From our ongoing exploration of ways to become a faster and more efficient camera assistant, today’s tip is:
13. Talk to the DP About the Scene
If you can steal them away for a few seconds, talking to the director of photography (DP) about what’s coming up is a perfect way to save time. You can then start prepping certain rigs, placing equipment on standby, and wrap your head around the best way to approach a certain shot.
Sometimes you may not work directly under the DP, in which case, asking the camera operator is another alternative. Really, whoever is giving you the direction on camera position/setup is whose brain you want to be inside of.
Ask them what’s coming up or what shots are left in the scene and see what they say. Many times they can give you specific camera positions right then, while other times they will shrug their shoulders.
Still, it’s worth a shot to see if you can get any info to help you stay one step ahead. And one step ahead is about as fast as you can hope for.
What type of information do you ask the DP for to help you be quicker?