Cameraman dilemma

Jason Miller

Jason Miller

Veteran
I need some advice. I working on a film for a friend who is a first time director/last time director, I am her camera man, she has decided to pull another of her friends on as DP, she has DPed a few films, but has a real lack of real world experience. The Director has asked me to watch over her (the DP) guide her, and make sure she does a good job. Basically the director has put me in a spot where I

1 am first camera, and there for I takes direction from the DP

And

2 baby sitting for the DP.

I know I will have to step in from time to time to over ride the DP, we have some complex lighting demands, I’m not sure how to really make this work, as Egos seem to be big in places.

I have told the Director that she could make me AD or Producer, but honestly I’m going to have my hands full and the 1st camera and DP sitting, so I do not want to deal with the other job duties of AD or Producer.

So the question is how do I override someone who is supposed to be over me in the pecking order, without hurting their ego and causing drama on the set. Any advice is welcome
 
I think the chain of command needs to be very clear. Either you're the DP or you're not. If this friend knows what she's doing, then follow her lead, but if she has no idea what's going on (which presumably is why you're asked to "babysit" her) then she'll ruin the shoot. Tell your director not to use somebody who doesn't know what they're doing and can't take care of themselves on the set. Be brutally honest now because once shooting starts it's gonna get even uglier. You shouldn't be babysitting anybody, you have a job to do.
 
If you've been asked to guide an inexperienced DP, this is not a license to override her, as you phrased it. Act as her safety net when she asks for it, or offer suggestions on efficient coverage, but the buck stops with the DP, even if you have more experience. The DP is the one who must coordinate between lighting and camera, and she may have a different idea in mind than what you think is best.

If you really want to help her, try to be involved in pre-production and let her know that your knowledge is there for her to exploit, but you should absolutely not wrestle for control. If the project does end up being too much for her to handle, the producer or director can decide to have you replace her as the DP, but until then, respect her role as the creative head. She just may surprise you.
 
yes normally the buck stops with the DP, well in all reality it stops with the director, who in this case has never even been on a set, and is a close friend of mine. The DP is also a friend of hers who needs to build a DP reel. I on the other hand while its always nice to be able to add to your reel, do not really need it.

That being said the Director is not a filmmaker and doesn't care about titles, or comans structures she just wants too make a good film. The DP has Formal training but no real world, so while I hope our DP can pull it off without me stepping in, if I feel I have to I will without a second thought. What I'm trying to do now is find a way to do it, if I have to do it, without hurting her ego
 
Have you ever heard of the phrase, "lose/lose situation"? You are in one. Define jobs and titles, functions and responsibilities BEFORE you begin production.

You need to either put up or shut up basically. You should be the DP or should not get involved in babysitting IMHO.

Dan
 
Oh boy. If this is a freebie, then what the director has to offer is copy, credit and meals. If you thought you were going to be the DP and the director has assigned the credit to another "friend", then you now have to decide if the situation has enough left in it to justify your donating your time. Is there equipment you want to know more about or are there realistic networking opportunities?

If the DP is a friend of yours as well then maybe you can back them up, but if you don't already have an established reciprocal trust with the person, be careful. Any attempt to help will cause resentment, and any failure will be blamed on you.

If you feel you really have to pitch in and help with this production, see if it can be in a capacity far away from the camera. Otherwise this is an excellent time to get an emergency call for stock footage of cabbage or something, so you can use the time in a productive manner, like getting your oil changed.

Above all remain courteous and professional, but unless you are so far along in your career that you don't need the credit and find it rewarding to teach newcomers, you are being misused. Run away gracefully.
 
well she ( the director) has offered to make me the AD and a producer, which would give me the ability to watch over the DP but it will also add to my duties.


as far as it being a freebee, it is and it isn't , I'm working for free, but she is renting some gear from me. but at a huge discount.

but even if she wasn't I'd still be helping her, she is a close friend and this is her thesis so its important to me that it turn out well.
 
Since you are such good friends with the Director it sounds like you are going to move forward with this so we need to help you deal with what is going to happen. First off is to develop a great shooting plan in pre-production that will be thorough and on the money...including the lighting design. Go to the actual sets/locations in order to plan this like a D-Day invasion. Once you are on set you are going to have to develop a method for interrupting/advising when you need to. Always pull the DP and Director away from the rest of the cast and crew so as not to allow others to know what is happening. Coach in private...praise in public. When things go right you want to pile on the praise to boost their confidence and allow you room to wiggle when you need to take over and coach/teach/correct.

The best advice: Breath deeply before saying anything.
 
Kess thank you very much, we are having a meeting this weekend and I will make sure to bring up the question of what exactly they are looking for from me. although i already know, i hope it helps to put everyone on the same page, my main worry, is the end prroduct (my friends Thesis) followed by not hurting the DPs feelings, I'd like her to get some thing out of it, and maybe learn a few things about low budget film making that she may not have learned in class.


Noel, very low budget, free location, free actors, free crew, free GS studio, just some money on equipment rental, and food. and a few things from home depote.
 
I've been in situations where I or someone else needed to keep an eye on the DP, and I can tell you first hand that it is not fun for anyone involved.

I'm just going to point out a couple technical things here...

You said the director had DP'd a few films, correct? So she should know what's going on with her DP. In fact, one of the Director's responsibilities is to oversee the DP and ensure he or she is achieving the correct look for the film. How a scene looks and where the camera is placed is a decision made by the Director, not the DP. Of course, rules bend, but in the end it is up to the Director to keep track of these things.

If she's a good director, she can keep an eye on the DP herself, with a bit of help from you. Work as the cameraman if thats what you know best. When the DP needs to be corrected, make sure that the director has noticed this as well. I'ts kind of like backstabbing, but it keeps everything in proper channels and avoids turf wars.

Again, Overseeing the DP's performance is the Director's responsibility. All you can do is help.

An AD keeps the crew on schedule, but thats too broad for you to have time to babysit a DP. A Producer waves money and yells a lot (on set), which doesn't help you at all here :)
 
sean, no the director has never really been on a set nuch less DPed or Directed, the Dp has DPed a few student films, they look pretty good, I'd say above the typical student project, She has the potential to be a great DP, but she isn't there yet, thats why I'm so worried, if I though she would never amount to anything I wouldn't worry about hurting her ego, but I have to put my friends film first.

a little about me, Tact has never been a major sill of mine, I'm a much better film maker than I am a nice guy, but I'm trying lol,
 
Jason: Honestly, you strike me as a know-it-all type of person. This is a person that I do not find helpful on set. Make sure you do not make yourself more of a pest than a help.

*Tact is not always my best trait either, but I do know how to get along with others on set.
 
When you describe someone as a friend who is a "first time director/last time director", then as a close friend you feel you must support, you are throwing too many curve-balls yourself for anyone to figure out where you are headed.

A lot of sturm and drang for a student film. Give them a break and try to have fun.
 
dcarstens said:
Jason:
*Tact is not always my best trait either, but I do know how to get along with others on set.
Click to expand...

Tact is my weakness. I become too nice of a director when one of the actors suck so I just let it happen. Unfortunatly, this screwed me in my last short 2 months ago. Next shoot, next week... good acting is #1 on the list... tact #3 (next to camera work.. actually camera work is #1)
 
Maybe you should stay on as a technical consultant and AC? The part that needs to be clear is the objective of the production. It sounds like the objective is to learn, and in that case, you're better off letting them stumble a little instead of rescuing them anyway.

It takes a pretty big budget to warrant a DP and a cam op. Make the DP run camera, so he/she has no one to blame but themselves if things don't go well. Support your friend with advice and guidance.
 
You need to think in terms of your career. This will be one less film that you could add to your DP list. The person in the DP seat should deserve it. And the Director as well. Your "good friend" kind of let you down. Don't secretly DP this film. As a DP I've secretly directed several shows 'cause the director was weak. It's frustrating not getting that "Co-Director" credit.

A DP baby-sitter shouldn't end up as an AC. The roles need to be reversed.
 
Jason Miller said:
So the question is how do I override someone who is supposed to be over me in the pecking order, without hurting their ego and causing drama on the set. Any advice is welcome
Click to expand...
If the situation calls for it and you have to do this, there are ways. They require a bit of thought and planning but it can be done.

If there's an aspect of this which you're not happy with (ie think it won't work well), calmly ask them to explain how they think it will work, and if you're still not convinced, suggest an alternative. If there's a disagreement, offer to do it their way, and also yours. Then you have more options at the editing stage.

Another way, (this only works if you're not in it for the applause) is to coax people in the direction you want things to go, and let them think they thought of it. I think the guy who wrote How To Win Friends and Influence People called it 'letting the other person save face'. It's good because it keeps things friendly and reduces the risk of any toys being thrown out of the pram.
 
I tried to post this before, but it didnt go through,

Thank you all so much for all your advice, it was helpful, we had a production meeting, and I was able to shot them some problems the lighting plan would lead to, and how to fix it, The DP seems very happy to get advice, and is actually hoping to learn a lot from me. and after talking to her more I think there may be things I can learn from her to. I think its going to go well.

Jason
 
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