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Explain camera report forms please!


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You fill the reports on the shoot day. A camera assistant usually fills them out. They provide information to the editors and other post production staff on the slate numbers and technical information. If shooting on film it will provide footage for each take and processing info for the laboratory.

 

Here's one person's camera report sheet, there are others for film shoots.

 

http://www.theblackandblue.com/2011/12/27/camera-reports/

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Every take is recorded on a camera report. Most of them feature:

  • Camera height
  • Lens
  • Aperture
  • Angle
  • Scene #
  • Shot (expressed with letters)
  • Special notes (such as rehearsal shot, VFX plate, bad take, false roll, etc)
  • Clip name (if digital)
  • Compression/codec (if digital)
  • Filters

Big picture: the camera report isn't the only thing post-production uses. The Script Supervisor report is heavily used. A 2nd AC should be constantly in touch with the Script Supervisor to ensure accuracy on the camera report.

 

Filling out a report as a 2nd AC is challenging, but part of the job. Stay focused, ask questions, and don't assume.

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It gets easy; shots start to repeat, things stop changing. Usually codec is the same throughout and metadata is eliminating more and more things a report needs to have.

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I know, went to buy one from Arri the other day. It has like 30 pages and costs 20GBP!!

 

 

Cos they had Arri written on them.. they used to be supplied by the actual labs themselves .. for free ! .. might be worth checking that out.. was a long time ago though !..

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Cos they had Arri written on them.. they used to be supplied by the actual labs themselves .. for free ! .. might be worth checking that out.. was a long time ago though !..

 

FotoKem still sends out carbon copy reports, just like they always have.

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It's very easy if you're a second assistant and your job begins and ends with fetching equipment and writing these things out.

 

Well, I mean, I assume it does. Next time I actually get a second assistant, I'll ask.

 

If it's just you and perhaps a focus puller and that's the entire camera, grip and electrical department, writing all this stuff out is one of the first things to get put aside.

 

P

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I would assume if you're talking about extremely small production crews, you'll also have an extremely post production crew, so communication is less of an issue. Also, the chances are there won't be the volume of media found on a larger production.

 

I know that the one camera assistant on 16mm productions used to fill out the camera reports.

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On the last show I did, we had a simple report form with the following info tracked for every shot/take

 

Scene

Take

Clip #

Lens

Filter

Special remarks

 

At the top, for every report, we would also note the ASA and color temp, and make not of any mid-roll changes to these settings in "remarks".

 

Since our show used several different lenses, it was important to note the lens series being used - we had ultraprimes, optimo zooms, and a lens baby kit. When we were on a zoom, I would do my best to track the focal length and lens being used for that particular take. If it was an inconsistent range, I would often write "VAR" which stood for "various".

 

It's best to try and be as accurate as possible, and we often would refer back to the notes when matching shots on second unit or for inserts. It can be hard at times, especially in the rain, but once you develop good habits it gets easier. Easier still if you've got a stellar script supervisor. One of the hardest parts for me was not being able to see the camera or monitors between every take, and I had a 1st that would often roll too early, and then cut, adding extra clips to the card that I had a hard time accounting for.

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What would you put in the clip section?

 

Usually what the camera is saying the current (or about to be recorded) clip name is.

 

IE: A002_CLIP004

 

This is crucial with matching handwritten notes to the digital data. Some cameras don't record the clips in the order that they're shot, so having the clip name recorded on the log will help with organizing footage later (and doing playback in camera).

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What camera is recording clips not in the order they are shot.. ?? why/how.. not having a go .. honestly have never heard of this ..

 

I've had RED cameras configured for unique naming and the files are out of order. I've also recently tested the Varicam and the files were out of order when importing them into DaVinci.

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man, this is getting mucho complicado.

you can write in camera reports whatever you want, so long as the rest of the people in the production workflow understand what you are writing down. same goes for the slates - i personally don't care what's written on them. that information is not for me, it is presented to others.

 

i'm sure there are regional differences, but on productions i have worked on, where we had: 1. script supervisor on set, 2. a lab which processes/stores/creates dailies or otherwise works with the shot material, the camera reports simply reflect what was shot on the mag (this is for digital)

- date

- roll number

- take number (not camera's clip number)

- related notes

 

have a look at the attached pic of one of my reports

 

post-37833-0-20281500-1494293750_thumb.jpg

Edited by Kyryll Sobolev
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these reports are an anachronism anyway, same as slating. hopefully they'll morph into something more useful over the next decade, or disappear.

 

in music vids and commercials there are no camera reports anymore (for digital work).

nearly everything is noted by script supervisor, and vetted by DIT/DMT, before going out to the lab

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I've had RED cameras configured for unique naming and the files are out of order. I've also recently tested the Varicam and the files were out of order when importing them into DaVinci.

 

 

Had to be a RED .. :).. my camera you can set your own clip name/number .. or have the industry standard random file configuration.. but the actual clip number is always sequential .. as recorded 001 up wards.. wonder why they would ever what files out of order.. or is it a software bug in post..?

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these reports are an anachronism anyway, same as slating. hopefully they'll morph into something more useful over the next decade, or disappear.

 

in music vids and commercials there are no camera reports anymore (for digital work).

nearly everything is noted by script supervisor, and vetted by DIT/DMT, before going out to the lab

 

Many editors like having the slate because it gives the details on their screen. Short form productions can be rather different in their demands to long form, also it applies a discipline on the set, actors know that something is about to happen and crew members on a larger set can see a take is about to happen.

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Many editors like having the slate because it gives the details on their screen. Short form productions can be rather different in their demands to long form, also it applies a discipline on the set, actors know that something is about to happen and crew members on a larger set can see a take is about to happen.

 

the actual slate as a shot identifier will not disappear.

i meant to act of the physical clapper will. hopefully. soon.

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  • 2 months later...

So wait, where is the audio logged? If the audio is being recorded externally shouldn't that be listed on the camera report?

Audio is the sound mixer's job. No reason for it to appear on a camera report, other than to note if a shot is MOS.

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