Communicating camera timing with crew

[Gohanto]

Something that I ran into recently on the first short I wasn't acting as my own DP. If you have a shot that has movement not following action, for example holding on a character looking off-screen then panning over to another character doing the same, is this usually left up to the camera-op for the judgment call on how long to hold it and having to do more takes of it if it wasn't timed correctly?

Or are those decisions made via non-verbal communication with the director somehow?

 

[Ivo van Aart]

The communication with your DOP is one of the hardest part of directing. I think you don't want to know in detail what you want. Your DOP is not the person who's only there to press the record button, the name DIRECTOR of photography came from somewhere!
What you want to do, is communicate with your DOP before you go shooting about the style you want the film to be. Watch existing films with the same kind of camera-work or atmosphere. You and your DOP have to be on the same line about a lot of things. It's not the precise image that's important, but the atmosphere that you want to capture. The image will follow.

So, to answer your question: The example you mentioned would probably be up to the director, but if you are a good director it's not a problem you should run in to.

If you're not able to trust your DOP, you're not a director, you're just some camera-op that wants to direct something.
(No offence, by the way, this is not directly aimed at you).

 

[JonathanLB]

haha, that's true, good advice. I have to trust my DP to be on the same page as me before we're shooting, explain what I want, map out a lot of the shots, etc. I make decisions on set, though, as far as exactly what I want in certain areas but usually I'm getting what I want because it's already well planned.

At this point in my career anyway I'm working with people who all have more experience than me, so I have to have more trust in them to do their jobs. I'm just trying to communicate what I want and shape the final result as much as I can without being overbearing.

I just see the job of director as someone who has a little input into every single thing, rather than complete input into any one thing. Of course, working with actors is different, there I have to be in control but the rest of it I'm just nudging in the direction I want.

 

[ktfilms]

My 2 cents is that there are a lot of different methods to go about it....and it does really depend on the dynamic of the set and relationship you have with your DP.

For me, I'd go about it in one of these options:
1) Trust th DP to handle it
2) Just have the verbal cue and say something like "And...go" when you want it to happen and remove your voice in post
3) Create a non-verbal cue (ex: tap on the shoulder)

Good luck!!

 

[poe]

In the case - as per described by the OP - an unmotivated camera move is best left for the director to make the call...unless of course he or she is incompetent, in which case an experience DOP will use their own knowledge and step in.

But in my experience, the director is the best person to call that and it doesn't have to be non-verbal. If nobody is talking, then you don't need to worry about giving verbal instructions - even if you are rolling sound!