pulling focus

[Jim Nelson]

Hi,

 

I've seen some 1st AC's measure the distance between the different camera positions and the different positions of the actors and then just pull focus. They didn't put any gaffer tape on the ground or on the dolly tracks to mark. The only markings they made was on the ring of the follow focus. However, the focus was always sharp.

 

Is this a bad way of measuring and pulling focus? Or should you always put tape on the ground and on the dolly tracks?

 

 

Thanks for your help.

[Chris Keth]

You answered your own question without knowing it. If it was sharp, then they did it right.

[Michael Kubaszak]

if the lenses allow it you should really mark the barrel. use some 1/16 paper tape or 1/32(can't remember) and put some j-lar on top of it and you can mark it with china-markers or the staedlter lumo color pens. marking the focus ring is not as accurate.

[Chris Keth]

if the lenses allow it you should really mark the barrel. use some 1/16 paper tape or 1/32(can't remember) and put some j-lar on top of it and you can mark it with china-markers or the staedlter lumo color pens. marking the focus ring is not as accurate.

 

All true. I'm a china marker kind of guy. Whatever you have to do to keep it sharp.

[Tom Jensen]

All true. I'm a china marker kind of guy. Whatever you have to do to keep it sharp.

 

Me too. I knew guys who would spend hours at the rental house pre-marking disk after disk. If the gear slipped or came loose, you were lost. I liked the stabillo and I kept it sharp. Whatever works for you is what works. As long as it's sharp.

[Gregory Almond]

Personal preference plays into this. If it is sharp where it needs to be then that is what works. I've seen ACs go down a dolly track foot by foot getting marks, and that works for them. I've seen ACs eye it up and get it right.