Jump to content

What are the scariest things you face as a cinematographer?


Recommended Posts

  • Premium Member
On 1/3/2020 at 9:16 AM, Max Field said:

...Not getting paid.

As a freelancer, I can relate to that! I just always keep a dozen kettles on the stove in various states of boiling, just incase someone tries to screw me, at least I have a backup plan. You can avoid not getting paid by always taking some portion of your pay up front before the camera rolls or before you lay a finger on an editing program. I've been doing that for a few years and it's saved my ass many times, where clients have received an initial cut and then decided to cut you off. I once spent 3 months on a project that the director didn't like (not my fault, shitty producer) and they never paid me for the last month of work. They had however, given me a deposit and that saved my ass. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
12 hours ago, Daniel D. Teoli Jr. said:

Is it common they shoot real bullets? Sounds like they are begging for an accident.

I made them rip out the bullets out of the shells with pliers to make "blanks" so that there was less risk shooting them indoors. They hated me for that of course and did not understand the safety points ? 

The funniest thing was, in the final film one could not even clearly see the gun being fired (no muzzle flash or not much smoke etc) so they could had as well faked it in post and made the scene with empty gun and adding just the bang afterwards XD

It is common to use airsoft guns in indie productions and add cheap ass muzzle flashes afterwards to sell them. real guns may be used in productions with proper budget but they are always using blanks of course

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, aapo lettinen said:

less risk shooting them indoors.

Seriously? They didn't see the problem of shooting live bullets indoors? Could you give more details on the production? Feels like a interesting story we should all hear. ?

Edited by Jingtian Wang
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Tyler Purcell said:

As a freelancer, I can relate to that! I just always keep a dozen kettles on the stove in various states of boiling, just incase someone tries to screw me, at least I have a backup plan. You can avoid not getting paid by always taking some portion of your pay up front before the camera rolls or before you lay a finger on an editing program. I've been doing that for a few years and it's saved my ass many times, where clients have received an initial cut and then decided to cut you off. I once spent 3 months on a project that the director didn't like (not my fault, shitty producer) and they never paid me for the last month of work. They had however, given me a deposit and that saved my ass. 

I'll be real, if someone screws me over in business I become incredibly vengeful lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
4 hours ago, Jingtian Wang said:

Seriously? They didn't see the problem of shooting live bullets indoors? Could you give more details on the production? Feels like a interesting story we should all hear. ?

no, it was not a problem for them and they did not see any risk in it. they were intending to shoot to a half inch thick piece of plywood "because the bullets will not go through it" but I insisted they WOULD definitely go through because I had shot with similar caliber gun in the past and knew the plywood would make nothing to stop the bullets and they would ricochet around in worst case. it was a low budget non-paid indie production but can't give more details. Haven't worked with them since, that's mainly because the scripts were not very good but also for the safety issues and cheap ass budgets in general.

It is much more typical in indie productions to go to places where there is risk of falling but no one has safety gear. It may be very easy to find safer workarounds so these situations can usually be easily avoided. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, David Mullen ASC said:

But also at some point, you start to see that some criticism is off-base, it's just someone's personal taste being expressed that has no connection to who you are.

Good point and it's not only criticism which can be off-base. The inclination with most people is to accept praise while rejecting criticism. But we should reject the praise when appropriate too - generic, untrue, forced etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
On 1/4/2020 at 11:16 PM, David Mullen ASC said:

But also at some point, you start to see that some criticism is off-base, it's just someone's personal taste being expressed that has no connection to who you are.  It's like when you shoot something stylized and someone complains that it isn't realistic enough. You can't please everyone.

For me, negative criticism doesn't bother me when I disagree, but it really upsets me when I totally agree. That's when I get mad at myself, especially if the issue is too late to fix. 

Weird thing is, I've lost confidence in my abilities the older I get.  I thought it would be the opposite.

Edited by Justin Hayward
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Justin Hayward said:

For me, negative criticism doesn't bother me when I disagree, but it really upsets me when I totally agree. That's when I get mad at myself, especially if the issue is too late to fix. 

Weird thing is, I've lost confidence in my abilities the older I get.  I thought it would be the opposite.

Justin.. I know exactly how you feel..  I thought it was meant to get less stressful .. you learn some tricks to get out of hairy situations of course .. but thats it really ..  but its also sort of part of the thrill .. for camera we have new gear also to master or at least know about .. dont worry about it .. from what I've read even the greats like Roger Deakins are a bundle of nerves on every new shoot .. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • Premium Member
On 1/6/2020 at 8:56 PM, Robin R Probyn said:

Justin.. I know exactly how you feel..  I thought it was meant to get less stressful .. you learn some tricks to get out of hairy situations of course .. but thats it really ..  but its also sort of part of the thrill .. for camera we have new gear also to master or at least know about .. dont worry about it .. from what I've read even the greats like Roger Deakins are a bundle of nerves on every new shoot .. 

Thanks Robin,

Sorry I didn't respond to this before.  I wander on and off this website.  But you make a very encouraging point.  I'm literally procrastinating writing something right now that I've been working on for years, because I think it's bad.  There are those moments of some sort of artistic accomplishment we have, but they're so few and far between (for me) that it's hard not to dwell on the failures.  If that makes any sense...  But hey, that's first world problems.  I also have a four bedroom house that's heated in the winter and air conditioned in the summer.  I have a finished basement with a bathroom that includes A FULL MOVIE THEATER?  I have a perfect wife and three beautiful children that constantly remind me how good my life is, simply by their existence.

So a few artistic failures are nothing in comparison to everything else... In my opinion.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Justin Hayward said:

Thanks Robin,

Sorry I didn't respond to this before.  I wander on and off this website.  But you make a very encouraging point.  I'm literally procrastinating writing something right now that I've been working on for years, because I think it's bad.  There are those moments of some sort of artistic accomplishment we have, but they're so few and far between (for me) that it's hard not to dwell on the failures.  If that makes any sense...  But hey, that's first world problems.  I also have a four bedroom house that's heated in the winter and air conditioned in the summer.  I have a finished basement with a bathroom that includes A FULL MOVIE THEATER?  I have a perfect wife and three beautiful children that constantly remind me how good my life is, simply by their existence.

So a few artistic failures are nothing in comparison to everything else... In my opinion.  

Absolutely.. you have alot more than most people .. we all have pride in our work of course .. but its only a job.. we are not nurses or surgeons or landing planes,saving people from death row.. etc.. we try our best with what we are given on shoots.. writing I guess is a bit different ..let someone else have a read .. we are always are most harsh critic.. which is good up to a point .. all the great actors and directors have made total turkeys .. they just get forgotten quickly !!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/4/2020 at 7:45 PM, Samuel Berger said:

I feel being paralysed by the fear of not buying the right camera.

In other words, I end up not doing anything because I can't make a decision on which camera to buy. I've been in this position for three years now and it's not fun. The Canon C200 still hasn't gone down in price.

If I could shoot my project on my Canon EOS R I would do it. 

Why can't you produce with what you got? Has this been an ongoing problem throughout your career?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

https://www.indiewire.com/2019/02/sundance-2019-documentary-cameras-lens-equipment-canon-sony-arri-1202036323/3/
 

“Honeyland” racked up all these award nominations and won the ASC award for documentary cinematography, and it was shot on Nikon DSLRs. Meaning there are a number of affordable cameras that are good enough, ultimately it matters more what you shoot than what camera you shoot it on.

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now, I read a lot about 'scared of failing' and rejection here. Some of you may quit before you even start. Your mindset predisposes you to failure by telling you can't do it. The only way you can tell if you can do it is to give it a go.

My advice is to work blind, without preconceived notions and prejudices. You will have to be the judge about how much you can lose in the testing process. Obviously some gambles may not be worth the risk.

Here is an old post I wrote a few years ago. It discusses this topic of failing in your mind before you start. 

NSFW...ish

https://danielteolijr.wordpress.com/2017/06/06/dont-quit-before-you-even-start-work-blind/

 

Edited by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • Premium Member

Miscalculating would be mine.  Entering a setup with under-powered lights or inappropriate overhead diffusion. This relates to exterior shots and competing with 10000000 foot candles of daylight.

I would feel less stressed having an 18k with four doubles outside a window and a crew that hates me than a light that was so weak, it had little to no effect.

I love light. So this would be my top horror. It chews up time to fix, and compromises the mage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me, it's a two-fold answer. I'm terrified of being unprepared for a job - not having enough lights, not having the right lights, not being able to humanly cover, combat and overcome every challenge that is going to arise from the moment I arrive at a location to the moment we wrap (client liasing, power issues, equipment problems, etc.) 

On the other hand, I've come to realize from forums like this, from ASC magazine, etc. that I can only prepare as much as I can to be ready. And once we're on set, things WILL inevitable happen that aren't expected. And half of my job seems like it's about dealing with those things as they come up. I guess that's the fun of it. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/3/2020 at 6:10 AM, Daniel D. Teoli Jr. said:

That was the question from an artist's blog. So how does that apply to the cinematographer?

I'm afraid of someone on the cast or crew getting hurt on set. poop happens on even the tamest of jobs.

Outside of safety, I'm afraid of poor digital archival. I'll be the first to admit that printing to film for archival is still the most secure way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
11 hours ago, Michael Hammond said:

For me, it's a two-fold answer. I'm terrified of being unprepared for a job - not having enough lights, not having the right lights, not being able to humanly cover, combat and overcome every challenge that is going to arise from the moment I arrive at a location to the moment we wrap (client liasing, power issues, equipment problems, etc.) 

On the other hand, I've come to realize from forums like this, from ASC magazine, etc. that I can only prepare as much as I can to be ready. And once we're on set, things WILL inevitable happen that aren't expected. And half of my job seems like it's about dealing with those things as they come up. I guess that's the fun of it. 

Yes, a quality of a good crew is problem solving. With a good crew, it'll get done and fast because everyone is working together.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

As someone who works primarily in the documentary world, we face a whole bunch of nearly catastrophic issues on a regular basis from camera failures on assignment in the middle of nowhere to not getting the right footage to tell the story. The most well laid plans in the documentary world, don't always work because there are so many things out of your control. I've literally rented and shipped gear to locations and never once touched the cases because upon arrival, the schedule shifted due to unforeseen circumstances. I've also had key story people not show up to shoots many times, even though their trip was paid for by my production, so they could be in my documentary. This has happened on MANY shows, not just my personal ones and it really hurts the production. 

With all that said, my two biggest fears are

1) Not being able to tell a story with what is captured (this goes for narrative as well). 

2) Not being able to make it to set for whatever reason. (illness, missed flight, injury) 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
16 hours ago, Dennis Toeppen said:

I'm not a cinematographer, but by far the scariest thing about shooting is the credit card bill

Making movies on credit cards isn't a good idea. It's one thing to buy equipment that you'll use for other shoots with CC's, that's still a bad idea, but workable. But to pay for your production on CC's, especially in a world where there is so much content overloading the distribution channels, it's very tricky. I learned a long time ago that if you can't afford to pay for a production in cash outright, then you should raise more money before trying. 

Also, you can always default on your CC bills. It will hurt your credit, but you can negotiate a deal with the CC companies that will generally cut your payout in half if you wait long enough. A few grand worth of lawyers and you'll be back on your feet in no time. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/4/2020 at 3:10 AM, Daniel D. Teoli Jr. said:

2) Losing digital files. About 15% of my archive is digital. And the majority of my modern work after the film era is digital.  'M' discs are very permanent, actually more archival than film. So that is some comfort. Still, poop happens.


One back up is  no back up at all. 

Have multiple back ups! 

One in your house. Another in the cloud. And yet another back up (disconnected from the internet) at a third location. (such as at your in-laws, or at your best mate's house, etc)
 

On 1/4/2020 at 3:10 AM, Daniel D. Teoli Jr. said:

3) Having a escalation from a street photography challenge that leads to a death. 


It is weird how this worry has got worse over the years, not better. 

These days if you walked the length of the main street in my city you'd be filmed by literally hundreds and hundreds and HUNDREDS of security cameras. What's the issue with me pulling out yet one more camera??
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...