Colin Green

Thanks so much everyone for all your replies! I definitely will be sure to be "the quiet grip" as said earlier, and I am always adamant about showing up early, "if your on time your late, if your early your on time." is absolutely the rule of thumb Adrian haha. And it seems often true that its the quiet, efficient ones who get remembered, rather than the loud ones. I am relieved that I'm coming on as a rigging grip, so I won't have to deal with any on-set pressure my first time around. I've been on plenty of gigs, but the step up to features is certainly played off as a whole different animal from what I'm told, but I will definitely keep what you said in mind Jon. Gotta treat every job the same way, keep it professional, and keep in mind that your only as good as your last gig. Thanks so much again guys, your wisdom is EXTREMELY appreciated. I'll post again after the shoot and let everyone know how it went! All my best, Colin

Hey Guys, I figured I would try and dig for some words of wisdom from any experienced grips/electricians who have spent a good amount of time working in features. I have been free-lancing professionally for just about a year now, with most of my experience being in Corporate/Commercial/Broadcast spots, (and in no way am I trying to beep my own horn) but I have plenty of on set experience, and a good understanding of set etiquette, however I am constantly looking to learn and absorb more from my peers. I was contacted by a friend of mine who is the Best Boy Rigging Grip for a feature being shot in pittsburgh, pennsylvania at this time. He informed me that next week and so on, they may very well need some additional rigging grips, and that I may be called in as a day player. I have worked as an additional PA for a feature in the past, but this would be my first time working as a grip at the feature film level. And I know that things are very different, much more hectic, and have much less room for error than the smaller productions I have spent the bulk of my career on. Can anyone give any tips/advice/things to look for/etc. that would make the first few days a bit easier to walk into? Any help would be EXTREMELY appreciated. Thanks so much guys. - Colin

Wow... just incredible, the camera's capabilities in low light are magnificent and the detail is great.. Its an exciting step forward for the world of digital filmmaking

To add to that, it would not be a paid internship, since I am still a college student, I am eligible for unpaid internships

No, I meant an internship, camera houses like Panavision provide summer internships, and thats what I would be hoping for. Sorry if I didn't make that clear

Hello all, I have some questions, to which I would really appreciate any advice, especially from the veterans on the forum. To start, I'll tell a little about my situation, and myself. I am 21 years old, a full-time college student in my Junior year, studying Film and Broadcast television. I have been working as a Free-Lance grip/electrician in Pittsburgh PA (where I go to school as well), for the past 2 years and have worked on a number of productions large and small, from corporate and commercial work, to broadcast spots and television pilots. My situation now is that I am hoping to work my way up to operating, and am trying to make the right steps in order to do so. And the advice I have gotten from some of my close colleagues have varied from person to person (usually depending on their background), and choosing the right path is an intimidating decision haha. - A few AC's I have spoken with have encouraged me to try and spend a summer internship at a camera house, like panavision, boston camera, etc. in order to familiarize myself with Film cameras, and all of their technical aspects, since I come from a broadcast backround, dealing more with HD cams. - This does sound like a good idea IMO, however, the downside is that in doing so, I risk losing some ground in my Free-Lance career, because if I am out of Pittsburgh (where I have worked the entirety of my short career) for a whole 3 months or so, I may fall to the wayside to other free-lancers. The other option I have considered is to stay in Pittsburgh, and continue free-lancing, working my way up the latter so to speak. Here in Pittsburgh I have worked closely with truly some of the industry's best and brightest in lighting/Operating, and I want to be able to continue to do so. I am constantly told that the best DP's in the business have worked their way up from Gaffing to operating, because of how truly crucial it is for DP's to know lighting in all aspects, and know it well. So by staying in Pittsburgh, I will be gaining more and more experience by actually working alongside the true professionals, and continue to learn by experience. I know I'm spitting a lot out here, but I am just meeting some difficulties in choosing the right path, based on the fact that I am still so new to the business, and I don't want to digress on all the work and progress I've made so far, by making the wrong move I suppose. If anyone here has any advice, or personal experiences they can share to shed some light on things, It would be sincerely appreciated. I have tried to gather advice from as many people possible, in order to get a broad perspective on things. Thanks guys, -Colin

Hey there, I have had this conversation a few times with other colleagues, and have also worked on a couple of pilots that use the same documentary shooting style that the office has seemed to perfect. The thing about this, like anything else, is that there is a time and a place for it. When you use that fly on the wall style that you see on the office (and several other shows)correctly, it can really do a wonderful job of giving a realistic, voyeur feel to the show. In my opinion, it has the ability to really pull the viewer into the feel of the show. They really use a lot of techniques that can make things personal, and make you feel like your a part of what is happening on screen. And I must give the DP and the operators (and AC's) of the show an extreme amount of credit, Popping focal lengths back and forth, re-framing and focusing every couple of seconds and etc. is not an easy task, and they do it so seamlessly. IMO, there is a place in FILM/TV for this style of shooting, although it is not for everyone, it has certainly proven to be successful. As for the humor in the show, I enjoy that as well, but that is completely subjective, people have different tastes, and a right to them respectfully. However, I feel that even though this voyeuristic shooting style does add to the humor, and really compliments the disarray of the characters and their environment, it does not necessarily mean the show would not be funny without that aspect. But who knows, they've never tried otherwise

I saw this film just yesterday, walking in with an open mind, but stuck on the fact that I am not a big fan of Major CGI usage, especially when a film begins to rely on it. The problem mostly becomes apparent when you have real life actors, working alongside computer animated characters, when you are working entirely with green screen and etc... it usually leads to lifeless characters and flat performances. Luckily, avatar seemed to really go the extra mile in making sure that this was not the case, keeping the real time actor, to CGI animation interaction to a minimum. As someone had mentioned earlier, my biggest problem with the 3D aspect of the film, is that it sacrifices sharp, and smooth rack focuses. And for a lack of better explanation, I felt even though the 3D element brings a whole new element of depth to the screen, a sense DOF was lost in the film. And watching the film with the 3D glasses might as well take the exposure down a stop or 2. The overall feeling of blurred, and darkened scenes, leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth, and curious to see where it will be taken next, and if adjustments, can and/or will be made. Aside from the films 3D element, I felt that it was a decent film. It has a solid structure, with somewhat predictable outcomes, but it kept me intrigued, and managed to suggest several subtle, motivated messages in the process. A good film, but for as cookie cutter as it seemed at points, I'm not sure its worth all the initial hype

Hello all, Let me start by saying that I have recently purchased the Canon hf100, as well as the twoneil plus Lens adapter, now as I am sure many of you know, the use of the DOF adapter flips the image you see while shooting, which can be quite annoying. Now, I have not yet received my adapter, so I have not yet experienced the task of shooting with a flipped image, so this is a more of a question for whats in store for me. The Shrigg Rig came to my attention not long ago, and I was wondering if anyone here has had any previous experience using the Shrigg? Is it worth it? Does the Shrigg eliminate the bother of a flipped image, without adding a new set of it's own cons? Or is shooting with a flipped image something you found you could get used to without the rig or chipping the sensor and voiding the camera's warranty. AND does the Shrigg allow room for a follow focus? Any information would be greatly appreciated, Thanks! And Happy New Years to all!