25 replies to this topic

[Justin Hayward]

 

I'm not saying it's wrong, 

No, it just sucks.  Gaffers need to up their rates.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Honestly I think the biggest change these days is that you can see what's being shot in a rough approximation of what it will look like, and suddenly, you have many "choices" by a committee of people at video village. Couldn't really "wing it" as much on film, and as such, those with the purse strings KNEW they HAD to have someone who had encountered myriad circumstances to even get footage at all. Now a days, you can see on 40" monitors in front of the slew of clients if it's in focus, roughly bright enough, roughly "right" enough, and even play back to make sure the operating was up to snuff.
Plus, while the DoP might not be cheaper, many other bits are (and footage, in the mind of many is basically free!) so there's much more of a net to catch the inexperienced in every stage of production. As someone young, I really worry about the devaluation of every role on set as we delve deeper into the technology of forgetfulness.

[Robin R Probyn]

Maybe thats the push for 8K.. its meaningless purely visually.. but then they can get man bun DP to shoot everything on an 18mm lens.. in Raw.. for $300 a day.. and make the film/commercial in post..  genius !.. joking but like Phil I just dont like this thing now that taking a 5D out of a box makes you a DP or that shooting a film with your friend with a iPhone means you have shot a "feature" film.. 

 

Buying a pen doesn't make you a writer..  ok sounds like an old fart.. but really its a joke.. all these people say they are shooting a feature film.. then turns out to be 2 guys and their girlfriend shooting on a borrowed  DSLR .. no thats not a feature film.. and you are not a DoP.. I dont claim to be one either.. because Im not.. 

[Macks Fiiod]

This video village stuff you guys keep going on about makes me wonder how much money these productions have to blow. I've never shot film in my life but via digital cameras have taken up this "film workflow" you keep speaking of.

[Michael LaVoie]

No, it just sucks.  Gaffers need to up their rates.

If I was a gaffer and a DP that didn't know how to light was leaning on me to do their job so they could be a camera operator with a DP title. I'd be super pissed.   A DP should know how to light the set.  They may not know exactly how to calculate the electrical distribution to every unit of the stage but they should understand quantity and quality of light levels, contrast and color temp theory and be able to articulate how they want something to look with a rough idea of whether it can be done on time and within the budget given the crew size and schedule.    

[Justin Hayward]

Maybe when the next big Nike spot hires a 22-year-old gaffer fresh out of film school the whole system will collapse and everything will go back to normal.