Paul Maibaum ASC

http://www.imdb.com/help/?adding/resume/ This link should help you with the imdb process.

Hey Bob, Grip Crew:(7) Key, BB, 2 Dolly Grips, 3 Hammers Electrics:(6) Gaffer, BB, Dimmer Op, 3 Juicers Sound:(3) Mixer, Boom, Utility That's the average, there are always extra man-days depending daily needs. On this particular show we are carrying a full-time Rigging Key Grip and Rigging Gaffer. I believe when they're not rigging they will be working on set in their respective departments as regular grip and electrician.

Sad news indeed. He lives on in the legacy of his films. Among the great ones: "Easy Rider", "Five Easy Pieces", "What's Up, Doc?", "The King of Marvin Gardens", "Paper Moon", "Shampoo". My condolences to his family and his lifelong friend, Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC.

What are supposed to be the final spotting plans for Stages 16 and 17. Stage 16 consists of an office set, an apartment set, and an apartment lobby set that utilizes the actual stage exterior. Stage 17 consists of a house set with room for swing sets. When the lighting plots are available I will try to post those as well.

We finally got approval on our plans for green-beds and pipe for the three permanent sets and the swing set areas that encompass Stages 16 and 17 at CBS Studio Center. The Key Grip submitted a total of three different plots before we got the approval. As it turns out production had budgeted an additional member on the camera crew that I do not need, a Video Utility. On shows with two cameras that shoot HD ?film style? my crew consists of two operators, two 1st assistants, two 2nd assistants and a DIT. The only time I added a Utility to the camera crew was on a recent pilot where the producers insisted on two separate Video Villages, one for the Director, script, etc. and another for Studio and Network types in addition to the 20? HD monitor for the DIT. We were working in practical locations and where we had very limited choices as to where all this ?gak? could go, hiding cables, etc. Consequently I felt the need for additional personnel just to keep that end above water. Otherwise, I feel the crew complement I mention works out just fine. Therefore the UPM took that salary and moved the dollars into the rigging. I didn?t even know this position was budgeted until the UPM asked me who it was going to be. Studio grips start working 6pm Monday night. My gaffer and key grip ?officially? start on payroll next Thursday. They have already put in a lot of hours so far working all this stuff out and I have been to the studio at least four times over the last two weeks, (I officially start one week from Monday next) spending quite a few hours there without compensation, but this work needs to be done and if we waited until we were all on salary there wouldn?t be enough time to accomplish it all. Welcome to TV Land.

In the above post I simply am reporting a rumour for it's entertainment value. I personally think Gordon Willis is one of the few geniuses in our profession.

There is another great Gordon Willis legend.....working on a film starring Paul Newman ("The Drowning Pool") there were complaints that due to Willis penchant for top-lighting, Newman's famous blue eyes were not able to be seen to the extent the producers' wished. Willis offered the following solution: re-cast. The producers did not.

Hi Bob, Congrats to you as well, I take it you are still on the show that you shared the lighting diagrams with me. In our last meeting we all signed off on translights as the backings of preference. Fortunately the Production Designer was on board and a heavy proponent of translights as opposed to digital backings. He said that he would even prefer painted to digital. I have used digital backings in the past and I believe that I mentioned that I had the same issues with them then as you are having on your current project. However, if there is enough room from the set wall to the backing many of those problems can be minimized. This allows enough spacing between the lights that are front lighting the backing for day and the set wall so that the lights can be high enough so reflections are avoided. Also, this allows one to use larger and fewer lights, which I would generally diffuse with paper of some kind, 250 if I remember, to soften them so the lighting spreads over the backing. The grips would work very hard to stretch the backing to eliminate wrinkles. I also had the backs of the set walls painted black to reduce the kick-back you mention. But in a tight space, digital backings can indeed be problematic. They are less expensive, to be sure, but the company can ?pay for it now? by using the proper tools or ?pay for it later? by incurring overtime or having to fix things like reflections in post. But I am sure that I am ?preaching to the choir? by mentioning this to you. It sounds like you came up with a solution by flipping the backings for night and it also sounds like a major pain in the a**. But that?s what good episodic TV Directors of Photography do, somehow make things work. I am going in to the studio today for another meeting with the UPM, the Key Grip and myself to discuss rigging for the two stages. Based on the plans we saw, my key grip laid out our wish list for pipe and green beds and we are over budget by more than double if we get everything we want. We need to look at what can be eliminated in terms of the green beds that will bring the cost down but not ?bite us in the a**? later in terms of production speed. When the studio grip department bids on rigging they are factoring in the material for the green beds as well as the rigging and striking.

Call the union! 323-876-0160.

In response to Marc Levy?s interest in crew input??. I get the gaffer and key grip in very early on my shows. In fact, on this production they actually have two more prep days than I do. We have two stages and 3 permanent sets to rig in just over two weeks and the producer?s expectation is that to a great extent the sets are ?pre-lit? in terms of practicals, the on-stage exterior ambiance, backings and basic ambient interior lighting. In order to do this the gaffer and key grip?s input early on is critical. For instance, one of the permanent sets is a large corporate office with windows, glass partitions, and a very open feeling. We want the lighting to be generally soft with sun streaming in where it is appropriate. Normally we would hang soft boxes of some kind over the large open areas to create ambiance and use kinoflos for the same effect in the hallways to simulate practicals in the ceiling. However, I want to avoid having the lighting be too ?toppy? which can be unflattering on the ladies. We have to come up with a way to accomplish this but still get enough ambience to light the set and be ready for shooting in multiple directions quickly. I have some ideas how to achieve this, but I prefer to give the gaffer information on how I want it to look and what I do not want it to look like and let him come up with the specifics of how to achieve it. This is my 4th show with this gaffer and my 9th show with this key grip so they both know a lot about my style and my preferences by this point.

In response to Chris Weddings query regarding backings??. There are basically 3 kinds of backings, 1. painted on muslin (very old school), usually one for day and another for night, 2. digital backings (Rosco, Warner Bros) where a photograph is digitally printed onto a vinyl-like material, same backing front lit for day and back-lit for night 3. translights?giant transparency, one for day, one for night. My preference is for translights which are backlit, simpler to light, they have a more realistic quality since it is actually like a giant slide. Digital backings get messy when they are front lit for day, there is a tendancy to see the sources reflected in the backing from various camera angles. Also, the pixels themselves can be very apparent at times, especially when photographed with a 2/3? chip cameras where focus is deep. In lighting a translight one usually needs a minimum of 8 feet from the backing to the light source, typically skypans, to keep the light even. In terms of backing placement relative to a set, it all depends on the size of the backing, the size of the windows, how much window dressing, if any, will be obscuring the backing, and ultimately, how much room is available when all the sets are laid out. For this show where there are two permanent sets that will utilize backings, we are asking for 10 to 12 feet from the set wall to the backing.

Had the meeting this morning with the crew mentioned in the original post. Went over the drawings, some very preliminary. Dealt with issues such as reflective surfaces, what windows would be gimbaled, backings, painted vs. translights, we all prefer translights, which walls will be wild and other set construction issues. Input from Gaffer and Key Grip always very helpful. Next step is for the Key Grip to take the finalized plans and lay out the pipe grid and Green Beds for the Studio's Grip Department and get it priced (labor and materials). After that we put in the electrical/grip equipment order and work out the number of "man-days" it will take to do the rigging.

For those of you with an interest in network episodic television production in the U.S. I will begin to post a journal of sorts describing the pre-production and production of a new series on the ABC Network tentatively titled "Samantha Who?" (aka "Samantha Be Good", aka "Sam I Am"). I am starting pre-production for 10 "non-consecutive" days on Monday, going in to the production office to meet with the Production Designer, Gaffer, Key Grip, Production Manager and the Line Producer to look at the "spotting plans" for the sets that will be constructed on two stages at CBS-Radford Studios in Studio City. "Spotting plans" are the blueprints for the layout of the sets on the stage floor. We will be discussing the positioning of the sets relative to one another and looking at how they lay out in terms of backing placement, room for lighting, planning of the overhead pipe grid and potential construction of "green beds" or scaffolding from which to light the sets. The show is a half-hour "single camera comedy" to be shot with Sony F900/3 cameras (two). We will be employing a full time Steadicam/A Camera Operator and "B" camera operator, two first assistants, two second assisitants and a Digital Imaging Technician. The pilot episode was shot with the Panavision Genesis Camera by Director of Photography Dave Perkal ("Entourage"). There are budgetary restraints preventing the company from shooting the series with the Genesis. During my interview with the Executive Producer he explained that the difference in cost between the Genesis and the Sony F900 would allow him to hire an additional writer on the show. More to come.

Check these guys out, http://www.skylightballoon.com/. I use their balloons whenever I need that kind of light source. There is an e-mail address on their website where you can contact them and I am sure they would be able to answer any of your questions.

Outstanding film, incredible cinematography.

One isn't likely to learn much about cinematography by getting a Director of Photography his or her grande-decaf-nonfat-splendarized-whole foam latte.

For me, having a camera operator is indispensable. I believe the job of the Director of Photography and that of the Camera Operator are two distinct positions, at least on the types of shows I work on and the method with which I choose to work. What makes an operator really great is the way they can seamlessly integrate their own aesthetic with those of the Director and the DoP and the way in which they can do that and go almost unnoticed at the same time. A great operator almost needs to be invisible. I try not to micromanage the camera operator and nitpick framing. When there is a visual element that needs to be included in the frame from a story standpoint or when I think it is compositionally important I will let the operator know. But I think great operators are great because they can find the frame themselves even if the parameters of the shot have been decided by the director and/or the DoP. Sometimes I set the shot physically with the camera, other times I lay out marks with the dolly grip using my finder, letting the assistant know the focal length that I have chosen, and then I let the operator take it from there, finessing the elements of the shot if need be. I am fortunate in that I have worked with and continue to work with operators who I consider to be great.

Well, if you really want to know (and those of you who don't skip this post) I graduated from USC Film School. Got a job sweeping floors at a small Hollywood Camera Rental facility-Production Company owned by a Local 600 (then Local 659) IATSE DP who ultimately got me in the Union since his company was a signatory to IATSE. I stayed with his company for 6 years, sweeping floors, maintaining equipment, becoming a camera prep tech when the company acquired a larger camera inventory, went out on jobs with the owner of the company working as a loader, 2nd assisitant, a few times as a 1st assistant, sometimes as an electrician (I learned to trim a carbon arc), fewer times as a grip and even a dolly grip on one small production, an operator and a DP of insert shots. I was with his company for that length of time because during those days there was a "seniority system" where depending how long you had been in the union dictated whether you were able to work or not (the details of which is an entirely different thread) except for the production company that sponsored the union membership in the first place. After leaving that company I worked free-lance as a first assistant cameraperson on mostly episodic TV for about 6 years. The DP that I had worked with the longest gave me the opportunity to move up to Camera Operator, a position I held for 5 years. Being an operator was the best training I recieved to be ready to become a DP myself. While still an operator I was lucky enough to be hired by a friend I had met at that original rental house to shoot his first directorial effort, a very low budget action/adventure movie. That production company was pleased enough by my efforts to hire me on four more low budget films where I believe my salary topped out at $750 per week. This allowed me to build a small reel which came in handy when the producers of a TV series I was working as an operator on decided to move me up to DP halfway through the first season. It sounds so simple and straightforward but the reality was otherwise. If I had to do it all over again I would and hope to be just as lucky. I believe that luck is intention plus opportunity. There have been many ups and downs during my career and I must say that I was never motivated by wanting the "lifestyle" of a DP whatever that is. I just wanted to be behind a camera.

As far as reels go, only show your best work, make no excuses and avoid rationalizing.

1966 - "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" directed by Mike Nichols, his first film and he's nominated for an Academy Award as Best Director (he wins the next year for "The Graduate") works with Haskell Wexler who wins the Academy Award for black and white cinematography for his work on "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". The kind of collaboration you wonder about is quite common, although not always with such great results.

An image stabilization head such as the Libra Head (Geo Film Group or Panavision Remote are among the rental facilities that carry the Libra Head) or the Scorpio Head (www.scorpiohead.com). These heads are expensive and require a technician to set up but they get great results. Used in conjunction with a telescopic crane arm (Technocrane) they can give you amazing shots on the road. Dynalens is the other way to go, probably the least expensive. Contact Steve Peterson, @dynalens@adelphia.net. (or call me and I'll give you his #).

In response to questions and concerns regarding Local 600's awareness of and desire to address and rectify the problems associated with long hours, I invite those interested to access Local 600's website, www.cameraguid.com/, and hit the "search" button in the blue field on the left of the page, and type in "sleep". And again, with all due respect, "the extraordinary power that Local 600 has (from a UK point of view, at least)" is, perhaps, overestimated.

Local 600 is the union membership and there is acute awareness within the administration of the union of the problems of excessive hours. With all due respect, my knowledge is first hand, not from "anecdotal evidence".

The last 2 series and my last pilot that I worked on the days were held to 12 working hours, 13 elapsed with the hour meal period. Producers are trying to hold costs down and one of the ways to do that is to maintain efficiency and keep overtime at a minimum. It is difficult for the union to police this....however, when the days do go long on location, more and more productions are offering hotel rooms for crew members, and this is a direct result of pressure being put on the producers by the union. Furthermore, I feel it is part of my responsibilities as Director of Photography to help directors and producers prepare for each day to help keep the hours from becoming excessive. There are many factors that contribute to long hours and that could perhaps be another sub-forum in itself. I find it interesting how much negative factors are being discussed as opposed to the positive aspects of union membership. It is my belief that the benefits of union membership far outway the potential negatives. That does not mean that there is not room for improvement. To comment on ?1 hour health and safety briefing and de-briefing they have to go through every day?, I have never experienced this on a daily basis. There is a mandatory saftey meeting when stunts, firearms or explosives are used in a given set-up and there is almost always a madatory saftey and ?sexual harrassement in the workplace? meeting at the beginning of every production, but in my experience, as I said, this does not occur on a daily basis. Also, this is not something required by the union, but rather by the producers and studios? Legal and Human Resource Departments.

Not speaking for David Mullen, but for myself, the union: Sets minimum hourly and weekly wage standards, sets the conditions where overtime applies, maintains a safe work place and establishes means where saftey issues can be addressed and not adversly effect the relationship between crew and the producers, sets meal periods and penalties when these periods are not adhered to, provides health benefits to those working the minimum hours to qualify (this is a big deal, these benefits are worth around $800.00 per month if one doesn't qualify), provides a pension and free health benefits to those qualifying upon retirement, provides opportunities to network with other union members, and provides the opportunity for members to address violations of the contract by producers without jeapordizing the relationship between the crew and said producers. This coming November I will have been a member of IATSE Local 600 (used to be Local 659) for 30 years.