Who is responsible? Director or Cinematographer? or Producer? Who is boss?

[Wilbur Eddings]

Does this still hold true for no-budget Indy productions ?

I've been part of a few small projects where it was obvious that the Director knew nothing about lighting or camera, so most of the time he was talking through his hat. I tried to compromise by trying to interpret what I thought he meant at the time.

Worst part about these projects is that these non-techie people then want to sit in on the color correction and grading and again it's obvious that they have no clue about anything.

Well, in dealing with the number crunchers above me and the tecchies below me (in rank), I have learned that respectful communication is probably 80% of my job.
I went so far as to read Robert Greene and John Maxwell books to help me deal with different personality types on set.

The reason i really like my current DP is because when he sees me start to screw up, he asks me something like: "Tell me what you want and lets get it done, I think this lighting config is gonna come back and bite us in the ass in post sir". 'Sir'. Dude twice my age, twice my wisdom and probably twice my IQ calling me 'sir'. I can always feel that he really gives a damn about any project we are on and really wants it to look as good as possible WITH ME. It's super easy for me to submit to this guy on set when I need to because i never feel like my finger offering is going to lose me my whole hand...

Same goes for me and the producer. I call him/her Sir or M'am and respectfully + maturely lay out any concerns with their decisions or vetoes in such a way that they feel safe to conceed every now and then.

MB: I shoot some movies for $50k and some for one or two million $. I do not distinguish between low budget Indie and higher budget Indie, to me every project has to be handled the same. As professionally, well planned and maturely run as you possibly can!
Whether someone agrees to do something for free or for money is irrelevant. If you made an agreement, the agreement is your commitment. if you don't like it, I already have plan B waiting in the wings.

Sounds nasty but experience has taught me that the only way I am going to end up shooting 30 mil $ plus features is if I become anal about the details and build a solid team who are able to work professionally with mature respect for their fellow team mates ON ANY SIZE OF PRODUCTION. (Caps for the win!).

 

[mrrsoc]

Meaning no disrespect to anyone here, but many of the woes expressed in this thread are the result of inexperience or experience in an environment that is perpetually chaotic. As a 25 year veteran feature and eposidic camera operator and DP, I tell young people headed into the biz that a good education is important, but the most valuable thing that they can do after that is to insert themselves into the mainstream system, if possible. Hang out with a camera crew on a sizeable show, get on as a camera PA sweeping the camera truck, running for coffee, and learning what's going on. On a film show, you will undoubtedly be given the opportunity to learn from the loader and assistants. On a digital show, the DIT may be who helps you. The DP, operator and 1st AC will probably be so busy as to not get to know one as quickly, but vets love to give back to young people who show initiative and work ethic. Do this for a couple of months or so, and you may well find yourself invited to move up. Many a fine camera department career has begun this way.

What you learn by coming through "the system" for a while is immense. The obvious is the ability to see DPs, operators, assistants, the gaffer, key grip and their crews execute the craft of cinematography using the tools of the trade in ways that you may have never imagined. Maybe most importantly, you get to learn about and witness the protocol, political, and communication skills so necessary to success in the biz. What's great about this is that you can make those observations and not be in the crosshairs yet yourself. I'll confess that we are seeing more and more people coming up into the industry that haven't been in any professional track, and the level of chaos on shoots with people like that goes up exponentually.

I was a contributor to that chaos when I began because I came to the industry a bit older and from another career. I inserted myself into the system as an operator as green as they get on non-union features. My incredible luck was that my first job was a non-union box office hit (little thanks to me). It was gawdawful miserable/painful in many ways. Fortunately, there were opportunities and I had just enough going for me to learn and grow into the big leagues. Befriended star 1st ACs were critical to my career success because they were the conduits to opportunities when the DP decided they needed an additional operator. Relationships and reputation grow with your fellow camera crew and even with directors and producers. From that come either lots of work or greater opportunities and responsiblities such as moving up to A-operator, 2nd unit DP, or even DP.

If you're at the bottom and working up, still grab your HD camcorder whenever possible to shoot your own material to experiment...maybe trying scaled down versions of what you saw on set. If you plan on working as a DP, that is a must.

For those of you who are already in the fire and suffering a bit, I might suggest something that I've not seen mentioned here; that one of the DP's (and operator's) closest allies (and vice versa) is the 1st AD. He/she may have little interest in your creative skills, but they will certainly be very sensitive to your professional skills that contribute to making the day. How you light and work in a manner that fits the schedule, and your ability to be a bastion of calm and consistency on the set is hugely valuable to the 1st AD, and by extention, the producer and even the director. Build a quiet friendship with the 1st AD and you will have another valuable arrow in your quiver.

Humbly submitted FWIW...

Cheers:thumbsup:

 

[scottfs]

Boom shadow

Boom shadow

as a professional gaffer my only boss on set is the dop and safety guy.

i may take suggestions from the camera assistants and grips re cutters, reflections or stands in shot..

everybody else gets polite nods and a blank stare.........

the boom swinger is on his own with boom shadows but if i am feeling loved i may help
him out.....

As one who has wrangled a boom pole on occasion, I depend on the camera operator to let me know if the boom, mic, or shadow is in the shot. I don't have a monitor, so I can't do it myself!

 

[bwwd]

If someone's on my set and won't do what they're told, they're likely to get fired for insubordination and made an example of for everyone else. Another thing, I know everyone wants to be the Director or the DP but Directorial suggestions or lighting and camera suggestions are only to be made by the Director. That's his responsibility.

Are you serious ? So you dictated lights for short film thats on your website... yeah, its visible ,thats why director shouldnt dictate those kind of things IMO.No good.