The 7 Stupidest Assumptions You Can Make When Rigging Your Camera

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The 7 Stupidest Assumptions You Can Make When Rigging Your CameraCreative Commons License photo credit: jsgrites

I was terribly nervous the first time I secured a camera to a jib and watched it swing into the air. All sorts of thoughts raced through my head: were the bolts tight enough? Were they the right bolts? What if the safety line fails? How much does the camera cost if it plummets to the ground?

In that first moment, as the jib operator gleefully swung the camera to the jib’s maximum height over the side of the roof we were standing on, I thought of everything that could go wrong.

But I took solace in the fact that I had double-checked everything. I left nothing to chance.

I made no assumptions. The bolts were tight and the line was secure. Assumptions are how mistakes happen.  Some compromise safety, while others compromise your efficiency.

When rigging a camera to a jib, a crane, or even a Steadicam, you don’t want to leave anything to chance by making false assumptions. So, to stay safe and keep your job, avoid making these 7 stupid assumptions that could lead to your demise, the camera’s demise, or put the crew in danger.

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The 10 Commandments of Slating

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The 10 Commandments of Slating

Some time ago, long before our cameras were RED and cinema was digital, back in the days when film meant celluloid and the talkies were just beginning, the tradition of slating was in its infancy.

And as the tradition of the clapperboard grew, so did the cries for a singular method — one in which all camera assistants could gather behind and clap their clappers.

What came forth were laws and commandments written by the Lord himself for all camera assistants and clapper-loaders to learn and to follow. With their slates in hand, they waited patiently as, one-by-one, the rules of slating were laid upon them.

These are decrees of the clapperboard – the 10 Commandments of Slating.

Respect them in your mind and channel them on set…

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5 Ways the Camera Department Can Help Avoid “Fix It In Post” Headaches

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5 Ways the Camera Department Can Help Avoid “Fix It In Post” HeadachesCreative Commons License photo credit: Mark Sebastian

Have you looked around on a film set lately?

You might notice that production and post-production are beginning to merge.

Walter Murch, the “Yoda of editing,” often talks about how he doesn’t think editors belong on set. He thinks they need to come to the footage fresh with untainted eyes — knowing in your mind, for instance, that a shot took a whole day to film might bias you into using it.

From a philosophical standpoint, I agree with Murch. From a practical standpoint, especially with low budget filmmaking, I don’t see it happening.

Editors do come on set. And part of that is to smooth the shift from production to post-production.

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The Quick and Dirty Video Guide to Marking Actors

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Marking actors should be simple right? How hard is it to slap a piece of tape on the ground?

You’re right — it should be simple, but there are tons of nuances to marking an actor that you might not know about. Like what size camera tape should you use? Is it better to go with a T-Mark or a toe box? And, more importantly, when should you use each?

I’m not saying marking actors is rocket science. It just takes some thought (and a little skill) to do it properly and avoid holding up the production while you turn the dance floor into a Twister board.

That’s what the video above (from Jared Abrams at Wide Open Camera) demonstrates: how to mark actors. At less than two minutes long, it covers the most popular types of marks you need to know. And I have a few extra tips of my own to share with you.

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Deciphering the Film Slate (Part 3): Twelve Examples of a Completed Slate

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Deciphering the Film Slate: Twelve Examples of a Completed Slate

You want to be a slate superstar? A champion of the clapperboard? A maestro of the marker?

If you want to be a slating pro, reading about it is only going to take you so far. What will help you learn the most is doing it — putting marker to board and stepping in front of the lens.

But right now, you’re not on a shoot. And you want to be prepared ahead of time to dodge mistakes.

So the next best thing is to look at examples of real-world film slates and discuss what’s written on them, why they’re written that way, and you’ll have a better idea of not just the theory of slating, but the practicalities of it.

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Deciphering the Film Slate (Part 2): Pickups, Plates, MOS, and More

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Deciphering the Film Slate: Pickups, Plates, MOS, and More

Now that you generally know what to write on a film slate, it’s time to get specific.

The film slate hasn’t existed for so many years — adapting to the ever-changing filmmaking landscape — without developing nuances and best practices for a few non-conventional situations.

For instance, how do you slate if a shot has no sound? Should you still clap the sticks? Or what if you’re recording sound in camera but want to get some wild lines or room tone — how should you slate those clips?  Do reshoots slate the same way? Or pickups?

These are all questions that are important to answer before you encounter them. Slating well is all about consistency and if you try to tackle these issues as they crop up, you risk compromising the steady foundation you’ve built for the editor.

So I want to help you navigate these grey areas.

The 5 different slating scenarios covered below may not arise on every shot, but they’re common enough that you need to know how to handle them.

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Deciphering the Film Slate (Part 1): What to Write on a Clapperboard

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Deciphering the Film Slate: What to Write on a ClapperboardCreative Commons License photo credit: tanjila

Slating: it’s a staple of filmmaking, it’s an art, and it requires a certain amount of subtlety.

It’s also one of the most recognizable duties a 2nd Assistant Camera (AC) is expected to fulfill. There’s a reason why a 2nd AC is also known as the “clapper/loader.”

When we think about slating, we tend to focus on the clapping aspect of it or the protocol that leads up to the slamming of the sticks. But just as important as hitting the sticks is getting the correct information on the front of the slateboard — things like scene, take, roll, and the production’s name.

If the information on the slate is incorrect, it could anger an editor (which you don’t want) or it could be mistaken as correct and cause confusion in post-production (which you definitely don’t want).

So before you ever step in front of the camera to slate, you need know how to fill it out properly.

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How to Nail the Timing of Your Next Rack Focus

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Pulling focus is arguably the 1st Assistant Camera’s most important duty.

A shot can be beautifully lit, impeccably framed, and feature Oscar-winning acting, but if it’s not in focus, it’s likely to end up on the cutting room floor. That’s what’s at stake for the focus puller.

So when you’re asked to perform a rack focus, the pressure couldn’t be higher.

That’s why you want to make sure you nail it — and not just focus wise. You also want to perform the rack focus with the right style and the right speed.

Which is why you should watch the video above if you’re interested in doing just that.

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The Physicality of Camera Assisting and How It Could Cost You a Job

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The Physicality of Camera AssistingCreative Commons License photo credit: U.S. Navy

My body has taken a beating on some shoots. I’ve come home with bruises the size of baseballs and stiff muscles that lasted for days. I’ve watched my hands harden to stone and my feet bore blisters.

Make no mistake: filmmaking, especially below-the-line crew work, is intensely physical.

Whether you’re running heavy stingers or moving RED One cameras, there’s a level of physicality that is associated with both a hard day’s work and an earned paycheck.

And if you’re going to make a career in the film industry last — unless you choose a non-physical job like directing or producing — you’re going to need to bring a certain level of physical ability.

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50 Things That Suck for Camera Assistants (and 50 Things That Don’t)

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50 Things That Suck for Camera Assistants (and 50 Things That Don't)

Filmmaking isn’t always fun. Sometimes it can suck — and suck pretty hard.

I’ve made no secret of that fact having been dragged through 17 hour days, dealt with executive producers on power trips, and making mistakes of my own.

But those are big picture items and the truth is, it’s the little things that annoy us the most.

So when I read a post at Dollygrippery succinctly titled “Things That Suck,” it clicked with me. Even though I’ve never been a dolly grip, I connected with the list of small troubles that quickly add up. And my mind raced with things that I, as a camera assistant, have to deal with that suck.

Let’s just say it didn’t take me long to come up with 50 of them.

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