Jess Haas

The 12 light will put out less light than a 12k Par, especially if you want it daylight balanced. It is also a larger source so it will be softer. If you aren't having to overpower the sun and don't need to cover too much space then you might be able to get away with slightly smaller HMIs, could you afford 8 6k pars? Other options would be to avoid seeing all the windows at once and dance a smaller number of large fixtures around which could really waste a lot of time, or to just plan on shooting when the real sun is exactly where you want it which sounds like it isn't feasible. ~Jess

Totally agree. I find it is good to have atleast one guy hanging around/near set readily available to the Key at all times and atleast one guy at the carts/truck at all times. No need to all visit crafty at the same time. ~Jess

Now if you are sitting around during setup and other people in your department are working then your a dumbass because there should be something for you to do. If nothing else you can hump some sandbags to where stands are being setup. ~Jess

Excellent advice. Also ADs and PAs are excellent people to become friends with. I have gotten a lot of jobs because friends in the production office recommended me. ~Jess

I agree I went a bit overboard. I just get a bit annoyed at the thought of looking busy. I did too much of that in my previous life. I usually look busy because I have things to do, not because I am trying to look busy. I totally agree that there is usually something to do and that if there is you should totally be doing it. I am always finding things to fix and organize, but there are times when you have a little down time inbetween the rush and I find that most producers that are worth a poop don't see a need for me to look busy because they respect me enough to know that if there is something to be done it will be done. If you aren't the type of guy who reliably gets things done and does everything he can to stay ahead of the game I can see how these same producers could resent you when they see you not working. I have never personally felt that from a Producer but I have seen them get annoyed by a few other guys who honestly should have been fired. While sleeping is a bit overboard one reason I mention it is because if you know there is going to be a good chunk of down time you are probably better off waiting in the truck or someplace else out of the way for something to do then out in the open looking like you have nothing to do. Of course there have only been a few times when I would really have considered doing it and I have totally resented best boys who seemed to think their job was sleeping on the truck when there was plenty that could have been done. Don't worry, I am not that guy. ~Jess

I totally agree 99% of the time and I don't even work in NY. There are a few times when an arm sticking out was necessary due to very tight spaces and strange requirements but besides that they shouldn't be necessary. The only time that I find C-stands don't need a bag is with small flags set vertically. Besides that they tend to be too unstable. Light stands on the other hand don't normally need a bag unless they are raised or skinnied. It annoys the hell out of me when someone bags a light stand that doesn't need it especially when I go to move the light and have to remove the bag. I often use my foot to lift the side of the bag to remove it from the leg instead of trying to lift it off by the handle because of this. Also keeps you from having to bend down if you aren't moving the bag.

Hey Michael, howd this turn out? If the shoot hasn't happened yet and you need an extra hand I am very comfortable on a pair of skates. For slower dolly moves it seems like a dolly grip with ice cleats would be a better option than on skates. If you need someone crazy enough to skate with a steadicam let me know ;-) ~Jess

Chapman's gyro stabilized heads are awesome and a definite option. A Steadicam operator on a vehicle or on a horse with a saddle mount would also be an excellent option. The later will work much better in smaller spaces, the former will work well when you have the space for a vehicle and jib arm. ~Jess

I agree. Grips aren't PAs, no need to look busy. You need enough grips to cover the work when things get tough. Things are slow a good percentage of the time and if a grip doesn't have anything to do and they want to hang around and chat or even take a nap then they can. If a producer is hiring people to look busy then they really should stop wasting their money since it doesn't get the film made any faster. ~Jess

Ding ding ding. A dolly such as the PeeWee is a huge time saver in this respect. Most shoots that have one will rarely use a tripod even if only doing static shots because setting up for new shots is so much quicker. To the OP: if you can lease a PeeWee for your students they will come to love it and learn skills that are extremely useful in the real world. ~Jess p.s. Don't just let them use it in the studio. On location is where a PeeWee really shines.

That reminds me of a film I was doing where we didn't have dimmers to do fire light so it was a person with hands in front of each light. Worked great, just required lots of people :-) ~Jess

I wouldn't be pouring anything into the handle while it is attached to the camera. I also wouldn't let WD-40 anywhere near it. If the corrosion on the contacts is only minor you can use the eraser on a pencil to clean them. Unfortunately even if this fixes your problem you will probably want to clean up all of the corrosion or it will lead to more corrosion and possibly more leaking batteries. Basically you need to take apart the handle and soak the corroded components in vinegar. Don't leave it longer than overnight or it could start dissolving good metal as well. In order to remove the handle from the camera you have to take the side of the camera off. It has been a long time since I have done it so I don't remember the specifics. After soaking parts in vinegar you should clean them with water and let them dry thoroughly before putting it all back together. If you aren't comfortable with your ability to disassemble and reassemble your camera then it shouldn't be hard to find a camera repair person who is. ~Jess

These cameras are all rather simple. I have done a decent amount of super-8 camera repair and I would have to say that a schematic or repair manual is rarely necessary. I do have a repair manual for a couple of the canon 814's but it is microfiche and I never got around to scanning it. The real problem with repairing these cameras is parts availability. I have spent a lot of time using glue and solder to rebuild or repair parts that really should have been replaced. In order to repair these cameras you need a good knowledge in mechanical, optical and electrical principles in how they relate to cameras. While often simple the small size of these cameras can make a lot of repairs rather difficult. If you can find any old broken super8 cameras for cheap you might learn something from taking them apart and trying to fix them. ~Jess

Sounds like you are on the right track. I usually do it with 2 lights, a bit of blue, some diffusion and dimmers or flicker boxes. When it comes to the flicker most people seem to have a tendency to do much more than you would actually get from a TV when not watching music videos. Try watching various TV shows in the dark and you will get a feel for what is realistic, then decide if you want to go for realism or a more stylized effect. ~Jess

I am one of the weirdos who doesn't really have a problem with night shoots. For me once I am on a particular schedule I am usually fine. If I get a chance it is sometimes nice to sit out in the sun for a little bit either before going to set or after getting off, but I wouldn't change up my schedule for it. I am not a huge fan of caffeine or energy drinks and I think that actually makes adjusting to a different schedule a lot easier. I am a fan of drink mixes containing B12 and other vitamins. They don't give you the short term boost that a stimulant will but they do have a good effect for the long haul. There is a reason that breakfast is always breakfast and lunch is always lunch regardless of the hour. Forget what time it is and surrender to the schedule of the film. ~Jess

If you are finishing film school and start asking yourself "what next?" then it is already too late. I quit my day job and started working exclusively in film my junior year of college. Of course that made it a bit difficult to graduate, but the question of "what are you going to do after you graduate?" becomes a bit silly when you are already getting paid to work in film. The only reason I was able to do that was because I took every chance I could to get on set and gain experience right from the beginning. Working on student films can be good experience, but there is nothing stopping film students from getting out into the real world to gain experience and connections before they even start film school. It worked well for me, although I did turn a 4 year program into five and a half..... It takes a lot of hard work for anyone to break into the industry. There are some jobs that are extremely underrepresented, but I would say that there have been enough successful woman to prove that a determined and skilled woman can do it. I have heard a lot of people make excuses for not trying. Don't use being a girl as an excuse because if you have what it takes then you can do it. I have worked with a few woman grips electricians. There are not a lot of them around here but there are some that I have seen do an excellent job who seem to be successful. ~Jess

There is a saying that is very important when it comes to grip electric work. Work smarter not harder. Yes you could throw 2 50 pound sticks of banded on your shoulders and hump them to set, but you can also throw 5 sticks of banded in a cart and do more work in less time. I have done a lot of both and I much prefer the later. While a certain level of physical strength is important knowledge and skill are as well. A big guy who likes to show off his strength often gets less done in the same amount of time as a smart girl. I gaffed a feature and at one point my entire grip/electric crew (besides myself) was female. I didn't think twice about asking them to do anything I needed because I knew that they were capable of getting it done. I have noticed that most woman working as grips or electricians feel the need to prove that they can do it and as a result work a hell of a lot harder than most people. With any crew I find that it is useful to have people working with you that have various skills and strengths. Sometimes having the giant linebacker who can carry huge pieces of gear by himself is useful, but there are also plenty of times where a smaller person can get in places and do things that he never could. If you want to do lighting and grip work but feel that guys are not giving you a chance then don't let them do that. It may take some perseverance but if you are smart and a hard worker then you can do it. ~Jess