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Tech Scouts


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What's for lunch?

 

 

I couldn't resist. Where can you put lights, where does the generator go, can you get in and out, where do the trucks go, sun direction, is one location better than the other, can a crane operate safely, is there parking, can you make noise, is there a curfew, what will it look like when we shoot, will you need extra security. You're mostly looking for problems and solutions. A lot of times it's just a tour.

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With the Steadicam you ask, "Where will you look good standing next to your rig? Here or there?" Steadicam is a terrain sensitive piece of equipment. It is highly influenced by the elements, like wind, water and the surface over which the Steadicam will travel. It gives the operator a chance to see what he will be walking across. Thick gravel is difficult, as are hills, rocks and narrow passages. The Steadicam operator doesn't normally go on a tech scout. For the most part Steadicam operators are day players unless they are on the film as an operator as well. A Steadicam operator can work a deal with production and can often get on as an operator. In my opinion it is better to have an operator for each camera. Steadicam is grueling work and at the end of a Steadicam set up, the operator needs a break. That being said, operators in general don't really need to go on tech scouts. You can pretty much figure out the shot when you block, set-up and rehearse. It is often an added expense for production to take an operator along and they might not want to pay you. The DP can pretty much fill you in.

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Generally speaking a tech scout on a feature film production is the one opportunity that the whole production team (director, 1st AD, exec and other producers, UPM, all the heads of all departments involved [except wardrobe and hair and make-up] and their keys, and even the production coordinator sometimes) will have to go through the scene / location together before the actual filming and work out any and all details related to the scene to be shot that day _ including (but not limited to) logistics like parking working trucks, placement of lights / rigging and other picture needs, art department details, surveying the set, how the scene will be blocked etc.

 

So any and all questions related to that location's filming should be addressed at the tech scout, as there won't be another such opportunity until it the day of the shoot, and failure to do so will likely be regarded as unprofessional later.

 

One of the true measures of a good film professional is to anticipate issues and needs so that he or she is prepared for them when and if they are encountered -therefore the tech scout is an incredibly important part of this process, along with previous professional experience of course.

 

The Steadicam op is generally not present, although in certain demanding situations he / she could very well be involved, it depends on that particular production circumstances. If the DP and director think the Steadicam op should be present to work out complex camera moves, then that is related to production so that it can be approved by the UPM ahead of time.

Edited by Saul Rodgar
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