Today I am going to do duty as a background extra in a short vampire movie that a friend of mine is starring in. I am to be one of a number of diners in a restaurant. I won’t be paid but I will be fed, and I already know that it’s a very good restaurant because I’ve already been there before.
Today I got a look at the email sent out by the production to all whom it concerned, about today’s activities. This was, for me, a glimpse into a whole new world of complexity and managerial drive. Here, just as a tiny for-instance (there are three whole pages of stuff like this), is a list of the kit that will be used by the DOP/Grip/Lighting Department:
2 X Sony EX1 (with S XS cards) – 1X Intel Mac Book – 1X S XS card reader & firewire cable – 500GB EXT HD (or equivalent space for backup) – 1X Letus Ultimate Adapter & photographic lenses – 6 X Prime Lenses & PL Adaptor – 1X Manfrotto Tripod – 1X 32in LCD TC & Composite leads – 1X Steadicam Junior – 1X Manfrotto Fig-Rig – 1X 8in Camera Monitor with composite leads – 1X 25m BNC cable drum – 1X Mini-Jib with Tripod & Fluid Head – 2X Paglights and battery packs – 3X Redheads with stands, diffuser/gel kit – 1X Set of 3 dedo lights with stands – 1X 2ft 4-bar Kino-flo with stand – 1X 200W Handheld MSR lamp – Reflectors, gels, diffusers, clips and stands – Blacking for windows
I am looking forward greatly to seeing what this all looks like in practice. I suspect that, in reality, it won’t amount to very much at all.
My favourite is the “Manfrotto Fig-Rig”. Time was, when faced with a splendid name like that, you just read and wondered. What kind of Rig would that be? And why “Fig”? But this is the age of the internet, and I can immediately tell you the answer:
From initial conception to finished product, Manfrotto worked alongside director Mike Figgis, whose films include Leaving Las Vegas and Cold Creek Manor, to develop a hand held DV camera support system that offers the shake-free stability of a tripod with the framing flexibility of handheld shooting. A circular frame with a crossbar to mount most mini DV cameras, the FigRig mn595 becomes part of the body to produce smooth, steady travelling shots. It is this very fact which is the secret to the Fig Rig. As the operator walks, his/her muscles and tendons absorb all the shocks, transferring only fluid movements to the camera. As there are no straps or harnesses attached to the Fig Rig, quick and wide movements can be made within the same shot from ground-level to overhead, in one smooth movement. The camera, accessories and operator become one, allowing you to film scenes quickly and unobtrusively.
So hats off to Manfrotto, and it is called “Fig” after Figgis.
This piece of kit costs around £150 quid. I still don’t quite get how it works, but here’s hoping that I find out.
It’s a bit like carrying a pint in each hand while walking, without spilling any. Your arms instinctively soften the bumps out.
Some people have resorted to making their own.
A bicycle wheel
Bits of plastic pipe
Not actually shot on film?
Then it’s not actually a movie.
Look at all that expensive support and lighting equipment – not to mention the expense and trouble of the set, extras, cast and crew…and you shoot it on video? No, no, no.
Fig-Rig — I mess about with video a bit and I looked at these and it does look quite useful. Not only do your arms steady out the bumps, but because it is circular you hold it above your head or down near the ground for dramatic angles.
I actually bought a Hague Stabilizer for fifty quid, and it works all right but is not as easy to use as the more expensive versions of the same thing. You can get smooth-ish tracking shots with it, but not as smooth as with a dolly (camera on train set).
Anyway, there are no end of gizmos for mounting cameras in interesting ways and it’s all getting cheaper and easier for amateurs like me to play around with.
John Sabotta’s argument strikes me as somewhat religeous. HD video can look fantastic, and look a lot like film if you shoot in progressive mode at 24 frames per second with a 35mm adaptor (meaning you can use movie camera lenses to get nice blurry backgrounds). And film is astonishingly expensive. I’d imagine it would at least double the budget of a movie like this.
Being an aspiring director’s husband has forced me into the role of amateur executive producer (not to mention writer, grip, and production assitant). While I would rather be paying to shoot on HD, I am going to have to reluctantly agree with Mr. Sabotta. Well-shot film, even 16mm, still looks much better than the best available DV. And, on a more practical note, most festivals will still choose to show a mediocre piece shot on film over a good piece shot on HD. Of course, DV technology is advancing much more rapidly than film technology, so one day this too shall pass.
So how did the shoot go?