The "If I did it again" thread

[bifter]

I and over a dozen friends are planning our entry into the New Zealand 48 hour film bonanza .

We've got a great set of writers and actors and I will be DOP and camera operator.

There are a number of things I have picked up from using my DVX (and this site) that I always make use of on shoots, like, for example:

- using the Index function to mark shots that went really well.
- I always shoot 10 seconds of a simple colour bars chart at the outset of a shoot to help colour-matching.
- I use zebra bars to check exposure and burn-out.
- I always monitor on headphones.

What other good practices might I employ to maximise my effectiveness at giving the editor the best possible product to work from?

What about on set? I will have an assistant. What would you do if you did it again?

 

[PDX_DVX]

Well, this is just my habit, but I use the in-camera color bars and always record 15 seconds at the beginning of my tape. That way, if I have to re-dub the tape, or anything like that I have that lead time at the beginning. Make sure and white balance EVERY time the light changes. Also, make sure and take the tape out of your camera at the end of the day. You probably know all of that stuff already anyways, just a suggestion if you don't. Make sure that when doing any scene file adjustments, to view your adjustments on a calibrated color production monitor, if you don't, you sometimes come out with undesired results. NEVER trust the on camera LCD or viewfinder. Even if you don't need to sync your sound, it's also a good idea to use a slate to identify scenes, and if you want to get REALLY technical, you can even write down what iris/filters you used, and which scene file you used for later reference. One of the biggest annoyances to an editor is not having enough pre and post roll, so make sure you start rolling a full 5-10 seconds before the action takes place to give enough time for slate/clapper. Hope that helps!

As for the assistant, see if you can make a camera log so they can make note of the timecode on good takes, or even have them record the settings of various camera setups. If I were going to do it, I would list the scene in correspondance with the script, timecode of a good take (the director will let you know) and a minor description of what went on. And like I said, maybe the camera settings.