Cinematographers Choice?

[Guy Meachin]

I often wonder how a cinematographer chooses what shots s/he can afford to use given a certain budget. How do you plan which scenes are most important and which need to have more finance thrown at them for camera dynamics etc (if they decided that's what they wanted).

 

How do they go through each scene and work out whether they can do what they want with the money they have? Surely this must be a nightmare! Does a cinematographer sit down with the producer?

 

I'm intrigued!

[David Mullen ASC]

Experience teaches you how long certain types of shots take to set-up and how many crew people are needed to do it efficiently, and what special equipment is needed. More experience you have, the better your estimates, although if you are working with unfamiliar crew or equipment, you may be thrown off your estimates.

 

But it does require sitting down with the director and finding out about the type of elaborate shots he has in mind for a scene so it can be properly scheduled and budgeted. If on the day, the director decides he needs to do a shot that requires a Weaver-Steadman head and you aren't carrying one, then you can tell him that a little warning would have been nice...

 

If you are doing things like remote crane or Steadicam shots, you also have to consider rigging and derigging time and whether it would be more efficient to pick-up a second camera for that stuff so you can shoot while they are rigging.

[Guy Meachin]

Thanks!

 

I'm still waiting until I have an evening free to sit down and watch Northfork! Looks brilliant!

 

 

Guy

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

...so what's a Weaver-Steadman head?

 

Phil

[Wendell_Greene]

weaver-stedman

[Phil Rhodes]

Oh, fine, it's just a remote head...

[David Mullen ASC]

Oh, fine, it's just a remote head...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Actually, the typical Weaver-Steadman head used is a manual 3-axis tripod head that allows you to undersling the camera for ground level dolly moves, etc.

[oscar jimenez]

Actually it is not "just a remote Head" if you use it, you'll surely going to change that definition, mostly if used on a Porta Jib, It is a beauty.