Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Principal Photography-Take 2-You Can’t Mess With My Crew

On August 30, 2008 we had our principal photography.
















My day started around 6am. I had to pick up breakfast for my crew and my producer Amy. Here is my crew and basically what they were responsible for:

Producer
Amy Frost
My second set of eyes and ears. She was with me through every step of the production and helped me audition all of the actors. During principal photography she also was on set to help with everything as well as the administrative part of the shoot. She had to make sure EVERYONE signed a release form. Anyone who appeared on camera had to sign a release giving us permission to put him or her in the film.

Director of Photography
Laylla Strand
The DP (Director of Photography) (or Cinematographer) is responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image. On a large production (not this one) the rest of the camera department is subordinate to the DP, who, along with the director, has the final word on all decisions related to both lighting and framing.

In other words, she framed all of the shots and made sure everything in the frame of the camera looked right. She was also responsible for where we put the camera to get the best shot of not only the actors, but also what is in the background of the scene. Even when I was behind the camera she was behind the monitor to let me know if everything looked right.

Assistant Director
Jack Sherman

An assistant director (AD) is a person who helps the director in the making of a movie or television show. Jack's duties as an AD was, tracking our daily progress, arranging logistics, maintaining order on the set among other things as well as shooting some footage with our second camera.

Key Grip/Boom Operator
Torrance "Preech" Hopson

As Key Grip Preech helped with pretty much any technical aspect including help setting up the lights as well as the monitor. The principal responsibility of the boom operator is microphone placement, sometimes using a "fishpole" with a microphone attached to the end and sometimes, when the situation permits, using a "boom" (often a "fisher boom") which is a special piece of equipment that the operator stands on and that allows precise control of the microphone at a much greater distance away from the actors. He or she will also place wireless microphones on actors when it is necessary.

We didn't place wireless mics on any actor's but the kitchen scene was so small we just need to place them on the set and out of sight of the camera. The boom operator must decide where to place the boom microphone based on a combination of factors, including the location and projection of any dialogue, the frame position of the camera, and any unwanted noise sources.

Production Assistants
Yvette Moore
Patricia Cooper
Steven Cooper
Wanda Campbell

A Production Assistant, also known as a PA, is an entry-level job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production. The job of a PA can vary greatly depending on the budget and specific requirements of a production as well as whether or not the production is unionized.(Which our was not.)

PAs work on the physical set of the production, whether on location or on a sound stage. They report to the Assistant Director (AD) department and key set PA if one is so designated. Duties include pretty much ANY tasks as mandated by the AD.

On our film the PAs did everything from operate the slate (pictured at the top of this entry), stop traffic while we were shooting a scene on the street, taking pictures as well as moving stuff out of the shot. PAs usually work 12- to 16-hour days and are regularly the "first to arrive and the last to leave".


So that's technical whos and whats NEXT will be the props. Not set props, but MY props 2 my crew.

Previous “Takes” on Principal Photography
Principal Photography-Take 1-The Definition

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