Though producers should be largely concerned with big decisions made in regards to the production, there are times where they need to leverage that power to treat their crew right.So, first time directors listen up — and producers, some of this stuff goes for you too — here are 5 things that are important to do to keep a crew happy from someone sitting happily below the line.
Filmmaking Tips and Advice
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Jeff Cronenweth on Shooting ‘The Social Network’ with RED One Mysterium-X
On the supplemental disc of The Social Network blu-ray, there is a featurette titled “jeff cronenweth and david fincher on the visuals.” In it, Cronenweth takes time to explain the decision behind shooting with the RED and the technical challenges it presented.
On Set: Checking the Gauge
On a film shoot, before moving on to the next shot, there’s usually a tense moment where a first assistant camera must “check the gate.” The gate being the part of the camera that sits between the lens and the exposed film and the checking being done for tiny hairs or strips of film emulsion that may have come off.
Field of View Comparator from Abel CineTech
One of the important aspects of choosing focal lengths will have to do with what kind of field-of-view the camera provides. Luckily, there is an internet web tool that will allow you to compare different lenses on different cameras without ever having to shoot some tests.
Quick Tip: Make a Tape Measure Easier to Read and Safer on Set
For the camera assistant, tape measures, or other measuring devices, are essential tools to getting accurate marks and keeping the focus sharp. And while it may seem like a tape measure can’t be improved anymore, there are simple ways to make the most basic tools in a kit better. Today brings two quick tips: one to make a reading a tape measure a faster process and the other is to improve its safety.
13 Tips for Young Cinematographers and Directors of Photography
Over at Pro Video Coalition, Art Adams has a great piece about advice for those just starting out trying to be cinematographers or directors of photography in the industry. In it, the experienced DP himself covers topics ranging from politeness to arrogance to working for free in 13 digestible sections.
First Footage from RED Epic Camera Roars Into Life
RED Digital Cinema’s Jarred Land surprised readers of REDuser.net late Friday night by releasing on the forums a still from the RED Scarlet/Epic-S camera (above) and footage from the long-anticipated RED Epic camera. In a post titled “Meet Felix,” Land unleashed footage of a lion consuming raw meat shot in 5K at 96 frames-per-second on the company’s new flagship digital camera the RED Epic.
The Importance of the 2nd Camera Assistant
As I’ve said before, some of the most talented camera assistants pass for being invisible. As a result of this, they are often left behind in budgets or the minds of production. That kind of naiveté about the position led Dan Wagner, and a few others, to draft an essay titled “The Importance of the 2nd Camera Assistant” – a manifesto outlining what a 2nd AC does and why a production should invest in a good one.
Expendables Shootout! A Three-Way Battle for Cheap Expendables
For any camera assistant, grip, gaffer or other crew, expendables are a necessary purchase for every production. In the low-budget world, the expendables budget for a department is often limited and has to be stretched. So where can these items be purchased with the most bang for the buck? Let’s find out.
Independent Film and Hollywood: How Technology is Closing the Gap on the Great Divide
It seems these days that the gap between independent films and Hollywood couldn’t be greater. Where the bread and butter of indie films has always been small character dramas, Hollywood is finding more ways to expel these stories from its gables and make spectacle, “tentpole,” films its area of focus.