Keeping your cool on set

[G McMahon]

It?s late in the morning on a night shoot, the director lost patience and is apathetic, circuits are blowing, crew is moving slowly, and we are out of cigarettes and coffee and I feel like the only person who doesn?t want to compromise simply to go home early.

 

I know the importance of keeping your wits. Only the incompetent, inexperienced and ill prepared lose their temperament.

 

How or what techniques do you people use on set to keep your head? I have seen cameramen smoking pot.

 

A couple of times it has been pointed out to me that I come across callous (I don't often work with the most experienced crews). I?m not there to make friends nor I am a complete bastard, I?m the first one to apologize to a crew member if I have rode them. It may be my Army background, but I just like making things clear and concise, there isn?t always the time to be precious. Am I wrong or is it just me?

 

Thanks all,

 

G. McMahon

Edited August 14, 2006 by G McMahon

[Chad Stockfleth]

The name of the game is staying professional and upbeat. It's kind of a dumb analogy, but sort of like boxing.....you going to work hard all night to get lazy in the last round and get knocked out? I warned you, dumb analogy.

 

Of course, anything you can do to maintain a pleasant vibe for your crew is appreciated. When it's late and everyone's tired is exactly the time to remember to be considerate and helpful.

[Nooman Naqvi]

It is very hard to stay calm under those circumstances, but one has to. How to? everyone have their own personal way in maintaining calm. I do by reminding myself that it'll be all over soon.

[Brian Dzyak]

I"m just sort of easy mannered anyway, which is why when I do get "concise," everyone seems to take notice a little more and dig in. I'm of the belief that we can be easy going and nice and still get the work done, perhaps quicker. I tend to get more out of people in general because I'm just as willing to help them when necessary than to just get short and authoritarian. The result is that the day moves faster, everyone seems to enjoy themselves, and we don't get into stressful situations as often as we might otherwise. I'm no saint, but setting a relaxed and coorperative mood from the start helps to avoid unpleasant situations later on.

[Guest rwimberg]

It?s late in the morning on a night shoot, the director lost patience and is apathetic, circuits are blowing, crew is moving slowly, and we are out of cigarettes and coffee and I feel like the only person who doesn?t want to compromise simply to go home early.

 

I know the importance of keeping your wits. Only the incompetent, inexperienced and ill prepared lose their temperament.

 

How or what techniques do you people use on set to keep your head? I have seen cameramen smoking pot.

 

A couple of times it has been pointed out to me that I come across callous (I don't often work with the most experienced crews). I?m not there to make friends nor I am a complete bastard, I?m the first one to apologize to a crew member if I have rode them. It may be my Army background, but I just like making things clear and concise, there isn?t always the time to be precious. Am I wrong or is it just me?

 

Thanks all,

 

G. McMahon

 

 

It might help to give the crew a talk at the begining of the shoot as to the possibility of the shoot turning into a long day or night. Make sure everyone understands what it is going to be like at the end of the day and to prepare mentally for the drain. I know after a few 18 hour days I've had to talk to the producer to get them to lighten up or there would be a mutiny. If there is dangerous rigging or the potential for injury then you have to know when to back off.

[G McMahon]

I forgot to say that, I am quite jovial, and I?m the first person to have a joke at my own expense, and if anything my Army background makes me a bigger advocate of crew needs, adequate catering and water, etc as so many others (higher echelon, are more concerned with the film).

 

As a second, I am concerned about the commitment level of film students that have helped out on shoots. I was taught by old hands, but even when I started out crewing on freebies, I always turned up early with my bongos on my belt and kept an eye line on my AC and DP and tried to preempt the next thing, and I was there before they even said my name. I see students sitting back talking about films and what they did on this, and what they would do on this, (typing this is making me feel old). I will give them credit; they are quick to jump on things when I ask them, but should you really be asking for assistance when raising /lowering the tripod?

 

If I were their age I would prefer to be getting in on pro sets and making good money being a PA, video split op, anything, and being able to watch the pros doing their work then working in a video shop, bar, telling people I?m a producer or director. And to get on those pro-sets you need to be switched on. On a shoot over the weekend I told the sound recordist who was laying a cable at the time, ?when the director is looking through the lens, clear the frame?. I mentioned that to them three times, in the one set up. I don?t wish to sound condescending but there is so much to working on a proficient set then the ABC?s learnt at film school. You are crew, don?t try and dress cool, be utilitarian, when you start getting paid good money, and are employing me, then where a fez hat for all I care. Learn from my experience, you will get more work when people realize your there for them and their production, not yourself. People don?t see you as a creative or bohemian until they have seen your work, not how you dress. If you conduct yourself professionally on unpaid gigs then your Dp, Producer, Director will go the extra yard to pull you on paid gigs.

 

There are so many attributes that make people successful in this game besides talent. Learn them. I recently killed myself on a corporate job because I told the money man he had no clue, but hey, I hope to get to a point where my shots will be so great they will put up with my character deficiencies (I wonder is that why a lot of great cameramen are older). In saying that though, Mr. Mullen characters (not that I know personally), will continue shooting beautiful pics and be mild, with good temperament and a lot easier to work with.

THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO KNOW HOW TO DO.

[erolroniberaha]

After 26 hours of working in a music video that is being shot by a first time director, I lost my nerve. e has been working as 1st ad. If I shut my mouth that day I would have been working with the company he has been working for. A good lesson learned

 

Erol Roni Beraha

Focuspuller

Istanbul

[Brian S. Miller]

First off, if your still shooting 18 hours later, you may have made the wrong Career Choice. No one should be made to work that long. If you forsee that happening, you need to hire Two Crews, then stagger them in and out.

No Money? too bad, break the shoot in two, no time? to bad, this is a small ind. and if you work like that, no one will want to deal with you anymore.

 

Nieve? maybe, Happy You bet! Working? All the time. :-D

[Carlos Hidalgo A.M.C]

good I think that the import think is to thank your crew , they make your job easy, every person whom work on a movie facilitates your job then it is necessary to thank it ( production assistent, the make-up artist, the boy of the sound,) every person will understand after when the presion will be presented and they are going to help you to manage it better.

 

i think a DOP is like a general if you do everything for your team, thye will do the same for you..

 

 

see ya

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

On the other hand, I did a fairly big job recently where I carefully maintained an icy calm through all kinds of adversity - and really, I should have been yelling at someone. You can camouflage problems so completely that they build up into an unimpedable obstacle. If I'd given someone a good going-over, it would have at least signalled that there was a serious problem, and corrective action could have been taken.

 

Obviously, not the right course of action for all, or even many, situations, but sometimes it's necessary to make problems known.

 

Phil

[David Mullen ASC]

You generally lead by example. If you stay calm and professional, at least you aren't contributing to the tension.

 

Now in terms of the long day... if you're the reason it's going long because of your perfectionism, beyond what the director or producers are demanding from you, you have to ask yourself if you are doing your job because doing the work well within the schedule is part of the job, even if it means simplifying.

 

Now I've been in the same boat... on my last feature, we had all the work dogpile into the last day of the shoot: the call sheet had 17 scenes, 9 pages, day int. & ext., night int. & ext., and I knew just looking at the call sheet that it would be a horrendously long day (everyone did.) So I simplified as much as I could but there were limits considering I was shooting stunts with efx rigging, stage sets that had to simulate daytime, etc. The producers asked me if I could just "light it less good" to go faster, but I was just doing the minimal amount of lighting to make the set look believable. When you have a day scene in a room with windows on a soundstage, you can't just bounce a 1K off of the ceiling (and there was no ceiling) and be done with it.

 

I just plowed ahead and did a 20-hour day. In the end, I was thanked for doing the work properly and not compromising. I kept my cool because that's just my nature. Plus the director was an easy-going guy who also kept his cool and sense of humor. A sense of humor is absolutely critical for getting through a hard day.

 

As far as pot or drugs, etc. I don't do stuff like that and I don't recommend it. I don't feel artificial stimulation or relaxants are effective really. There are limits to fooling your body. Most of the potheads on the set are somewhat schitzo, like some of the nicotine addicts -- they are either stressed-out because they aren't smoking, or zoned-out because they are high (I'm talking about the pot smokers, not the cigarette smokers -- they just alternate from being stressed-out to being smelly.)

 

I don't even like to drink too much coffee on a set because afterawhile, my body just reacts badly (I won't go into the messy details.)

 

The thing is to watch out for unsafe behavior on set when people are tired and get rushed.

[G McMahon]

First off, if your still shooting 18 hours later, you may have made the wrong Career Choice. No one should be made to work that long. If you forsee that happening, you need to hire Two Crews, then stagger them in and out.

No Money? too bad, break the shoot in two, no time? to bad, this is a small ind. and if you work like that, no one will want to deal with you anymore.

 

Nieve? maybe, Happy You bet! Working? All the time. :-D

 

Mr. Miller,

 

Everything should be judged on its on merits, Mr. Behara has probably been in situations that many of have been in, and believe we're doing favours and furthering our career. We have to be objective in our perceptions of what people have gone through. After all, as film makers we have to be objective.

 

I believe this site is for us to perfect our craft and in that perfect utopian society we will all be working at premium rates with the best crews.

 

Please don?t condemn people for bring truthful on any of my threads, I am glad your happy and that?s what this thread is about, getting other shooters with ill temperament up to speed with your self. So please, how do you find your euphoria. I know when I get back from a crap shoot all I have to do is put on a good film and I back there.

[David Mullen ASC]

The occasional long day is just going to happen now & then -- the real problem is when it is systemic, a regular occurence on the shoot.

[Arni Heimir]

I agree with David Mullen. Humor is paramount. That and an energy drink.

[G McMahon]

I kept my cool because that's just my nature. Plus the director was an easy-going guy who also kept his cool and sense of humor.

 

When you say it was in your nature, is it innate or did your feel it was easier to keep calm with your increase in knowledge as your career developed. Earlier, did you hit the roof at all?

[David Mullen ASC]

When you say it was in your nature, is it innate or did your feel it was easier to keep calm with your increase in knowledge as your career developed. Earlier, did you hit the roof at all?

 

I'm just naturally quiet and low-key. I tend to internalize my stress, for better or worse.

 

I'm not saying that I've never snapped at someone on a set though when pushed enough, but it's rare and I usually apologize later to the person.

[John Holland]

I think as the most important technical person on a set you must keep your cool at all times and try and keep a nice relaxed atmosphere with humour ,its only a movie . If there are real problems , they should be dealt with the Director , Producer at the end of the day . Some times things cant resolved , but not often . john .

[Alex Haspel]

Most of the potheads on the set are somewhat schitzo, like some of the nicotine addicts -- they are either stressed-out because they aren't smoking, or zoned-out because they are high (I'm talking about the pot smokers, not the cigarette smokers -- they just alternate from being stressed-out to being smelly.)

mr. mullen,

with all due respect, but as a (cigarette) smoker myself, i find comparing my brood to potheads a bit unfair. just like every other working professional i know, i am strongly against pot, booze or any other mind altering substances on a set. since everybody has certain responsibilities, duties, and work that should be done agile, effektive and skillful, i consider not being sober irresponsble and dangerous to ones self, others and the final product. i would not hesitate to fire someone who is high or drunk on set, or plead to so, given i'm not in the position.

 

and as a cigarette smoker, i consider it my duty not to show others that i'm craving for a cigarette, or go smoking one in inappropiate moments. so does any other working professional i know.

maybe there are more black sheep where you work, but the industry here is rather small, so anyone going for a smoke between takes or being obviously unconcentrated because of his nicotine addiction won't have a very long and/or glorious career.

 

so, being a controlled, concentrated and focused worker as a smoker, also on non-smoking sets, is possible, and not to be compared to someone who does obiously not take his job seriously and is high or drunk on set.

 

 

phew...

that was definately my most eloquent post, given that english is not my mother tongue.

must have been the fact that this was something "personal" .. ;)

Edited August 14, 2006 by haspel

[G McMahon]

As a smoker, from everywhere I have worked, if the boss is a smoker, all is good. If it they aren't, then be discreet (unless your a grip or electric, carry on). Otherwise, we smokers are becoming the most contemporary discriminated race. We will be gathering in dark alleyways for the next couple of years till we are liberated.

 

People are drifting, what are peoples techniques of keeping calm?

Edited August 14, 2006 by G McMahon

[Alex Haspel]

People are drifting, what are peoples techniques of keeping calm?

 

smoking.

 

 

just kidding.

i just keep reminding myself that behaviours like loosing ones temper are most likely not considered professional.

[David Mullen ASC]

As mentioned, a sense of humor to keep things in perspective.

 

It falls upon those in charge -- the director, producer (if on set), the DP, the AD, and the department heads -- to establish the working tone on a set. If one of those leaders is causing the tension on the set, it falls upon the person over that person to intervene. So if the director is the one yelling and freaking-out, you should get the producer on the set to calm them down. If the director is producing as well, or the producer is weak, or it's the producer causing the problem, then you are sort of screwed but at least you can talk to the people under you and keep them calm and organized.

 

The AD is very important and can arrange little things like getting the craft service person to bring snacks or cups of water around to each person now & then. They should also be able to keep the set quiet, kick people off who shouldn't be there, etc.

[Thom Stitt]

As a DP, when I've found myself getting pretty pissed off, it tended to be toward one or two individuals as opposed to the entire crew. What helped me in this situation was to just look around for a minute at the set.

There are the actors - great people. The director, my friend, the AD, surprisingly as well, on very good terms with me. A few people on the lighting/grip crew may also be on great terms with you. A great group of people. It became instantly not worth it to ruin the mood on the set by blowing up at one person. Believe me, I wanted to so, so bad. Sometimes it helps a little, if there's room for a bit of a focus shift while DPing, to fantasize about a totally sweet Van Damme style fight scene on the film set. You grap a C-stand, he grabs a junior stand, and it's ON. aaaaahhh...

 

I tend to become kind of the comedic relief on set, if there is some level of tension. One time I was tweaking lights during a fairly steamy make-out scene - One actor was fantastically inexperienced, and the other was an absolute professional. Well, the inexperienced one thought he had permission, I guess, and started doing cute little things in between takes, flirty little moves to the actress that were utterly inappropriate.

It would end with her slinking away from him and shooting the most intensely cold stare at him - Meanwhile I'm inches from these guys taking a light meter reading.

 

The awkwardness lasted a few seconds, so I made a joke - something like "Ah damn I've seen that look. Here comes the switchblade." The actress continued the joke, and the tension was released at least a little. But never fully.

 

Is it cool or appropriate to essentially tell an actor he deserves to be stabbed? Not really. But in this situation, I just reacted on instincts and I think overall it helped. The worst it could have done for the actor is embarassed him, and that's absolutely what he should have felt.

 

That was the only time it had to do with actors though - the rest of it for me dealt with crew members.

 

So essentially, I'm seconding what's been mentioned about humor. It's a priceless, priceless tool in calming people down, shifting attention and mood to the lighter side, etc.

 

But here's another technique, especially if it's a really really long day.

In the middle of a crucial setup? Ready to go all "Hulk Smash" on the crew?

Just walk over to crafty, indulge in your absolute favorite snack on the table, and get some energy in you. Spend a second or so enacting a cool move or two in your Steven Seagal fight scene. He just loosened a riser and swung the stand wide at you - you blocked with your C-stand, reached into the nearby 2K, pulled out the scrims, and frisbied them at his eyes.

 

If you can do this and get a smile out of it, finish your snack and head back to work.

[Brian Dzyak]

People are drifting, what are peoples techniques of keeping calm?

 

If I am being asked to do something unreasonable or accomplish the impossible then I make a concerted attempt to take a deep breath before letting anything show on my face or let anything out of my mouth. Taking that extra moment to consider a response goes a long way. Afterall, getting upset at people usually* doesn't make a difference. If there is cause to be upset, then there is usually a way out of the problem. Even if the Producer or someone else has caused it, it only helps everyone if we concentrate on finding a solution instead of turning the set into an uncomfortable place to be.

 

 

* I did lose my cool once when I was an AC. I was working on an ultra low budget gig pulling focus for about $200 a day or so...anyway, the day was going to be long as it was near the end of the schedule, but it went even longer because the Director/Producer refused to tell the Gaffer and DP what he wanted in our next interior location. So we finished our Day Ext then moved to the Interior which took about three hours to light. That's three hours of work that could have been done while we were shooting Day Exteriors eariler. It was late, my regular 2nd had left for another show and my Loader was doing both. He was new and we were shooting short ends. The last shot of the night was a 12 foot dolly move into an Actor's face on something like a 180mm wide open. The rest of the crew was looking to me to shut it all down as we went into our 18th hour and suddenly I realized that there were no Actors or a Director on set! Somebody said that they went outside to get a snack. For the first time that I can remember, I shouted out very loudly that if we didn't have Actors on the set in thirty seconds, the crew was going home. I've never seen an Actor run that fast to get back to one. We were wrapped a couple takes later.

[Guest]

Otherwise, we smokers are becoming the most contemporary discriminated race.

 

It's the very least you deserve for filling the lungs of healthy non-smokers with your filthy toxic sludge.

 

As to keeping cool on set, I find that bad planning and poor co-ordination often leads to over heated crews. Days can roll along much smoother and all will be happier if the day is well planned and the director knows what he is looking for. Directors need to ensure for instance that actors are well prepared with their lines to cut down on the number of takes, this is just one of many important steps he can take.

 

Having said that, "blank" happens, and when it does every one needs to stay calm and work around the problem.

 

In six weeks I start my biggest project to date, I just have to hope that all of my advance planning pays off. I'm sure it will to some degree.

[Tomas Koolhaas]

Hi,

This is a great thread! Of course everyone differs, but I have found a few things that help me:

1) I am very easy-going off-set, so when I get serious on-set my crew (Who all know me personally) tend to pay close attention, I think the contrast emphasises my intent!

2) I work with (My A/C's and Gaffer at least) people who I know very well and get on very well with, although sometimes you have to "outsource" your crew, I almost always manage to insist on having my choice of key crew. The difference that makes is huge!!, especially in the 18th hour of a shoot when the 1st AD is a clown, having a mate on-set who you can ridicule the whole situation with relieves tension like nothing else. It can turn a hellish situation in to a ridiculously amusing one which can then also be reffered to on a later shoot at the 18th hour to relieve tension on that shoot too.

3) I agree with someone who said earlier that talking to the crew before hand helps a lot, If you let them know that the Production have scheduled 10 pages and 6 locations for one day and the 1st AD is an imbecile, but you say that if you get through the day alive you will buy them a beer afterwards and will all have something to laugh about on the next shoot, they will probably endure the day better than if they dont know what to expect.

4) Most importantly, I agree that there is no time for making friends on set (as the DP at least) but saying please or thank you after something takes maybe a 20th of a second, which over an entire day may add up to 5 seconds total, that is not enough to justify dispensing with politeness, If I ask someone to do something I usually say "Can you sandbag that C-Stand for me please mate?" I think this works better than "Sandgbag that C-stand" and takes a fraction longer to say. Letting people know they did a good job and you apreciate it makes a massive difference too. If someone just skirted a light for you and you just say "OK" when they show you they fell one way, but if you say " I couldn't have skirted that better myself Bro, Nice one" they will feel chuffed and work faster and harder for more praise. Smiling at people helps too, not to say you should be fake, but if once in a while you put your hand on your AC's shoulder and smile at them and say "Nice work today, this is gonna look really good, I don't know what I would have done without you" it makes a massive difference, I know this not only from DPing, but when I AC'd it made the world of difference to me.

 

Having said all this, there are some times when the people around you are such imbeciles it is unbarable and they ask for the moon and give you pitence to achieve it. And sometimes you dont have any allies on the set, at these times the only things you can do are: Breath deeply (dont hyperventilate though), get away for a second if you can, maybe sneek a quick listen to a song you like through one earphone on your I-Pod, make a quick phonecall to a girlfreind/boyfriend, good mate or wife/husband, hearing a freindly voice helps a lot and can make the horrible situation seem funny from an objective viewpoint.

Just think to yourself that the shoot WILL finish at some point and at the very least you will have made it through and will probably have a few cool shots for your reel. Just try and see the humour behind the most absurd situations and you will be able to make it through ANY shoot, trust me I know.

P.S. Stoned people on set are no good!, they are unreliable, and usually careless, and stoned/slow people and heavy/dangerous equipment are a bad combo.

Cheers.

Edited August 14, 2006 by Tomas Koolhaas