tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post6118516137881882355..comments2024-03-28T00:18:19.640-07:00Comments on Dollygrippery: Hitting the Mark...or notDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-78998016186889821272009-06-03T10:15:52.950-07:002009-06-03T10:15:52.950-07:00Great comments! Sanjay and GHB, glad you're ba...Great comments! Sanjay and GHB, glad you're back. I was beginning to wonder where everyone went.Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-58273211121287926112009-06-02T21:04:06.609-07:002009-06-02T21:04:06.609-07:00Hey D. Sorry for my absence. Life gets in the way ...Hey D. Sorry for my absence. Life gets in the way sometimes as I'm sure you know. Anyway. Great topic. I have to agree with D as usual. Hit your marks. Unless the actor is a mile off of theirs and you know that the shot will never work if you hit your mark, then by all means go directly to it. As D said, you are the only constant in the focus puller's life. If the camera is in the wrong place, he has a real hard time getting his bearings and making it sharp. I promise you if you're off your mark more than you're on it, you'll hear about it. I like to plan on hitting my mark and then through my periphery see where everyone is landing and correct from there. You have to assume everyone is going to go to the right places and if you're off your mark, you'll be the only one that didn't come through. I think the real proof that you're always on your mark or at least instinctualy in the right place is when your focus puller doesn't put his own marks by your dolly wheels. When they trust you enough to assume you're in the right place it's a beautiful thing. Having a good marking system is key, too. I was taught a really good one. Maybe this is a good related topic of conversation for another post.GHBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-16482259402640745082009-05-30T21:23:20.295-07:002009-05-30T21:23:20.295-07:00Hi D,
Great post. I've been away on a movie called...Hi D,<br />Great post. I've been away on a movie called "The Way Back", and only just got back. I could not post while I was away, via phone. Your site rejected the post, but on my desktop it does not seem to be a problem.<br />I think there are some good points being made here. You make marks for a reason. The dolly grip operates the operator. If you dont hit the right spot, there is no way the operator can get the right frame. Having said that, the right mark is not nessesarily the tape mark you set on the floor. It is knowing your relative position to actors, background, and various other things in the frame that are needed to give meaning to the frame. If one of them changes position, it goes without saying that the camera also probably needs to change position. finessing these moves and adjusting to changing situations is the hallmark of a good dolly grip. If all we did was hit our marks, as D said, we'd be replaced by stepper motors!!The Grip Workshttp://www.thegripworks.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-65668303052056030042009-05-30T16:49:57.514-07:002009-05-30T16:49:57.514-07:00Anonymous makes a good point, and while I disagree...Anonymous makes a good point, and while I disagree that these are the most important marks to make, it is important to make sure your dolly starts in the same attitude on every move especially on a crab move. just put a reference mark at a front and back wheel at number one and line up on them on every reset.<br />DDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-22843076636434021032009-05-30T14:52:21.656-07:002009-05-30T14:52:21.656-07:00I would say the marks you should be most concerned...I would say the marks you should be most concerned with are the reference marks you put down on your front and back wheel to make sure your dolly will react the same way every moveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-8600683081539994492009-05-30T12:25:20.360-07:002009-05-30T12:25:20.360-07:00Hi Tommy. Thanks for the idea. It sounds like you ...Hi Tommy. Thanks for the idea. It sounds like you are in a good situation. It's always fun when the DP includes you into the creative process or isn't threatened by your input. Have fun! (but don't run over George Clooney).Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-36339565058816396932009-05-30T10:33:21.301-07:002009-05-30T10:33:21.301-07:00Thanks for the great post, D. It's nice to hear a...Thanks for the great post, D. It's nice to hear another perspective - especially from someone as experienced as yourself. I'm glad you mentioned the whole second team vs first team blocking aspect. On this show, with some big names, the blocking is almost guaranteed to change each take so my marks with second team are never my marks with first. Talk about not being in the same zip code, sometimes they're not even in the same country! But I like that aspect of winging it during that first take, feeling it out.<br /><br />I also agree with what Onno says about finding a rhythm that may be different than what was layed out. The dp I'm currently working with is very open - she rarely gives me much more information about a shot than something like "camera here, doing something like this: *hand gesture*". Usually I am the one who suggests the boom and move timing based on the pacing of the scene. If a dolly grip is in tune with their dp then camera movement is just one less item that dp needs to worry about. I'm glad I can provide that. <br /><br />TommyTommynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-91982658885526559792009-05-29T13:33:06.401-07:002009-05-29T13:33:06.401-07:00Great points Onno. Of course every set up is diffe...Great points Onno. Of course every set up is different, and episodic and feature work tends to be more rigid. Commercial work, in my experience, is more free form and allows you to play a little more. Thanks for the input. It's now 1:30 PM and I have to go to work. Have a great night all<br />DDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-90758184816602690742009-05-29T13:16:00.392-07:002009-05-29T13:16:00.392-07:00Hello D, and all,
Great post again and a good kic...Hello D, and all,<br /><br />Great post again and a good kick from Tommy!<br />At this moment I am mostly on commercials. When doing the shots I rarerly put marks since they will change anyway..:-( I just follow my instinct. When I put marks I will hit them. Sometimes I'll fail and when I fail the first take I will fail every take since the rhythm of the shot seems to ask for this new (unmarked) mark.. never have any complaints.<br />But as I said, every shot with its lens and its action has its rhythm; a creep in on a 32 or a 50 is 60cm (2ft).<br /><br />Another thing is that I watch the wheels (or markings on the head), when the operator stops operating and I am near to my mark I will stop the move (ofcourse depending on the shot). And ofcourse it is a kick when the operator is done and I am on my mark, so is the action... then I just say to myself; It is like an orchestra, finished, in the can.<br /><br />So far,<br /><br />OnnoOnnohttp://www.solidgripsystems.eunoreply@blogger.com