The Black and Blue

Filmmaking Tips for Camera Assistants

Filmmaking Tips and Advice

Page 6

by | April 2, 2014

30 Tips for Being an Outstanding Camera Assistantz

Cameraman Chris Weaver lists his thoughts on what it takes to be an excellent camera assistant (AC):

Being a professional Camera Assistant can be the hardest job on the crew. It carries more responsibility than most people think and even worse… while everyone else is on a tea break, the Camera Assistant is usually working, loading magazines, filling out Camera Report Sheets or organizing the camera equipment for the next set-up.

The stuff I’ve written here is based on film camera assistants but the rules apply for video assistants too. So, without further ado… let us begin!

The job’s tough, but not too bad, Chris! Anyway, here are some of my favorite tips from the list:

5. When you are on a shoot, always try to listen in on conversations between the Director and the Cinematographer or Camera Operator. You can pick up on stuff and anticipate what will be needed next. (A big part of being a great Assistant is anticipating and being ready in advance)

26. Treat hire equipment as if it’s your own. It’s totally unprofessional and unacceptable to mishandle hired camera gear, just because it’s from a rental company. It’s precision equipment, treat it with total respect because if you don’t I guarantee it will be noted by other members of the crew. To professionals, this type of sloppy work ethic is like red rag to a bull!

29. Work with as many different types of cameras as possible so that you can easily switch from one type of job to another. If you want to be a successful freelance Camera Assistant you will need to have a working knowledge of as many cameras as possible, flexibility and versatility are key elements to being exceptional.

An older article – and one I’ve shared before on Twitter – but worth a re-read and a re-share.

by | April 1, 2014

Do-It-Yourself Budget Camera Cartz

Steadicam operator Lee Clements shows how he built his own camera cart on a budget:

But a Magliner runs $250ish, and the nose pieces, shelves, etc. all start adding up very quickly. You can buy a fully-rigged camera cart from Filmtools for a pretty penny, which I would love to have, but A) don’t have the capital for, B) don’t have a consistent need for, and C) don’t have room in my apartment for. So! Until the day comes when I have more money, more work, and a house, I will continue to find work-arounds.

Magliner’s are great, but expensive. And I’d rather have any camera cart than no camera cart.

The end result doesn’t look too shabby and Lee says it holds his load quite nicely. Doesn’t seem like it’s too hard to replicate either if you have some cash and a weekend to take on the project.

More DIY projects for camera assistants here.

by | March 28, 2014

That’s no moon. It’s a Panavision!z

For lustful eyes only, here are a couple of pics (courtesy of camera operator Andrew Bikichky) of the blacked out Panavision cameras that will be shooting Star Wars Episode VII over the summer:

Star Wars Panavision Panaflex Camera
A camera, nicknamed “Death Star”
Star Wars Panavision Panaflex Camera 2
B camera, nicknamed “Millennium Falcon” (look at the inscription beneath the Panavision logo)

The Panny’s are custom made for Star Wars and will be the production’s “A” and “B” cameras, nicknamed “Death Star” and “Millennium Falcon.” Pretty badass so long as they’re “fully operational.”

Mounting on the front of these bad boys will be Panavision anamorphics and they’ll be loaded up with Kodak film stock 5219, as was revealed by cinematographer Dan Mindel, ASC, BSC last summer.

Thanks to Reddit user forceduse for posting it and Andrew Bikichky for sharing it with us all.

by | March 27, 2014

Framestore thinks 4K adoption is coming soonz

Framestore, the VFX house that did effects for Gravity, says 4K is coming faster than you think:

You might think the switch to 4K sounds a long way off, especially as the first 4K TV sets were only recently launched, but there is a good chance it will happen faster than the switch from standard to high definition. The TV sets have become affordable much in a much shorter time – HD sets remained at a premium for years, but 55” ultra HD televisions are already available for less than £2,000.

The real question is: will it make an impact?

But will the viewer notice the difference? Well, yes. As our Head of Engineering, Andy Howard, describes: “If you’re looking at someone shot in the correct light and you’re at the correct viewing distance from the 4K display, which is quite critical, then you’ll see detail such as the hairs on their arms, the precise texture of their skin.”

“Correct viewing distance,” being the operative phrase here. As Stu Maschwitz at Prolost explains, the closer you sit to a display, the more that resolution becomes discernable:

If you bought a 60” television, you’d have to sit about four feet away from it before you’d perceive the full benefit of 4K over good old 1080p.

Most people won’t be sitting that close to such a large television. For projectors and theaters, however, 4K may be a different story. Normally I’d chalk this article up to marketing hype, but I respect Framestore a lot after seeing Gravity and all the behind-the-scenes work it took to execute.

by | March 25, 2014

Slating like a butlerz

Cinematographer John Brawley explains why slating is important and also how to do it the right way:

I’ve been chatting with some of my own crew and some directors about slating technique and protocol and it seems in this digital age some discipline and technique has been overlooked…. and it occurred to me that it takes a huge amount of subtle knowledge to be able to slate properly. One director was bemoaning the fact that they had to keep staring at the loader’s face on the split right before every take during an important emotional scene.  They also took an interminably long time to actually announce the slate as well, totally distracting the beginning of the take.  ”Doesn’t anyone know how to slate ?  Don’t they know how they can influence the beginning of a scene ? That they can set the tone for the actors ?  Why are they taking so long to announce the slate and get out of there ? What ever happened to the discipline of the film days where you’d get the slate and only the slate in shot and get the hell out of there ???”  It was a full blown rant…..

Like a butler, you need to be totally present yet not noticed.  The way you speak, the manner with which you slate can greatly affect actor performance and the on set ambience.  You’re also a constant visual representative of the camera department.

Spot on post with some great tips. Make sure to read the comments also where others contribute their own thoughts and experiences. Finally, check out my own series of posts on slating.

by | March 25, 2014

Movi: Friend or Foe of the Camera Assistant?z

Focus puller Alice writes some thoughts on the Movi from a camera assistant’s perspective:

Much like when a steadicam is bought in for the day the Movi needs a dedicated assistant to build it and continually adjust the settings according to the operator’s needs, change lens etc…each change needs a rebalance and a steadicam rebalance is quicker. Trying to build one and shoot in between with another camera is just too much, it’s counterproductive on set.

Shots on a Movi should be treated with as much respect as a steadicam. At the moment I don’t believe its ‘quicker’ and focusing on a complicated Movi shot is much harder than with an experienced steadicam operator. I say this because with the best will in the world the majority of people holding and operating the Movi cannot physically hold the rig and repeat the shots the same two times in a row. Trying to get focus marks today was just out of the question, I had to wing it and pull off the monitor which is not my style and it didn’t look the best.

The whole post is worth reading to get an idea of what to look for when working alongside a Movi rig.