PRO TIP: How to Set Up a C-Stand

The one piece of equipment you're guaranteed to run into on set is the C Stand (or Century Stand). It's a metal stand used for rigging and supporting lighting and grip equipment. Dominic D'Astice (key grip on RocketJump: The Show) shows you the basics for properly setting up and using a c stand safely on set.
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This is the seventh installment of our series following the production of RocketJump: The Show! We'll address different technical aspects of each production each week as new episodes come out.
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[@davidjose6656]

When soldiering, you also want to keep the shortest legs in the direction of the set/where they're going to want to be run to. Always try to work your stand from the side of the light away from the camera. Always start going up on a stand from the top riser, and then work your way down. Never ever carry a stand anywhere without a bag. When you're passing a C Stand to someone, do not hold it with your hand or fingers between the column and the arm. Instead hold it ACROSS the column and the arm, so that the person grabbing it doesn't accidentally crush your fingers. If you need to walk an open C Stand through a crowded set, loosen the legs and drop the highest leg down. It makes carrying and maneuvering a lot easier. When you're carrying long things through doors or set, in addition to calling out points/free dental work/move or bleed, you want to try to carry your leading end above head height. That allows people to see what it is that you're screaming about, react to it, and not impale themselves or trip over it. When you're setting a frame on an extended arm, always pay attention to the eye gouging points you're introducing with the pointy end of the arm. You SHOULD be able to set it so that the points are lessened, or above head level. If all else fails, you can use a tennis ball or drop a line of brightly colored tape off of it to warn people off, but it should only be used as a last resort.

[@josepheastburn3778]

at the 1:50 mark you actually had the grip handle on the right side in relation to how you demonstrated the weight. The grip head wasn't tight to begin with so it looked like how it would slip if it was actually on the left.... you should have been pushing in the other direction...

[@АлександрШтраух-ю5б]

This! I was like; But the knuckle is on the right side, how is it suddenly loose?!

[@focusmedia2465]

I came here looking for this exact comment because I was like.... wait a minute....

[@DarienRobertson]

Here in Jamaica, when we're on set carrying c-stands (or anything heavy/dangerous, really) we shout/call out "hot wata! (water)" so people get out of the way. First I've heard about the "points!" bit, but it's pretty interesting to learn!

[@mryorkielover]

"Hot Points Coming Through" is the term used on union lots when carrying pipes, c stands, etc when coming through doorways, corners, etc. Good vid ;)

[@MeMyselfAndPi]

Here I thought, what a lame topic for a video. But I actually learned a few new things when setting these stands up! Thanks guys!

[@wakimaniac]

Remember, place the sand bag in the big leg. That way your c-stands won't cease standing.

[@markchase6096]

Good job explaining the basics of c-stands. If you guys ever add to this tutorial you should explain the first hurdle new guys will hit with c-stands and that's opening the legs. I've explained and shown people in person and they still couldn't get it sometimes. Like the ones you show in the video have the sliding legs, which are great for uneven terrain or stairs. You loosen and tighten the legs with the handle that is just above them, but here is where you can bust a toe if you don't know better. C-stands can also come with spring loaded legs, which don't need a tightening handle to open and close. Those legs sometimes come with a turtle base (detachable legs with a junior receiver to mount something low) that has a handle in the same place as the sliding leg stands. If you loosen that without paying attention the base can fall off on your foot. And if anyone is ever thinking about buying some c-stands for themselves spend the few extra bucks for American stands like the ones they use in this tutorial. They are the best in the business and will last you forever.

[@Stepha369]

+Mark Chase That "bust a toe" sounds terribly brutal. Is this with closed toe shoes? Yikes!!

[@ECUSMITTY]

Just bought my first C-Stand and that was crazy helpful 👊🏽

[@ilyaonthefly]

Awesome pro-tip! When I first started filmmaking I thought "ah setting up C-stands is easy" but it isn't as easy as you would think. Loving these pro-tips that you aren't really taught anywhere, you just kind of have to learn it. (This one and the slate one are my personal favorites haha). Keep up the awesome tutorials!

[@beepboop4310]

really loved this video thank you - so many grips have been a holes about this info to me for too long

[@firestorm102]

Sweet. Should go over how the legs can move up and down so that you can place them on uneven surfaces and how to quickly pack them up with the shoulder twist method in another video. Going over other grip/gaff things like junior and baby spuds, basic grip gear, and calculating paper/actual loads for amps for lights would be other awesome little tutorials for this channel. Maybe other things like proper set/radio etiquette too. Ooh, and maybe a video on some common film set terms like hollywood-ing or martini shot and other stuff like that. Just a thought! :)

[@dominicdastice2606]

+firestorm102 All definitely great topics to talk about, and we have touched upon a few of them, but those videos will all be released as +RocketJump Film School sees fit. I did mention in a comment on here about the "Rocky Mountain Leg" on some C-Stands. But I appreciate all the thoughts and concerns! Thanks man.

[@J-Gx]

Ehm at 1:57 the knuckle is at the correct side. This is going to be confusing for the newbies

[@dominicdastice2606]

+G009 Good catch! It was absolutely a goof in the video. Shouldn't have been added, that's why we had the closer up and more correct version of it a few moments later.

[@dominicdastice2606]

+RocketJump Film School Well, it was MY bad. But at least we had the correct way right after in the video.

[@mstoops64]

I’m confused. You spun it around and had you moved to the other side the knuckles would still be on the right. So why would it loosen on the second example ostensibly going in the same direction?

[@АлександрШтраух-ю5б]

I'm a newbie and it did confuse me! I was like: Yeah, but the knuckle is still on the right side but it's suddenly loose?!

[@migionie]

Thank you a lot sharing! Everyday I learn something new and my clients take me and my business more seriously. Win win!

[@videographiya]

Amazing video as usual! I would just add a part demonstrating how efficiently unfold c-stand legs.

[@laniakeasupercluster4606]

‘The Knuckles ‘ - most C stands (from consumer outlets) come with grip heads which operate very differently to the knuckle joints you’ve mentioned.

Best video on the topic, quick and usefull. Thanks.

[@TwoCaptainsOneShip]

Thanks. Just got my first one today.

[@TheREAPERBlog]

Now I just need to find a good deal on C-Stands where I don't pay triple in shipping and customs fees.

[@ALMANSOOR_PHOTO]

we need more of these small tips .. nice work

[@laurentrimmer8804]

short, quick and to the point! Thank you! Subscribed!!

[@alvinburrell]

what a useful little video...thanks

[@vincentbelanger8288]

exactly what I needed! thanks guys

[@spider1g5]

I learn more from the pro tips than the actual shorts.

[@augustcelineiii946]

This channel is amazing.

[@StableLies]

I've got to do an exam on the Grip "Taco" Cart. Thanks for this video.

[@HaloUnion]

Classic. I had one producer who had never heard of the concept of saying points before.

[@hunterjackson2518]

Just want to add that not only should you be shouting "Points!" when carrying something, but you should also be angling the pointy end in front of you downwards so you don't poke someone's eyes out. Also, when you're carrying a piece of equipment that is especially long, you need to be sure to "Watch your six." (be aware of what's behind you) so you don't whip someone with the tail end.

[@JoeyScoma2]

+Hunter Jackson I directed Dom to carry it that way to illustrate the point about "Points!" (Dom doesn't usually carry c-stands like that)

[@Stepha369]

+Joey Scoma I'd love to see how he does usually carry it as well. Thanks so much for all of the instruction!! :)

[@huyked]

Thank you so much for sharing these important tips! I only knew one, and not that well either. :O

[@Mfilms2000]

Love you guys

[@Stepha369]

Thanks! You guys rock!

[@LaneCarter]

I like Dominic. He seems cool.

[@dominicdastice2606]

+Lane Carter Thanks man. I like to think I'm cool too....but in me thinking I'm cool, I'm pretty sure that I automatically forfeit being cool and make myself totally lame.

[@QuinnYouTube]

Thanks

[@Sameir8055]

Thanks.. that was really helpful...!!

[@TomKaszuba]

Thank you.

[@GromovPhotography]

great tips

[@CincyPhotography]

please show how to connect a strobe

[@EMAZINGERIK]

I should have watched this before my last shoot cos now I have a broken bulb lol

[@valverdemichael]

Do you have any videos on how to take apart a c stand to do maintenance to it. I have the ones that open up by themselves, not the one with the knob, but they are too rough.

[@GuysWithAChannel]

thank you

[@bensonq]

Isn't he pulling the wrong way for his demonstration at 1:56?

[@DeviousShadows]

+bensonq He's doing it wrongly on purpose to show how easy it is for something to topple over if you have the knuckles on the left.

[@bensonq]

+DeviousShadows I understand that's what he's trying to demonstrate but if he pulls toward him, that is still "righty tighty". He needs to push away from him to demonstrate "lefty loosey".

[@TheKingdutch]

+bensonq You're right, I thought the same thing :) Guess that might require an annotation. Luckily he does the demonstration correctly on the top knuckle a little later.

[@dominicdastice2606]

Hey +bensonq yeah that was a mistake take. I said "push" and then I pulled it towards me, making it "righty tighty" the other take they show after was the correct way. This bit of the video should have been omitted. WHOOPS! GOOF!

[@JoeyScoma2]

+Dominic D'Astice GOOF! I screwed that one up

[@khp333]

How do we know when and how much counter weight is needed? Or do we need counterweight at all?

[@NaJHaikezeh]

POINTS!

[@FutureGameDev]

FREE DENTAL! lol

[@allenjdixon]

when shooting with the gh4 (or any other Panasonic or Olympus m 4/3 camera), would u suggest using native m 4/3 lenses or other lenses (canon for example) with a metabones speed booster? I personally shoot on m 4/3, and before investing in more lenses (because I only have one lens) I wanted to know the answer to the question above. thanks.

[@charliebvaldez]

Where are the C-stands again? Hah! Thanks guys, helped me out.

[@adamo1992]

hahah good one. thanks guys

[@jppp952]

Im sorry but ay 1:51 you just flipped it 180 degrees so its totally pointless, you are even tightening it since its going to the right. You should have just rotated the arm counter clockwise to demonstrate your point.

[@DeepfriedBaby]

Surprised you didn't cover traveling with them. :\

[@TheSpiritKing1]

How do you do lighting at nighttime so you can see whats happening but it still looks natural?

[@TheSpiritKing1]

+RocketJump Film School thank you!

[@TheSpiritKing1]

+RocketJump Film School thank you!

[@charliehilbrantfilms4491]

Cool video! I'd hang out with you guys.

[@philindeblanc]

Anyone try putting casters/wheels on a Cstand?

[@brianpso]

I get all the messages in the video, but one thing is bothering me, why does the C stand have the medium and short legs?

[@HaloUnion]

Interesting question. It makes them easier to stack or put on carts but outside of that, I'm not sure.

[@HaloUnion]

Interesting question. It makes them easier to stack or put on carts but outside of that, I'm not sure.

[@kurtlindner]

+brianpso Stacking, also, the type of c-stands shown in the video are able to adjust the height of each leg so if you _had_ to place it on some stairs, for example, the stand can still be vertical and stable by adjusting each leg's height. That's not so much about the different leg sizes, but useful, so whatever.

[@moXon460]

+brianpso Because it the legs aren't spread out, you can easily store them because the legs go over each other. If you google C-Stand you'll see some images of C-stands where the legs aren't spread

[@dominicdastice2606]

+brianpso +TheVolitionSociety This is the reason. If they were all the same height, you wouldn't be able to collapse them and store them efficiently. Some C-Stands (like the American brand we were using in the video) also have what's called a "Rocky Mountain Leg" which is the big leg. You can loosen it and adjust it to uneven terrain, like hills and whatnot. It's a big help.

[@GuysWithAChannel]

im making a short film and was wondering if you could show me some cheap video editing programs

[@daveheckleberg8009]

Hitlfilm 3 express, it's still free I think

[@TheREAPERBlog]

+GuysWithAChannel DaVinci Resolve 12 is free and decent for editing now. One of the best for color, but not great for audio.

[@PhoenixWang]

What's the song/music playing at the very end?

[@Stepha369]

+Phoenix Wang (eulestadt) Check out Shazam. It's an app that will answer that for you. It's awesome.

[@kenny6449]

Anybody have any tips on being a script supervisor?

[@stephendevore]

+Kenny Williams Continuity: Be detail oriented. Know when they move in relation to their saying their lines. Bring a pocket camera to take a comparison photo of the first take, compared with subsequent takes and camera setups. Have signs for during breaks that say "Hot set. Don't touch."

[@CinematicTechnologies]

Rookies: Don't get in the habit of calling the high leg the "big" leg, or else you might let that slip out in front of a bigwig. Chances are your colleagues will go farther faster, simply because they learned the right names for equipment while you didn't.

[@JoeyScoma2]

+Ethan Swords High Leg = Big leg = illustrating a point. We've discussed doing a Grip Vocab video because there are many different names/ nicknames/ slang lingo for the same equipment... and the names often vary from crew to crew, and whichever region of the world you're in. The most important thing is for the crew to be on the same page about it. I also believe a person will continue to get hired for jobs if they are hardworking and have a good attitude, not because they know the "right" names for equipment, gear, tools, etc, etc.

[@CinematicTechnologies]

+Joey Scoma That's partly true. But it really depends on who you're working with. I guess I've been less fortunate than some... the majority of pros I've worked with are pretty harsh, and actually judge you based on terms like the ones I mentioned above. Sadly, that's my take on it from who I've been around in the industry.

[@JoeyScoma2]

+Ethan Swords For sure, when I first started, Key Grips would mess with me and ask me to grab something absurd like a "shadow wedge" or a "frame bridge clamp" spending 5-10 minutes looking for it, then when I come back everyone's laughing... and the movie somehow got made haha.

[@CinematicTechnologies]

+Joey Scoma Bahahaha! What movie was it?

[@Stepha369]

+Joey Scoma Thanks for sharing this. I'll keep this in mind (being I'm a newbie).

[@Themodernvideoshooters]

Lol, this talks about set up, how about application? Would be nice to incorporate that too i think.

[@moreafterthistime]

Not going to show how to close the legs huh?

[@PocketBeemRocket]

This excites the safety nazi in me. I don't know if that's good or bad.

[@Stepha369]

+Benjamin Hernandez Safety Nazi! That's funny. :)

[@YourNewGod123]

Grippy grips.

[@SioTisfy]

Dude tries to flex in the intro then walks around the whole video with a tight shirt and his moobs showing, wth?

[@SioTisfy]

***** can I bring my bench (For bench pressing) as my plus 1? And my left and right biceps may tag along, too bad u cant bring yours bro, do you even curl? or just eat curly fries ???

[@dominicdastice2606]

+Siotis Curly fries, burgers, italian beef, Chicago style hot dogs, deep dish pizza......pretty much everything but canned tuna. That stuffs nasty.

[@joshzaleznik6488]

"Film School"... horrible lighting throughout this video... I'm confused

[@MaxPowerz72]

This was obviously filmed unscripted on set. If you're prioritizing the quality of a work light in the grip department over teaching the proper use of c-stands, please reevaluate your need to condescend.

[@dominicdastice2606]

+Josh Zaleznik We did this little video as a spur of the moment thing on our pre-light day at the Spaceship set for the "Fan Friction" episode (Episode 2).