Sunday, September 23, 2007

Know Your Heads

This means know what the various camera heads are capable of and what works best for each shot. some examples: a straight down overhead shot-the o'connor is the optimum head for this. Also realize that when it tilts down, it also throws the camera out another 6 inches or so which comes in handy when calculating what equipment (camera offset?) you need to do a shot.
Ultra low shot- Lambda or if you go old school, Weaver Steadman. Realize that the good people at Lambda-for whatever reason-decided to put a 3 inch knob on the bottom of the head which compromises your height. Replace it. Long lens tracking shot- the wheels, my old favorite. The operator can subtly correct any variances in the track on a 300mm with a geared head. Knowing these things will help you immediately know what needs to be done when a shot is presented to you and the operator says, "what's the best way to do this?"

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