Former Miami sound mixer needs help

[John Freeman]

Hi! I was a very active member of this board some years back, when I was a mixer in Miami. I moved to Texas 7 years ago, and had not been working in film/TV since. I still had all of my gear, and was intending to get back into the field here (near the Austin area) when on Sept. 4, 2011 I lost my home and EVERYTHING I owned in the massive Bastrop wildfire.

Insurance paid off my mortgage and left very little else; I am struggling to find a way to rebuild, but that's not what I am posting about.

I would really like to return to film sound work again, but don't have the resources to re-outfit with equipment.

If you or anyone you know has any crappy old, worn, obsolete or downright ugly sound gear that you don't know what to do with, or are just too embarrassed to put on ebay - I can use it. Even the lowest-end stuff can be made to work one way or another. I can spring for shipping and maybe in some cases I can cough up some dough; or perhaps you would sell it to me with the understanding that I will pay for it as quickly as I can get some rewarding work out of it.

In the past I've bought used equipment from a number of the old-timers on this board; maybe you will remember me.

Biggest priority right now is a boom, shockmount, windscreen (I do have a serviceable shotgun I can hide inside a windscreen). Some lavs/radios (Pro88's for example?) and an ENG mixer. I can run my little Tascam recorder for the time being.

Thanks for considering; all help is deeply appreciated! Blessings all around.