Kodak Misses the Bigger Picture...

[Greg Crawford]

Originally posted by vt220:
"everybody knows film is cool, but it all comes down to cost, and newbie's fear of the mysterious process involved. locally (in norcal) it's really difficult for me to find "fun" films to shoot, even for free, simply cause everyone is shooting DV, and they don't even really understand the need for a DP, or what a DP does. anybody can frame up a shot, right?"


Have you found out any ways around this problem?

[Greg Crawford]

I once worked on a film for a couple young guys shooting a DV short. They had read "FILMMAKING AT USED CAR PRICES, "?one to many times and did not want to hire a DP.

So I signed on as a Gaffer. They were very stingy with letting me look through the viewfinder.

When the film was done, the Director said to me with a little attitude in his voice, I could see the camera reflected back in the mirror" (back of the actors.)

It was a long tracking shot and a DP would have spotted that as a problem.

I got the feeling that maybe he thought that I should have magically know that would happen.

I never did get my complimentary copy of the film.

[vt220]

Originally posted by Greg_C:
Originally posted by vt220:
"[...]and they don't even really understand the need for a DP, or what a DP does. anybody can frame up a shot, right?"

Have you found out any ways around this problem?

<font size="2.0" face="verdana, sans-serif">i show them my reel, and other stuff i've shot. they either get it or they don't. if they don't, i'm not gonna shoot their movie.

i also always stipulate a couple of things -

1) i supervise the transfer. this makes such a huge difference in the way i shoot, that i've made it a requirement.

2) i operate the camera

3) i have final say on camera, grip, & electric crew members.

if that stuff is in place, everything else will follow.

[Alex]

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE, you SHOULD BE PRESENT FOR YOUR TELECINE TRANSFER, especially if someone else is footing the bill.

Why?

Because some bean counter has tried to shave some money off the job and will go to an inferior place just to save $50.00 bucks an hour.

It's unbelieveable. I've been watching Scrubs the last few weeks, the grain I am seeing is UNNACCEPTABLE! I bet they have worked a cheap *** deal with the rank facility and as a result, the quality of the picture, in my opinion, has dropped off.

You DP's MUST BE THERE when the film is transferred to video, it's paramount.