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Simple things crew people should know


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If you're the DP/Producer of a film, do not mention the money you're spending on footage in front of the actors.

 

On this project I just finished AC'ing, the DP kept getting pissed off when another take needed to be done shouting "I don't have money for this!" Which consequently made the actors nervous and eventually had them concerned and worrying about how much footage was to be used in each scene...this is the last thing you want an actor to concentrate on in a performance art.

 

Oh, also, try not to DP & Produce at the same time...better to master one of them then fail at all of them.

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The protectionism that goes along with unions is the culprit here.

Why wouldn't that guy have gotten fired for doing this?

Is it that hard to fire a union member?

 

If you go through the Union itself, it CAN BE easier to let people go. Unions are protective of themselves and understand that someone not showing up to work is in violation of that person's union agreement. So, what can happen is you go through them and they either put the guy in line or take him off the project for you to find someone else.

 

How on earth is he supposed to create beautiful images without the correct beverage in his hand??!!

 

Here here! ha ha

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When the DP asks for a Latte, make sure that you don't bring him a Cappuccino, or worse, a Mocchaccino, by mistake.

 

How on earth is he supposed to create beautiful images without the correct beverage in his hand??!!

 

;)

 

 

I'm clueless when it comes to coffee types. I'm also a soon-to-be PA. What kinds should I know about?

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I was an extra in a movie late last year and one of the scenes that I was in was a garden party. These small children had been on set for hours with little food and one of them was getting extremely restless. She had enough and started whining. Meanwhile the crew were setting up a shot and were about to roll and this little girl was whining continously, making a hell of a lot of noise. Oh the pleasures of working with children....

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luckily i have had enough patient and skilled people around to learn. on my first set i did not even know that gels existed. now i like to calculate their mired just for fun.

no matter how stupid a mistake was somewone just told me how to do better. that is what i wish for everyone whos eager to learn and interested.

 

this goes out mostly to runners and PAs, some of it may sound more like a joke but obviously isnt:

 

1. it is incredibly important even for a runner or intern to know what is actually being shot. the smaller the crew the more improtant. meaning read and know the shooting scedulle to avoid getting yelled at.

2. dont complain (about hard work or stuff that can not be changed). thats just not helping anyone and makes one immensly unpopular within no time.

3. care for you own stuff, i found it really important to have the right clothes and other supplies you need. dont bother anyone with your choice of diet, if youre vegetarian just make sure that your bring your own stuff if you dont know if there will be anything right for you.

4. in position of PA remember peoples names! (dont call acters by their characters names)

 

aw and what really is important:

5. HoDs can not fight with each other in front of the rest of the crew! that just kills anything.

(having survived a shoot where camera director and producer could not stand each other)

sounds like comedy but really wasnt. more like hell on earth.

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As a PA, here's what I've learned is most important for me:

 

1. Never complain. There are enough other college students out wanting their shot that you can be dropped quite easily and replaced with someone who can keep quiet. Noone wants to stay a PA, but it's your turn to pay your dues. So shut up.

 

2. Remember names. It shows you're paying attention (I'm horrible with names, so I work really hard at memorizing who is who). Also, remember traits that might be important. When the director asks you to grab him a bottle of water, it's important to know that he only drinks 'Fiji' brand water.

 

3. Offer coffee runs frequently. Heck, it's not your money, and production personnel are quite grateful to the guy who brings coffee. Bonus: They might just remember your name. They DO appreciate you being there.

 

4. Never jump into doing someone you don't know anything about, there are too many expensive things around you that are easy to break. Always ask first. And DO ask frequently! The camera assistant loading boxes into the camera truck you're chewing gum next to? Yeah, they notice that. Offer to lend a hand and collect bonus points. Don't offer to lend a hand and they'll be less likely to let you know about upcoming job possibilities.

 

5. Read read read! There is very little literature out there on PAing, but enough time with Google will teach you most everything you need.

 

6. (this seems to apply for all departments in the industry) Admit mistakes.

 

PAing isn't much fun, but it is fun to just be a part of a production. To see the moving gears of a production you've only read about in books. Above all else it's important to just be a good guy, An honest worker who is reliable and fun to work with is a great combination. I've been interning for only a month and have been on three shooting days, but I've managed to get a good relationship with our camera assistant and gaffer. They introduce me to people and offer up explanations whenever I have questions. The camera assistant even agreed to let me give him a hand during his next camera check out. They're baby steps, but they bring me closer to my goal.

 

I really don't understand how people can keep their jobs doing things like David described, going fishing, or deciding not to show up for work. I can understand the complications of firing them for that particular production, but how do they hope to get jobs in the future? I know people who fight tooth and nail for the opportunity to work on a feature film. I can only hope to be so lucky someday. I work my ass off working for free and live entirely off bank loans. It's infuriating to know people like that are out there who squander their opportunities and create such inconvenience for others. I've met so many great people in my short time PAing, it's hard to believe people like that can make it in the business.

Edited by james smyth
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no matter how stupid a mistake was somewone just told me how to do better. that is what i wish for everyone whos eager to learn and interested.

Absolutely super point - to look at mistakes as learning opportunities and reply by saying "Thank you for teaching me the right way to do this".

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Hi,

 

I've only ever twice offered people help on a film set; both times I was snapped at.

 

So I'll chew my gum in future.

 

Phil

 

I'm right there with you. This summer I was a best boy electric on a feature and one day after wrap my team was done, the truck was packed. Camera and production design were lagging so I figured why not jsut help and get home faster, and when I did the AC's and art dept were yelling at all of us to get out of their space. I dont understand why they were like that, luckily I was working with an amazing director and writer who always offered to help lay the first lengths of banded cable, unload the truck, or load the truck. SOmetimes it's easy to tell who wants to stay bitchy and territorial and who actually wants to help get things DONE.

Edited by Kenny N Suleimanagich
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Hi,

 

What gets me sometimes is the things people are bitchy and territorial about. Rigging a 10K on some huge stand with flags and filters? Fine, you do it. But carrying a few stands? Jeez, if you're that desperate to do it, I won't make you the coffee I was about to offer as you're clearly too busy to drink the damn stuff!

 

This should probably be on the list of things crew people should know, in fact: decline help graciously.

 

Phil

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I've certainly worked on & with crews small enough so that everyone has to do everything.

 

But I want to say this, a bad wrap is worse than a slow wrap. I've had PA's etc assigned to help with the wrap and the next day have it take twice as long to get anything set up. Now if this kind of wrap is catefully supervised, OK, but if ever it's even slightly "improvised" it's swiss cheese the next day (or back @ rental house or whatever...)

 

So that may explain some reluctance on the part of depts etc regarding help....

 

-Sam Wells

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I have heard tales of such drastically territorial people, seems to me they'd be pretty easy to spot and easy to block out of mind. I guess if they're going to be mean about it, there's no point in helping. Who would want to work with those kinds of people in the future?

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While its not cool to blow up at other people on set (especially PA's, who should be trained to be your unholy army in preperation for the end times), I can understand folks getting upset at others doing their work. Most of us have a system, whether it be in setting up/breaking down gear, or just in loading a truck, which can sometimes be more complicated than expected, considering any given case can hold tens of thousands of dollars in lenses or camera gear. The offer of help should always be appreciated, but sometimes it just can't be accepted.

 

A comment was made earlier about vegetarians bringing their own food, and while its always a good idea to be prepared and have some grub to get you through the day, production should always take peoples diets into account at the brginning of the shoot. Consider the plight of diabetics who are offered nothing but candy, or people who are allergic to something only to find out later that much of the food contains that ingredient. I've seen it happen plenty of times, and it can bring production to a halt.

 

Complaining usually doesn't get anybody anywhere though. If something needs to be done talk to the right people and help make it happen.

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Hi,

 

The longest shooting job I've ever been on had really crap food. Not a failure to deal with people's dietary needs, or whatever, just really poor quality food. To wit:

 

- Chunks of bread clearly cut up the night before, so stale, and tasted like cotton wool anyway

- Cold meat clearly reformed from mechanically-recovered paste, tasted of nothing but salt

- Salad, where there was any, visibly brown and wilting

- Meat dishes filled with suspicious tubes

- Pasta dishes boiled to the point of becoming one with the sauce.

- Coffee left to simmer for hours

 

Crews are working hard over long hours, and should be well fed.

 

Phil

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Hey Rory, remember that crap-a$$ Aaton 35-III job we worked on and how horrible the food was?! I swear to god I was in a pre-diabetic state by the second day. I second this about the food...I understand, as a vegetarian with a freakishly fast metabolism, packing my own emergency rations in my ditty bag. (I also keep my Zen book and some deodorant in there!) But ultimately, it is crafty's job to ask about special dietary needs and to then provide to the best of their ability. I've seen the difference in performance when the crew lives off pizza and cookies all day, versus when the food is healthier and there are even snacks provided. And keep in mind, low-budget film and low-budget food don't always go hand in hand (which is something I will never figure out!). The best crafty I ever had was when I worked on a freebie spec commercial...the food was awesome and it made people forget that they weren't getting paid!

 

As far as camera crew goes, I would give the following advice:

 

1. If the focus was bad, say something to the operator or DP.

2. If you flashed a mag, say something to the 2nd or 1st AC.

3. If the camera is having problems, there is no need to announce it to the entire crew. Inform your department head that the camera crew needs 20 minutes, or however long. I have been on low-budget jobs where something will go wrong with the camera (I worked with the Panaflex Elaine, I don't even think I need to elaborate..!) and other departments will be drilling me about what's going on. I kept my mouth shut and kept things simple. Think of it this way, if you're the pilot and the plane's going down, you're not about to get on the intercom and yell, "MAYDAY! WE'RE ALL SCREWED!" are you? Granted, I don't know what I would say in that situation either, but that's why I'm a camera assistant and not a pilot. :D

4. Don't yell, run, or rush around if you don't have to. Someone will drop something or get hurt and it won't impress anybody.

5. Similarly, don't carry more than you have to. If you can't carry two ditty bags and a lens case safely, make two trips. If a case has two handles on it, maybe that means two people should carry it. I used to lift Arrihead and Panahead cases by myself until one day I did the math and realized that I was basically lifting about 75% of my own weight in my arms, and any orthopedist would probably have a fit about this. Lower back pain sucks. Weird pops and cracks in your shoulders that weren't there before you started the job, suck. Don't mess yourself up for the sake of a job that you won't be able to do if you get hurt. It took me a couple of years to really figure this out, but eventually, you'll learn.

6. If you're the loader and you have a question about when to load or what to load, or whatever, use common sense as to when you should ask this question. Not in the middle of a rehearsal, not while the rest of the camera crew is busy, not in front of anybody who might get hysterical about the amount of film being used. I know the way politics sometimes work, or don't work, on low-budget jobs, and I know it's hard to practice this when it seems like everyone's always up in everyone else's poop, but just try. At the very least, the rest of the camera crew will appreciate it.

7. Don't spread cases and bags all over the place. I know this has been said before but it seems like it happens more with camera, because we're the ones who need to change lenses, filters, or mags. Figure out where you'll be and what you might need and keep it organized in a logical fashion. Rubbermaids and Magliners are a great idea for this.

8. Stay in touch with the rental house if you need something exchanged. That's why they exist! This being said, if you're shooting over a weekend, take that into account.

9. Be courteous and polite to other departments and if your crap is in their way, move it. Attitudes like this will spread throughout the whole crew and promote harmony and good communication. It will make the job that much more enjoyable.

10. Oh yeah. Don't bitch about how hungry or tired or cold or hot or bored or irritated you are. How do you think everybody else feels? Bring your own weather whenever you can.

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On One TV show that I was an extra on, we were given no meals, only coffee. This is despite being told on the phone previously that food would be provided on the day. Later on during the day, we extras discovered some mobile vans just near the set that were selling hot dogs etc but I didn't bring my wallet because I was under the impression that we would be given free food. So I starved that day.

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- Chunks of bread clearly cut up the night before, so stale, and tasted like cotton wool anyway

- Cold meat clearly reformed from mechanically-recovered paste, tasted of nothing but salt

- Salad, where there was any, visibly brown and wilting

- Meat dishes filled with suspicious tubes

- Pasta dishes boiled to the point of becoming one with the sauce.

- Coffee left to simmer for hours

 

Help ! I'm having serious flashbacks to High School :o

 

-Sam Wells

 

(ok they didn't serve us coffee)

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Hi,

 

> I worked with the Panaflex Elaine

 

There, there.

 

Some Elaine users have, with the appropriate professional assistance and the support of their friends and family, gone on to lead dignified, independent lives.

 

Phil

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