even worse! I woke up scratching my hands until they were bleeding. I ended up taking anti-histamines, but I really had to ride it out. Nearly 4 weeks later, I’m at the tail end. Meths is the only thing that doesn’t react with my skin – and most cleaning products do.