Aideen McCarthy

Hey I was thinking of using travelators in a music video to be shot in London. Need to be longer than just a gym one as there is a dance routine involved. Any ideas where I could find two 20ft long ones to hire? They use them for stage shows all the time but I can't seem to locate a rental company for them. Any info on this much appreciated.

All I can add to this discussion is a female perspective of someone who has worked in the Camera Department for five years and since moved into Directing. Things that made me want to join the Camera Department: It seemed like it would be fun! I've been a movie buff my whole life and getting paid to make films seemed like the ideal job. It seemed to me the camera department was at the centre of things on a set and that's where I wanted to be, in the thick of things where I could learn the most about filmmaking. I watched the making of 'From Dusk Til Dawn' and was converted. Things that discouraged me: My Dad was a civil servant and my Mom was a housewife and mother to three kids. While I was encouraged in art, music (and dance!) growing up, it was never their intention that these would be anything more than hobbies. That's how I ended up with a law degree! At the end of my degree I decided to make a break for it- it was now or never. And I knew once I got started on the high salary of a lawyer I would find it very difficult to ever leave it. So I eased my parents into it with a one year Masters in Film Studies - supposedly to get it out of my system! Unfortunately for my parents I caught the film bug - for which there is as yet no cure. I became a camera trainee. Things that caused me to stop and think: The worry I was putting my parents through as I struggled to get work as a camera trainee. The low wage I was receiving when I was working. The fact that I was living at home because I couldn't afford to move out. The fact that my older brother (an accountant) thought I had gone insane and tried to talk me out of the film business on several occasions. The fact that all my college friends were by now buying houses, going on holidays, buying nice clothes and also thought I had gone insane. They couldn't relate to me anymore so I felt quite isolated. I couldn't plan ahead for anything because I didn't know when the next job was going to come. Things about the job I found hard to deal with at first: The fact that I was the lowest on the food chain. Coming from being trained to be an argumentative and pompous lawyer (I didn't need that much training) it was a bitter pill to swallow to become the grunt - getting teas and coffees, being told what to do without being able to share your opinion, being dog's body carrying around people's personal belongings as well as the gear. I was also used to being treated like a girl - people offering to lift things, people talking to me using polite terms. Now I was being treated just like one of the guys and it took some getting used to. Basically my ego got bruised. Things I loved about the job: I loved the CAMERAdery - there was always a great buzz in the camera car in the mornings and on wrap and usually all day long. It was great working as part of such an elite team on the set. People respect the camera 'boys'. It was great being the only girl in the camera dept because all the other people on set respect you all the more for being able to hack it in one of the most pressurized departments. It was also great not being the only girl in the camera department sometimes. There are some things that guys just can't relate to:) It was great being able to learn so much about filmmaking because I was able to be on set so much, not like the trainee a.d. stuck directing traffic two miles down the road. I got to see so many amazing sunrises and sunsets and got to go to so many cool locations. Unlike other departments on set the camera department is always busy so I was never bored. The list goes on and on - I love the camera department. Why I left the camera department to become a director: Again I felt like it was now or never time. My experience on set made me realise that while I would enjoy being a Director Of Photography my dream was to be a Director. And as was mentioned earlier women have a ticking time-bomb, namely their uterus. If I want to have my cake and eat it I better get cracking. (I'm 27) Why a director and not a DP? I have to say I am not a techno geek and I think a good DP has to be many things, as was mentioned previously. One of these is an interest and proficiency in all things technical to do with lighting and cameras. This is an ongoing learning process for any DP and one which should not be undertaken lightly. If you don't have the passion for it, its not going to work. Also I'm a bit of a control freak. I wanted to have my hand in every aspect of the film, the actors, the set design, the editing...everything. I wanted to implement a vision of the script from beginning to end, surrounding myself with talented people to help me do it. Finally I have never knowingly not got a job because I was a girl, though I have had to work hard against the assumption that I can't do the physical side of the job because I'm slim-built. If you are determined enough you can do anything and having a good attitude goes a long way when you're working as part of a team. I had a successful 5 year stint in the Camera Department in Ireland where I was lucky to work with some very talented DPs, operators, focus pullers, clapper loaders and trainees and I don't regret a second of it. I never did work under a female DP but I did work under amazing female 2nd A.C.s (Sarah Francis, Jessica Drum among others). And on my very last job as a loader I had two female trainees who were both aspiring DPs. So give it a few more years and hopefully you'll see a few more women creating visual delights!

Yes rory - only you have to do it in the dark, which makes it more difficult and dropping it on the ground will land you in a lot more poop than a diper would! :D

I just posted some info about clapper laoding on another thread on this site called 'Clapper Loading It sucks'. Clapper Loading doesn't suck and I wish you the best of luck! :)

Although I am currently pursuing a career as a director I still work as a professional clapper loader. And I don't just do it for the money. Over the past 5 years I have gained invaluable experience on film sets working as a clapper loader. For me, being a clapper loader means being a member of one of the most important, hard-working and influential departments on a set. You get to be on set close to the action more than most other departments. You see the machine behind the magic and you get to be part of it. I can't say being a clapper loader is an easy (or glamourous) job because it isn't. You do have a lot of responsibility and pressure. But I prefer responsibility and pressure to no responsibility, no pressure. It keeps me interested and focused. While you may not be recognised by the director for your stunning performance on the job, usually praise from the 1st A.C. or the D.P. is more than enough for me. Many of you have talked about the note-taking and sums etc. What I say is if you don't understand the inventory sheet layout, design your own. All that matters is that they can see where the stock is going. With regards to note-taking: for any of you budding clapper loaders out there, do not focus on note-taking. While it is essential, it does not help to shoot the movie. I write in my notes after each take. I keep up to date and therefore there's no panic when rushes break. I spend the other 95% of my time doing my job, which is not that of a secretary but that of a camera assistant. A good clapper loader spends his/her time assisting the focus puller/1st A.C., anticipating THEIR needs - e.g. dropping marks for actors during rehearsal, getting the necessary equipment together to change camera into hand-held mode when you hear the DP talking about it with him, putting a grayscale on the top of each roll, going out with the measuring tape to various parts of the set, the list goes on. You need to have your hands free at all times to be ready to lend a helping hand. It may look as if you're doing nothing sometimes but you're actually standing by, listening and watching out for what needs to be done next. Like a surgeon's assistant in an operating theatre. Another useful analogy for a clapper loader is to look on the camera as your baby: you have to feed it (with film and battery power), you have to keep it warm(eyepiece heater, plug it in, put lenses/filters under lamp), you have to keep it dry(always have a raincover/umbrella standing by when outdoors)and most of all you have to keep it safe (keep a hand on the camera if the 1st A.C. is temporarily off set, keep an eye on the camera always). A good clapper loader is seen and not heard (except when calling out the slate!). They anticipate and thereby stay ahead of the game. It is never boring. If you are bored you're not doing your job. Others can afford to sit by the monitor and gossip over cups of coffee you cannot. The only voice you should listen out for on set is that of the 1st A.C. and when he says jump you better jump (or even better have jumped already!). :)

There is no way in hell you are going to shoot a 90 min feature in 3-9days! I've been on 15min shorts that took that long to shoot. 10 to 1 shooting ratio is the prof norm, of course you'll proabably ahve to settle for less. But ultimately you have to get what you need to tell the story. If this means going for another take you need to go for another take. If you have a limited budget shoot on minidv, HDVcam, etc. Don't sacrifice good performances and a well-shot story just because you wanted to shoot on film and therefore could only afford limited coverage/takes. Work for five hours. Have food ready to feed the crew after those five hours. It is your responsibility on a job where the cast/crew are working for less money to at least feed them. By organising the food yourself you can also ensure that they eat on time and therefore return to work on time when the lunch hour is up. By sending them out to find food, they may not be able to get back on time. You will be held up and fall behind in your schedule. The cast/crew will be grumpy because they had to buy their own lunch, wait half an hour for it to be served, then gulp down the food because they had to get back to set. Bad morale will set in. People will leave. =>Film will suffer. Low budget film-making is not war it is low budget filmmaking. You are making a film for less money. Nobody should have to die in the process! Instead you should end up with a film that the cast/crew and you were proud to have worked on. Always ask permission, because you don't have money to pave your way. Manners and professionalism are your best assets when making something on a low budget. You'd be surprised what people are willing to give you in return (including cast and crew). :)

Thanks for replying. I actually live in Ireland so hopefully the number of directors beating down doors is not so high over here! I will definitely give that book a look though as I am sure there are general principles that apply to the industry no matter where you are. I have also entered my short film in a lot of film festivals recently, mostly American and Canadian in the hope that my work will get seen by industry professionals who may be interested. Also just to say I looked at your showreel and was very impressed. I wish you all the best with it. :)

I have been directing stuff for the past year, and have been working as a camera assistant for 4 years before that. I have made a showreel of my work and am wondering what is the next step? Should I phone aound production companies to see if they are looking for new directors or should I visit them door to door with my showreel in hand? I am interested to here how others got their first paid gig as a director. :)