What happens to all of the 'equipment' after shooting is finished?

[Daniel Smith]

Hi.

 

I was just wondering, on a lot of these productions, there are a lot of props, costumes etc. that get made specifically for the film. But what happens to them after the production is complete? Are they sold/binned/held back by the production company?

 

Just a random question I was interested in knowing.

 

Another quick note, does anyone here know of any films that have used tilt shift lenses? I've personally only ever seen them being used in photography, although what with REDs EF canon adapter, I think some interesting results could be made with one. (I really like the effects they create in photography)

 

I doubt they are for rental, but at about £1000 each, one could probably be bought by the production and sold later on.

 

Any knowledge on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Edited April 30, 2007 by Daniel Ashley-Smith

[timHealy]

On a large movie almost all the equipment, set pieces, and props are returned to the various rental houses. Some films do make certian purchases which may be sold to the department utilizing the object. Many things especially costumes wardrobe are sent back to the studio to keep on hand for reshoots. Sometimes a whole set and set dressing will be packed up and stored for a reshoot. and sometime the art department will have a sale to sell all odds and ends. Any specialty grip and lighting gear may be sold to the gaffer, key grip, or one of the crew members.

 

On some jobs, the DP will own the camera gear or maybe a set of lenses. Some DP's may have a fiancial share in a lighting truck with the gaffer, but that is on smaller jobs like music videos or commercials. And some DP's don't want to deal with equipment.

 

Best

 

Tim

Edited April 30, 2007 by timHealy

[Nick Mulder]

I dont know of any in particular that use PC lenses but there are a gazillion examples of faked focal plane shifts in tele adverts - or at least selective blur to accentuate the product/concept ...

 

This guy

here takes some nice photos and then bodges them up in photoshop, I'd like to hear his opinion of PC lenses as many of the effects his pics could have been done in camera.. or at least in analog printing by dangling some cruddy gel in between the neg and paper when exposing - I guess I really appreciate purist techniques (which were the norm not so long ago)

 

People drool over his 'dreamy' photoslopping - I couldn't remember his name but found him by searching for 'amazing photographer africa' in google - makes me steam at me neck bolts... :lol:

I would love to make an adapter for my camera but need some more tooling parts for my mill and lathe - there might just be enough room for movement when focused at infinity on a bayonet mount Bolex using screw mount lenses... Its only really noticeable with wide lenses though and they tend not to have the coverage required, need a 10mm lens with 35mm frame coverage with a small profile in the rear - $$$

 

As for props - sell them as 5 figure artwork$ like Matthew Barney (Cremaster series) immediately after - burn them like Kubrick - sell them to the next production that needs a 'wall of flashing lights' super computer - stick em in storage for 20 years until and wait until the internet/ebay was invented and sell them all to nerds in finance who were 5 when the original film came out ... etc...

[Guest]

I had a fully operational guillotine for my film. It would actually decapitate a human being.

 

There was a prop house that wanted to buy it from me. But it's so dangerous that I just couldn't sell it. I had visions of some one thinking it was a "fake" movie prop and cut some ones head off.

 

So we put it under the buzz saw and cut it up, then into the garbage.

 

I've kept most of the other cool props though. There might be a sequel :blink:

 

R,

[David Mullen ASC]

Here are two examples of tilt-focus lenses on "Shadowboxer" and then two from "Remains of the Day":

 

 

 

 

 

I've seen them used in "Heat" and "Quick and the Dead", plus the TV series "Six Feet Under" used them extensively.

[James Steven Beverly]

Hi.

 

I was just wondering, on a lot of these productions, there are a lot of props, costumes etc. that get made specifically for the film. But what happens to them after the production is complete? Are they sold/binned/held back by the production company?

 

Just a random question I was interested in knowing.

 

Another quick note, does anyone here know of any films that have used tilt shift lenses? I've personally only ever seen them being used in photography, although what with REDs EF canon adapter, I think some interesting results could be made with one. (I really like the effects they create in photography)

 

I doubt they are for rental, but at about £1000 each, one could probably be bought by the production and sold later on.

 

Any knowledge on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Don't listen to them! They can't tell you the truth of what happens to the equipment apon the completion of principal photography as they are all members of the secret society know as the Brotherhood of the Gel and Lens, an organization founded during the Dark Ages by Pope Brandon the Obnoxious is responce to pagan hoards who were practicing photography without cameras, "An unholy and unnatural act" according to the Pope so they were, at the time, considered godless, profain heathens and often put to death by being tied to a stake and forced to watch Pauly Shore movies one after the other. Most never lasted past the 9th screening. It was a horrible way to go. Many a time, the cry of "BUT IT HAS NO PLOT!!!!" could be heard just before the victims passed out and eventually succumb to a fatal dose of bad acting.

 

The "Golden Timers" as the brothers of the society are often called are bound by the Cinematographer's Sacred Oath of Silence which states that they shall never reveal the ceromony of the Martini Shot and Holy Wrap under penalty of DEATH so they dare not tell the details of this most revered of celibrations. I, however, was ex-communicated from the society in 1997 when for no particular reason, I named Harold Waxler as a member of the Communist party to the House Un-American Activities Committee which had been disbanded in 1975. Stating I was "Insane" as thier reason, I had my lightmeter bent and was uncerimoniuosly booted out the temple doors and down the C47 front steps which have 47 steps. Fortunately, my speen, pancreas and kidneys broke my fall, but I now feel NO obligation to any longer keep the secrets of the Brotherhood and am ready to tell ALL!

 

Apon completion of any film project in the northern hemisphere, the Brothers associated with the production and all others within a 50 mile radius of the grip truck will gather under the first dark of the moon, on ground of the location of the last shot naked, dressed only in their robes of CTB and CTO gel and carrying the cerimonial spades made from disgarded barndoors and broken c stands. They form a great circle about 20 to 30 feet in diameter and begin to dig a great pit, while chanting "Time and a half then Double TIme, Time and a half then Double TIme" over and over again. When the pit is about 18 feet deep, A cry from the Great DoP, coiled from head to toe in electrial cable, connected to a non-running generator (in the old days, they tried a running one with disasterous results) of "We're losing the Light!", followed by a chorus of "I'm ALMOST done!" from the Brothers. The Brothers then gather up their spades and climb out of the pit. Then scripts, costumes, diffusion, scrims, silks and flags are tossed into the pit by the cinematographer's servant slaves, the grips, A/Cs and PAs. The pit is them soaked in deisel fuel and set ablaze. Then the larger equipment, Panavision cameras, lighting stands, 2ks, boom mics, ect. are then tossed into the frames and the fire climbs into the Heavens. Finally the really big stuff, cranes, grip trucks, trailers, parallels are pushed into the inferno and in the glow of the raging configration the Brothers chant and dance, wild eyed around the fire swinging their cobbled together spades around furiously, slamming them into the ground in an orgy of destruction, feasting and drinking far into the wee hours of the breaking dawn. At last, the smoldering ash and twisted, charred metal in the pit is the covered over with earth and the ground salted so that nothing will ever grow on that spot again. The Brothers then move out solitarily into the cold, blue dawn light and stealing back to their lair to sleep in a 6 foot hole in the ground, until the next project. They are sleeping even now, waiting to arise cimb from thier holes and walk the Earth again, contrast filter in hand, ready when called apon to shoot anyone, anywhere at any time, in service to the Gel and Lens, so beware! Having revealed all this, my time may be short, but I feel the World had to know. SOMEONE had to stop them so I die in service of mankind.....Goodbye......(cough, choke) aaahhhhuuuph!

Edited May 1, 2007 by James Steven Beverly