My foray into this foreign world was much easier with a guide to show me around. I worked with Ryan today since Joe was out on vacation. We were dealing with camera intake. We had to put back together camera parts and test them to make sure they work.
My orders: "Just start puttin' stuff together and see if it works."
Consider it an engineers paradise. Mechanical part after part stared me in the eyes. Boxes of equipment. And plenty of time to work on it. I took a VCX 200 camera body(?) (it automatically comes with a lens) and figured out how to attach lavalier microphone sets to it. I tested it back and forth. I would come across a problem. Ryan would come over to help. I have to say I solved the problem in the way Ryan never expected it. I turned the volume on the camera up. Simple solutions. That's what teenagers are for right?
I successfully tested two camera bodies, four lavalier sets, one tripod, and plenty of batteries. I learned how to wrap cable (a very necessary talent.) Apparently there's a very specific way of coiling it so as to prevent knots. Ryan said it took him a couple weeks to get it at first. I picked it up after several unsuccessful attempts.
After testing out the equipment I got a bit of a break while Ryan anwered calls. They are a business after all, and Ryan has to help out with the camera questions from clients. When he had spare time he looked at me and said words I never expected to hear:
" Why don't you try putting up the rig?"*
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| The Arri Alexa without any accessories |
He handed me a mount, and showed me the camera body to use (an Arri Alexa) and said get to work. It took me awhile but I figured out how to put on the mount. I attached the quick-release slide to the dovetail and slid that into my head while loading up the camera body. I got support for the rods. Ryan showed me how to handle the lens and I got to attach a lens too. I set up two spare monitors. I could technically shoot now. Ryan went on for an extra 45 minutes after I setup the body attaching accessories. We worked on a remote control focus, a rock'n'roll handle, several Israel legs (or Noga legs depending who you ask), an extra monitor on the camera. You get the point.
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| Can you believe this is a Noga Arm? |
I learned about the camera assistant job on a film set. I helped set up a hollywood standard camera with all the accessories. Alot of what I'm doing now I will never learn in school. I can learn it in a professional setting, but in this studio I'm in the safest environment for learning (where there's no job or money on the line). Tomorrow I get to take it all down and pack it away. Or if I don't then I'll get to put more cameras together. Ryan thinks that by the end of the week I could do the whole rig plus the accessories by myself. Sounds a little ambitious to me, but why not?
Good day. The more specific camera tech stuff I learn the more general tactics I learn about film and film sets.
Two principles to abide by when it comes to film:
1. Everything is based around money. The less spent the better, so if it's not necessary or cheap it won't be bought.
2. The people paying know nothing about film so everything has to at least look official. They want to see everything you're doing so they get their own monitors and chairs and food and sets and etc. etc.
Remember these and you'll survive in the film world.
*Not his exact words, but basically something like that.
I knew ya' had it!
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