Looking for first time advice...allover again

JohnM · December 9, 2010

Hi there,

I'd love some advice for a production I will be shooting in the next few months. Its' going to be on a RED ONE and I am taking the full on RED course, as well as a lighting workshop at the CSC for a refresher. Then I'm renting the camera for a few days to get very familiar with it before it's real. Reason I say first time allover again is that I've been away from it for 15 years. Last time out was an Arri BL. Now I dont have A/C time at all, I'll be honest. I'm a trial by fire kind of guy. I chose a different path that led to myself being an Aircraft Maintenance Technician, so I have a firm grasp of the tech side of things. I've since decided to get back into film making as I've always loved the camera and being behind one, that and I was asked to do this shoot. I'm at an age where it's do this now or don't do it at all. I also will be the first to admit what I know or do not know and I have always respected and will always respect the fact that there are people out there that are way ahead of the game than I am. We have a very competent camera department with guys that obviously know more than me, the D.O.P for this production. They have no issues with this and nor do I. I have chosen to surround myself with skilled and experienced people who can get the job done. I guess what I'm asking is: Is this a scenario that has occured before? I'm not affraid of the challenge, but I'm not stupid or daft either.

Thanks everyone

timHealy · December 29, 2010

What are your plans here? Are you going to try and do lighting, camera, directing, and producing all by yourself? I would get help if I were you. Especially with the camera. Maybe you can rent from someone who is also the AC and can take care of that while you are trying to take care of everything else. Then I would get someone to help light. Then I would get someone to help produce/production manage/AD.

Best

Tim

David Mullen ASC · December 29, 2010

You'll be fine if you've got the back-up of crew people who know the camera and the rest of the equipment.

Jacob David · January 3, 2011

I LOVE Sony alpha Nex-5 camera. I bought it thinking there was an 85% chance I was going to return it, but am happy to tell you that as soon as I uploaded my first pictures, I was smitten. I was most worried about picture quality, because I had previously owned a Sony a200 and a700, and ended up selling both for a Canon and Nikon, because the picture quality just wasn't up to snuff.The other great things about this little guy are the ISO performance, which is ridiculous (better than D300s) and the high-speed continuous mode. Just to be straight on this, it will take 7, full-resolution photos a second, but locks exposure and focus.

The camera is fantastic. It feels solid in your hand and the sound of the shutter and vibration of the camera make you want to shoot photos with it. Overall build quality is great. The controls on the camera are good, but not great. The dedicated video button is nice and I like the location of the playback and power buttons on top. The LCD screen on the back tilts but I haven't had a need to use it much.

JohnM · January 11, 2011

What are your plans here? Are you going to try and do lighting, camera, directing, and producing all by yourself? I would get help if I were you. Especially with the camera. Maybe you can rent from someone who is also the AC and can take care of that while you are trying to take care of everything else. Then I would get someone to help light. Then I would get someone to help produce/production manage/AD.

Best

Tim

You'll be fine if you've got the back-up of crew people who know the camera and the rest of the equipment.

Thanks for the replies. I'm just dealing with the camera side of things including the operation of it. I have a big hand in lighting, that is to say I know what the Director and myself are after, and I have a competent Gaffer to work with. As for the camera itself, as David mentioned, I am working with a crew that knows the ropes. These guys are very competent. We have also brought on board a Red Cam tech who knows this thing inside and out. If a technical problem arises on set the last thing I want to do is troubleshoot equipment failures or a glitch. I'm just kicking myself in the ass for not following through with my passion for this many years ago. It's horrible to play catch up, but I look forward to the challenge.