Filmmaking Tips for Camera Assistants
Have you been busy on set all week? I hope so. Nothing makes me happier than to hear that you are getting more work and becoming a better filmmaker — whatever department it is you’re in.
If you have been drowning in work lately and haven’t had time to come to The Black and Blue, no worries, I’ve rounded up the weeks best comments for you.
So dive on in and get your fix for the week.
By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be kicking back in a lounge chair, cracking open a beer, and sipping the suds with a cool ocean breeze kissing my face. I’m on a long-awaited vacation right now, trying to recover from the late night commercial shoot that shifted my sleep schedule on Thursday.
If you’re on set right now reading this, I’m sorry you can’t enjoy this summertime sun with me, but I hope you have a similarly cool beverage waiting for you at wrap for the day.
For now — it may not get you drunk — but feel free to drink up the insight and knowledge of the readers of this site in the form of the best comments of the week.
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Have you ever read an article online that poked at a part of your brain? In some way it made you question something and look at it in a new light. Then, out of sheer curiosity, you just had to scroll down to the bottom and read the comments to see if others felt the same way.
As long as it wasn’t on YouTube, I bet you found at least one or two comments that had something insightful to say.
Comment Corner at The Black and Blue is all about highlighting those diamonds in the rough. Even if you don’t have CCS (Comment Curiosity Syndrome), this week’s roundup is definitely worth a read.
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So you want to be a better filmmaker, right?
After all, you are here. You’re reading this site. You’re seeking out resources to help you learn.
And you’re hungry for more.
Here’s a three course meal to curb that hunger: read the articles here, ask questions on set everyday, and don’t be afraid to challenge your skills.
By the time you’ve gone through those three things, you’ll have a belly full of knowledge and leverage it to turn a passion into a profession. But for now, here’s an appetizer: some of the best comments from around the site.
As I watched and listened to the fireworks of America’s Independence Day on July 4th explode above me, I was captured by the similarities between those colorful rockets and the silver screen of movies.
It was hard not to notice a difference between the crowd sitting in the dark with their necks tilted up, their faces illuminated momentarily by a flash of color, and the crowds that gather to go see movies in theaters every week.
The purpose of both fireworks and movies is the same: to spark a sense of inspiration and purpose. So in the great tradition of controlled explosions and artful filmmaking, here are some thoughts from you that, in whatever way, hope to help you find that inspiration.
For some in the film industry, the summer season is when things get slow and you get a chance to kick back for a vacation. For others, it’s the ramping up of a long-awaited feature film that is finally leaving pre-production behind for the chaos of the set.
Most likely, you’re somewhere in between: hoping to get a decent amount of summer relaxation offset by the tough work of hustling on a show.
But whichever category you fall into, you’ll always have a place to come each week at The Black and Blue and read some of the best comments on the web about camera assisting — no matter which season it is.
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This past week, those of us in the northern hemisphere were lucky enough to have the Summer solstice mark the official start of the hot season.
“Summertime and the livin’ is easy” is great when you’re kicking it by the pool with a nice book, but as the mercury rises in the thermometer, there ain’t nothing easy about pushing hard through a 12 hour day.
So if you’re out there on a set right now, make sure you got the right clothes, some bug spray, and plenty of water — and if you get a chance, take a break and read some of the interesting comments left on the site this week.
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Every week your opinions add tremendous value to this site and its articles through the form of comments. You have unique experiences that I could never share and so thank you to all who are willing to help us become better filmmakers by sharing what you know.
Below you can find five of the best comments from this week that are sure to help illuminate you to something new.
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Comment Corner is coming fresh as ever today with five of the best comments from around the site including one from Facebook and another that dips into the archives of the site.
If you skip this post, you’ll be missing out on some great comments and informative opinions. Enjoy!
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A site for camera assistants, cinematographers and film professionals to gather and discuss tips, tricks, and techniques.
It is run by Evan Luzi, a camera assistant with a passion for sharing his knowledge and helping you become a better filmmaker along the way.
Read more about Evan or contact him.
Comment Corner: Week of August 8th
There’s an old camera department joke that asks, “How many camera assistants does it take to screw in a light bulb?”
The answer: 5 — one to do it and four to tell you how they did it on the last job.
It’s a great joke about the stubborn individuality with which camera assistants approach their job. Nowhere on this site is this quality more prevalent than in Comment Corner.
Each week, through experience and intellect, you’ll find plenty of camera assistants telling you the right way to screw in a light bulb — or at least how they would do it.
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