tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188886402024-03-18T02:48:08.118-07:00DollygripperyThe definitive site on camera movement.Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.comBlogger557125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-86019150108143710682023-09-27T17:32:00.001-07:002023-09-27T17:32:10.608-07:00Next Dolly Grip Q&A.<p> </p><p>Here is the link and times for the next Dolly Grip Q&A. Please join us!</p><p>Topic: Darryl Humber/Matt Moriarty, Dolly Grip Q&A</p><p>Time: Oct 3, 2023 01:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) 4PM Eastern.</p><p><br /></p><p>Join Zoom Meeting</p><p>https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9735558598?pwd=M6bTju0lY4Gup1TwRgXkQvqCQDCEnj.1</p><p><br /></p><p>Meeting ID: 973 555 8598</p><p>Passcode: NLNmz9</p><p><br /></p><p>---</p><p><br /></p><p>One tap mobile</p><p>+16694449171,,9735558598#,,,,*142334# US</p><p>+16699006833,,9735558598#,,,,*142334# US (San Jose)</p><p><br /></p><p>---</p><p><br /></p><p>Dial by your location</p><p>• +1 669 444 9171 US</p><p>• +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)</p><p>• +1 719 359 4580 US</p><p>• +1 253 205 0468 US</p><p>• +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)</p><p>• +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)</p><p>• +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)</p><p>• +1 360 209 5623 US</p><p>• +1 386 347 5053 US</p><p>• +1 507 473 4847 US</p><p>• +1 564 217 2000 US</p><p>• +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)</p><p>• +1 646 931 3860 US</p><p>• +1 689 278 1000 US</p><p>• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)</p><p>• +1 305 224 1968 US</p><p>• +1 309 205 3325 US</p><p>• +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)</p><p><br /></p><p>Meeting ID: 973 555 8598</p><p>Passcode: 142334</p><p><br /></p><p>Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kbrtOhqsu</p><p>8</p>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-73191953149921957532023-07-31T09:39:00.001-07:002023-07-31T09:39:26.390-07:00I've Got Nothing Better To Do<p> Hi all! I see we are all back in the same boat we were in three years ago or so. Once again, we were told to go home in the middle of a job, uncertain and a little anxious about what the future holds. I'm trying to figure out ways in which whatever skills I have translate to the real world and so far all I can come up with is one of those people who shop and deliver groceries. I may not be good at much but I can drive the shit out of a shopping cart. In the meantime, we do have some things coming up. We are going to start up our Dolly Grip Q&A zoom meetings again soon, so be on the lookout for the first one. We are in the process of lining up guests, so if there is anyone in particular you would like to see, shoot me an email. I had a fairly busy year up until the recent shutdown. I spent most of my time on the 45' Scorpio crane, except for the couple of times I was on a 50' Techno. Going from the smooth as butter Scorpio to a rather aged Technocrane is quite a change. Those older cranes just don't stop and start as smoothly as the Scorpio.I don't think I've been on a Supertechno that was under 20 years old in a while and forgot how much of a monster they can be to get moving or finesse a slow correction up or down. The bearings tend to break loose all of a sudden which makes a small correction at full stick a little tricky. Add a rain cover to that and now you're doing it partially blind. Once the rain cover gets put on, I'm constantly switching sides of the bucket, sometimes mid-shot just so I can keep my eyes on the head.</p><p> I did do an actual film job shot with a Panaflex for a week, filling in for a friend. It was amazing the difference in set discipline that automatically seems to come with just shooting film. The rhythm of the set that we all remember was back and I wasn't constantly clearing people away from the crane. There weren't people standing in front of the lens scrolling their phones as is unfortunately the case these days. I asked the operator if he had noticed the difference and he said, "Absolutely." It would be nice if we could get back to that.</p><p>Anyway, that's all I have for now. I hope to get back to posting more often now. Stay tuned.</p><p>D</p><p><br /></p>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-17355860205627723732023-01-27T17:08:00.001-08:002023-01-27T17:17:04.851-08:00Time flies when you're having fun!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHM-MMUc-hJsB5LSEkPXWQlRikjlrxO9xAbcrNDN24F0GlvU9sL5xA9iNfvqhLA6XxrWy8fndtiaD6QT4KgkkksvcXqXRI5_YM111aqHlyZklPcWtQjmOZauWKQs_irbzIXMjjzHJDyEAjz7JJUmdDBJDLcJhAbKe5Yeqi2FpLi7CyMqm5K8/s3514/IMG_3576.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1745" data-original-width="3514" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHM-MMUc-hJsB5LSEkPXWQlRikjlrxO9xAbcrNDN24F0GlvU9sL5xA9iNfvqhLA6XxrWy8fndtiaD6QT4KgkkksvcXqXRI5_YM111aqHlyZklPcWtQjmOZauWKQs_irbzIXMjjzHJDyEAjz7JJUmdDBJDLcJhAbKe5Yeqi2FpLi7CyMqm5K8/w502-h200/IMG_3576.jpeg" width="502" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">No, we're not dead. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Has it been over a year already? What’s changed? Nothing. If anything things may have gotten worse. Long hours, nights, Fraturdays… the list goes on. Coming out of the world wide lock down it was as if a gun had gone off. Studios and streaming services needed new content as we had binged watched EVERYTHING. And what? Now? A writer’s strike? Who’da thunk…<br /><br />Long and short of it. Please be careful and look out for yourself. If not for you, but for your loved ones that want you around to tell them how you did that amazing shot you’re forcing them to watch.<br /><br />Thank you to the American Cinematographer Magazine’s Jay Holben for his “Shot Craft” article on “The Dolly Grip’ in the February ’23 issue of the magazine. Tip of the hat to Ralph Scherer for being featured.<br /><br />Speaking of featured - a big congratulations to our own Darryl Humber for being the Society of Operating Camera People’s “Dolly Grip of the Year”! If you have to opportunity to go to the awards dinner in Los Angeles in February please stand and give him a huge cheer from all of us.<br /></p><p><br />That is all - be seeing you!</p><p> (anyone know how to delete all the spam comments on Blogger?) <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-27644986311453503722021-12-03T18:01:00.002-08:002021-12-03T18:01:55.572-08:00Dance Floor Revisit<p> Something that happened earlier this week put me in mind of a post. I'm sure most of you who still pay attention have noticed that posts are few and far between these days. Honestly, it's hard to come up with anything new after almost fifteen years of <i> Dollygrippery. </i>Every now and then, though, something happens that gives me an idea. </p><p> A lot of the movie I'm doing now takes place on an enormous interior mansion set. The rooms are huge, the hallways are huge, and as a result, we do a lot of the shooting on this set with a 23' Scorpio Crane. It's a no brainer really. I can put the camera anywhere, and I don't have to lay a lot of track etc. This all worked out fine until one day last week when we devised a big master with several actors on the Techno, and the Techno wouldn't boot up. Time for Plan B. We threw the Matrix head on the dolly and basically did a huge dance floor shot. This of course entailed going somewhat old school and getting floor marks as well as several boom marks. It occurred to me as we were setting it up that twenty or so years ago I would have been sweating bullets as more and more camera positions were added. I think I ended up with six floor marks and three boom marks, As it was, it was no sweat and I have one thing to thank for it: television. Around fifteen years ago I did three seasons on a very popular HBO series. And it was brutal. I had already been a dolly grip for ten years or so and had some fairly big features under my belt so I was decent. This show however showed me how unprepared I was. Every shot was a dance floor. We even did them outside. And I never rested. I would basically lay half the room, shoot it out and lay the other half for the reverse. It was the most intense training I could ask for. I was exhausted, I got to the point that I could generally get 90% in the first take and nail it by the second. I didn't have a choice, We moved fast and things had to be figured out and corrected on the fly. This brings me to my point. For a Dolly Grip there is no better training than a dolly intensive tv series. You have to move fast, be accurate, and get it with minimal rehearsal. You learn to break the dance floor moves into chunks, because trying to think of it all in one will scare the hell out of you. The next thing that was hammered home was to let the actors tell you where the moves are. I don't mean to ask them, I mean that if you understand the blocking, their movements will remind you where you next mark is. Some of the best dolly grips in the world work in television and I was reminded of that last week. So if you are a young up and comer, don't be so fired up to get to feature world. Take a few years in television to learn your craft, After that, everything is easy.</p><p>till next time,</p><p>D</p>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-65083708891843293372021-03-06T21:22:00.008-08:002021-03-07T14:29:22.203-08:00Greatest Hits<p>I'm gonna set the stage now. I'm doing a technocrane shot. We're on a Scorpio 45' with a Matrix head. The shot is, an actor runs out of a gymnasium into a lobby. He slides to the ground as we push in on a ground scraper to meet him. He jumps up and we rise with him. He runs right, around a corner. I match him on the crane. Round the corner, push at full speed over his left shoulder and WHAM! You know those clocks they have in some high schools? The ones that stick out 90 degrees from the wall? I obliterated one of those with a $100,000.00 head, The arm rang like a bell and my immediate reaction over the headset was, "Ohh s&%t!" The funny thing is, I had joked with the special effects coordinator before we even did the shot that I would knock it right off the wall. Anyway, this put me in mind of a post...</p><p> If you do this job long enough, you're going to hit something. In 30 years in this business, I have never hit a person but I have had about four major hits on a technocrane. They are as follows:</p><p>4. The afore mentioned clock obliteration,</p><p>3. Football movie. The shot is a quick screamer on a 50' Supertechno from full height to ground level. I bounced the head off the turf like a rubber ball.</p><p>2.Very popular cop franchise reboot. I hit a light fixture so hard the grid shook,</p><p>1, On very successful car franchise, I slammed a head into a helicopter on a gimble. This one bears some explaining. I was swooping around a gimbled copter on a 50' Technocrane. The DP asked if I could take the camera lower. I'm already stretched out as high as I can go on the bucket. I then had a foolish thought. I thought that if I could let go of the back of the arm for a second and grab it closer to the column that I could get the camera lower, and thus become a hero in my DP's eyes. Big mistake. I lose the arm completely, and it now starts slowly swaying toward the bucking helicopter (because it absolutely wouldn't go the other way) and I start yelling to Mike, the pickle op that I've lost control of the arm as I watch it bounce off the helicopter.</p><p> The point of all this is, if you do this long enough, you will make mistakes. Our job is such that we are entrusted with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and then asked to narrowly miss destroying it. Sometimes you just lose. Let it go. Don't dwell on it. This is the hardest thing for me. I hate, HATE making mistakes. I hate blowing takes and I always feel like I'm letting my DP down. Let that go. When I hit that clock my DP laughed and said, "You almost made it!" He loved that I was trying to give him what he wanted. The truth is, sometimes we just lose. That's the truth. Every NFL quarterback throws an interception and he just has to let it go for the next play.</p><p>Let it go.</p><p>D</p><p><br /></p>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-36286916469306882132021-01-27T19:58:00.000-08:002021-01-27T19:58:03.972-08:00All Nighter<p> Hi everyone (if anyone is still out there). It's been a while. I'm currently trying to turn around from days to nights so I'm forcing it by staying up as long as I can. I usually accomplish this with copious amounts of vodka and Copenhagen, but since I have a doctor's appointment for a physical in the morning, I'll try to push on through with coffee. The writing will probably suffer. </p><p> Everything is cool here. Work has started back on a regular basis now. I actually get a couple of calls a week looking for Dolly Grips and I just tell them, "Good luck." Other than that, not much to report. I'll try and get back to more technical stuff in the future so if anyone has any ideas for things they would like to see covered, please drop an email or leave something in the comments. I plan to revisit operator/ dolly grip relationships in the future as a kind of supplement to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjgEs_FTg6g">Dolly Grip Q and A</a>'s that Sean Devine and I did over the summer. We had a great turnout and some very interesting guests. If you want to hear some Dolly Grips and Operators at the top of their game, see some video with commentary on how they accomplished some cool shots, and hear my dumbass drone on for an hour, click the link. I also listened to a podcast on the way home from work called <a href="http://protectingtheframe.com">Protecting the Frame</a>. I listened to the episode featuring my friend Casey Hotchkiss, one of the funniest people on earth. They have several interviews with great Operators including Chris Mcguire, whom I'm working with now. It will give some great insights as to how Dolly Grips can be more effective in working with your Camera Operators and Focus Pullers. </p><p> In the meantime, I'll try to get my thoughts together on some new material. Actually, maybe something about Focus Pullers would be the way to go. As a start, there is an article in this edition of <a href="https://www.icgmagazine.com/web/june-july-2020-digital-edition/">ICG Magazine</a> featuring interviews with Dolly Grips and 1st AC's about their working relationships. Give it a look! </p><p>Till next time (I'll try not to take as long),</p><p>D</p>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-68313198855939647282020-10-24T16:43:00.002-07:002020-10-24T16:43:49.546-07:00Back To Work<p> I hope you are all doing well. It's been awhile, I haven't posted because, as for you, my days were almost all identical for a while, The only real distraction I had was when Sean Devine and I put together the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjgEs_FTg6g&t=4289s">Dolly Grip Q and A's</a>. They went very well and we had a great response. I hope to resume them at some point.</p><p> Meanwhile, work seems to have returned. I went back and finished the show that shut down and am now on an action movie that shoots for just another month until my next long term job. I didn't want to do it but I have to say it's the best work I've ever done. I'm doing shots with a Peewee and a stabilized head that would have normally been Steadicam shots. Four minute takes racing down corridors and through doors ending up between bars in a jail cell type stuff. It's a challenge and I'm having a great time. As I told a friend of mine a few weeks ago, it's a great show to sand off the edges with. Anyway, I'll hopefully have more to say in the future now that we are getting back to work.</p><p>Stay in touch,</p><p>D</p>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-71997789100304709262020-08-25T22:57:00.000-07:002020-08-25T22:57:04.948-07:00I'm Still Here. Check It Out!<p> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjgEs_FTg6g&t=4283s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjgEs_FTg6g&t=4283s</a></p>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-50860431755395428322020-06-25T16:37:00.001-07:002020-06-25T16:37:11.307-07:00Next Q and A: Manufacturer's Roundtable With Cinemoves, Chapman, Fisher, and GFM<br />
Sorry all, I've been a little slack lately so I'm just getting this up. Friday the 26th at 1pm PST. Be there! Link is below:<br />
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<br />Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-64913029361013531402020-06-06T07:01:00.003-07:002020-06-06T07:01:55.194-07:00Next Q and A: Brad Rea and Peter Rosenfeld<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkcu6tpj4uEtAYk0Xjmmj8iQS2QTvFj_oV">https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkcu6tpj4uEtAYk0Xjmmj8iQS2QTvFj_oV</a>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-40912553947755185062020-06-04T08:48:00.003-07:002020-06-04T08:49:04.783-07:00Q and A recording If you missed the last Q and A, there is a recording of it at:<br />
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<br />Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-39988968070625878542020-05-28T11:29:00.000-07:002020-06-03T11:27:04.988-07:00Next Q and A: John Mang and Mitch Dubin<br />
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Last week's session with Sanjay and Bob Yeoman went so well we decided to try it again! Next week's meeting will feature veteran camera operator Mitch Dubin, SOC and Dolly Grip John Mang,<br />
Response was so huge last week we had some issues with capacity. Those have been rectified.<br />
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Join us June 3rd at 1pm.<br />
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<br />Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-36846450052234771192020-05-14T05:43:00.000-07:002020-05-14T05:43:04.682-07:00The Dollywood Squares Yesterday's interview of the great George Santo Pietro (<i>Ray Donovan, The Mandalorian</i>) went very well and we all learned a lot from George and had a great time. Stand by for the next one which should be next Wednesday! Registration info will be forthcoming. Everyone is welcome whether you're a young dolly grip, film student, or just an interested observer!<br />
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DDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-48852152107025354792020-05-08T18:09:00.002-07:002020-05-08T18:10:57.191-07:00Dolly Grip Zoom Q and A #2<br />
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To register, click the link:<br />
<a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpcuiupzkvGNXSMe3fcuT8gBPGQV9o_H7z">Dolly Grip Q and A #2</a><br />
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We had a great time at the last one. Hope to see you there!Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-43834090852564003652020-05-06T14:43:00.000-07:002020-05-06T14:43:17.848-07:00Round Table Success!<div style="-en-clipboard: true;">
We work in a thankless business as it is, so I want to thank Sean Devine, Darryl Humber and special guest Jeff ‘Moose’ Howery for a great afternoon chat! Glad to see that us knuckle draggers were able to put down our afternoon (or evening in Sanjay’s case) cocktails and join in the roundtable. We hit 75 people from all over the world - which is an amazing feat - making our world even smaller. I look forward to seeing you all at the next one.
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I would ask that you keep an eye out for the next announcements, ponder today’s meet, reflect on some questions and share the info!
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Photos by Mark Manchester (all action shots - these guys are too fast!)</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-63179582399664834592020-05-05T12:34:00.003-07:002020-05-05T12:39:26.237-07:00Zoom Interview With Moose Howery Tomorrow, Sean Devine and myself will be conducting a Zoom interview with 2020 SOC Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Dolly Grip Moose Howery. Everyone is welcome. We set it up for the young up and comers but there seems to be a lot of interest from some camera operators, and some heavy hitting dolly grips, ACs, and even first AD's. We will discuss Moose's extensive credit list featuring <i>Contact.</i> Please join us and have a question ready.<br />
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What: Zoom meeting featuring Moose Howery<br />
When: May 6, 2020. 12:00 PM Pacific, 3:00 PM Eastern<br />
How: Register in advance at <a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtd--spjIsHNQjO1_Uxw3_wb2qW74GBBSW">Dolly Grip Q&A</a><br />
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Hope to see you there!Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-20225518896997298832020-04-20T11:32:00.004-07:002020-04-20T13:55:54.429-07:00Interview With Sanjay Sami My friend Sanjay Sami has become one of the best known, and most respected Key/ Dolly Grips in the business. Based out of India, he works everywhere and for everybody. He's also a Steadicam operator which kind of makes him a tour -de-force of camera movement. His credits include <i>Eat, Pray, Love,</i> <i>The Bourne Supremacy, </i>and <i>The Grand Budapest Hotel</i>. He's a regular Key Grip/ Dolly Grip/ Steadicam operator for Wes Anderson. Let's see what he has to say for himself:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>What's your favorite little trick that you use to save time or make a shot easier?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Here are a few -</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">I have a clamp on extension on the boom controller that allows me to keep both hands on the steering handles and still operate the boom. I find this very useful for dance floor shots. I had built it about 18 years ago when I had injured my wrist and couldn’t effectively one hand the dolly. It worked for me so I have kept it as a tool I sometimes use on dance floor. A side effect of that is that you get more resolution on the boom knob - more travel for valve opening. This can be a problem if you have very fast moves because by default this makes your moves more subtle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Another tool I find very useful is to use cord for levelling very long runs of track. I find that if I stretch a section of thin (1.5mm) vectran using a ratchet strap from the start to the finish of a very long run of track, it saves me a HUGE amount of time when compared to eyeballing it. When I eyeball lengths in excess of 200 ft it starts getting confusing about what I am actually looking at and I sometimes take longer than I should. With the cord, it becomes very obvious where the high points are, so you level the high side to the cord and then do a side to side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Another thing Ive found is that, apart from the aesthetics of how it looks,I don’t sweat it if a long track looks wavy. I ride the track and see how it feels. If it feels good, I'm fine with it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Another little thing I do (I’m sure many people do) is I sometimes use my shin to start and stop a small move.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">I also sometimes use bungee to help me start or stop a very fast move.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>How did you get your start in the business?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">I stumbled into the business by accident. I was working offshore (oil rigs) and I had some time on my hands for technical reasons. I was asked if I wanted to work temporarily on set, and here I am 28 years later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Who were some of your mentors?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Early on I worked with John Flemming - An English Key Grip / Dolly Grip and he had a great influence on me. Later I worked with a few Key Grips who I hugely respected and learnt from. Herb Ault is definitely one of them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>You are probably bet known for your work with Wes Anderson. How did that come about?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">I was recommended to Wes Anderson when he was planning to shoot The Darjeeling Limited in India. It was an immensely challenging shoot. We had all the usual challenges that come with a Wes film as well as the challenge of shooting a large part of the movie on a real moving train. I think he must have liked my work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>You push dolly as well as operate Steadicam for Wes. How did this happen?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">I think Steadicam and dolly are very similar. They are both difficult to do well, but if you are a good Dolly Grip, I think the understanding of the spatial relationship between camera, actor and frame comes intuitively.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;"> But like any craft, you have to dedicate yourself to getting good at it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Wes likes the fact that he has one point of contact for camera movement. He knows that I already get his sensibility and what he wants to achieve, so it makes that part of his job easier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Wes Anderson's movies have a very specific style of camera movement. What are some of the details of</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>this style? How do you achieve them?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Symmetry is a very important part of his aesthetic, so laying out and planning the shots is crucial. When you have a track that pushes in, its very important that you have no 'drift' from the start of the move to the end. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">The camera is often locked off for shots that involve big moves. Magazine clamps - the works. Like a car rig. This is partially because Wes needs very hard stops and starts, and with a 1000 foot mag (remember those) its a vibration nightmare ! He doesn't like shots to be feathered to a stop, and when you have to bring a Hybrid with an Arricam ST with a 1000ft mag on it to a hard stop, it is challenging.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Wes doesn’t like the camera to pan or tilt unless there’s absolutely no option. The only panning we generally do is swish pans, which is almost like a camera reset. This approach makes life as a Dolly Grip very complicated. All moves and are done by booming the camera and tracking / rolling it. Some of them are obvious, big, extravagant dolly shots, but even on seemingly static shots where the camera pans from one character to the other we could be rolling the dolly over and booming down in order to get the character coming into frame with the mandated symmetry required. Theres a lot more choreography involved than is apparent. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">He also likes to do scenes that play out as one, this involves many complicated setups where walls, furniture and set pieces need to be tracked as well. We also sometimes have to switch track to change direction because the shot can’t be done dance floor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Although everything is shot-specific, what's your favorite tool to move a camera?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Without a doubt the Hybrid 3 camera dolly. Its like an extension of my body. Followed by the PeeWee 3+</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">I think having both of them is perfect on a movie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Besides the Wes Anderson films, what are some of your other favorite collaborations?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">I loved working with Peter Weir & Russel Boyd. Two geniuses who work with so much respect to their fellow crew members. I like working with nice people - Robert Yeoman, Bruno Delbonnel, Darius Khondji, Steven Knight, Rodrigo Prieto, just off the top of my head. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">As I get older, I realise that I value a pleasant and respectful environment on set more than anything else. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Life’s too short </span></div>
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Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-84383825240675765412020-03-28T20:22:00.000-07:002020-03-28T20:22:05.380-07:00Did Not See This Coming Hi all. I guess we are really all in the same boat now. In any case. I hope all of you are getting those home projects done in between trying to teach your kids math. I myself spend most days (between school lessons) watching Youtube videos about ghosts and trying to write <i>Dollygrippery: The Dolly Grip's Handbook. </i>I'm getting much less work done than you would think. I'm now on the fascinating world of surfaces and how to choose them. As riveting as it is, especially for me, I find myself often distracted by what the cat is doing and the pull of making a drink at 11 AM. Stay strong boys and girls. Before you know it we'll all be back at it, begging for a day off. In the meantime, try to be productive. I'm going to try and post more during this time and help us all keep our skills sharp. Or I may not depending on what the cat is doing.<br />
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Keep your powder dry,<br />
DDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-55603649012496421032020-03-14T17:26:00.002-07:002020-03-14T17:32:51.361-07:00Well This Is New. Three days ago I was preparing to bed down for my 6 AM leave time in Prague, CZ. My hotel phone rang. I usually ignore my hotel phone. I figure anyone I want to talk to has my cell number. But it was 9:30 PM so I knew something was up. A p.a. informed me that the studio had pulled the plug and I was to pack ASAP for a morning ride to the airport and a trip home. I quickly learned that air travel from Europe was soon to be temporarily banned. Missed that one by the seat of my pants. Three days later, I'm on my couch in a self imposed exile (for the most part). My wife and I spent the last couple of days stocking up on non-perishables, Stouffer's lasagnas, ammo (I'm a cautious fellow), and vodka. And, like all of you (literally all of you), I suddenly find myself with at least three weeks with nothing to do. How this will all pan out is unforeseeable. I do know one thing: This too shall pass. As the entire world slows down, take this time to reunite with your family, something that a few of us up until a week ago would have given anything to do. Clean out the garage. Kick the ball around with your kids. Make your wife dinner. Catch up on the movie list. Try not to worry. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, none of us ever did, but I guarantee it'll all work out. Until the shows crank back up, enjoy your forced vacation. I know some of you have bigger worries than me so it's easy for me to say this, but it will work out. For once on a global scale we are all in the same boat, but we are all more connected than we have ever been. I have friends whom I consider dear friends, whom I have never met in person, yet we share common interests. I know their families' names and what they look like. We've told war stories and laughed together.<br />
I had to leave Prague before I was able to thank and say goodbye to the wonderful technicians I met there. So, Jiri, Harry, David, Marcus, Tomas (I think there were two Tomas') and Ivan, thank you. I hope to return and share a Pivo and laugh about this soon.<br />
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Take care of yourselves and for f&ck's sake wash your hands,<br />
The Captain Has Spoken,<br />
D<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbJcQYVtZMo">Watch this:</a>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-16532021669891898352020-02-24T19:37:00.000-08:002020-02-24T19:37:56.837-08:00Q and A With Sean Devine I've known Sean for around 15 years. He is a veteran Dolly Grip who came up old school. His credits include: <i>42, Drive, </i>and<i> The 40 Year Old Virgin.</i> I happened to be texting back and forth with him last week and decided it would be a good idea to ask him some questions about the craft in general and his latest project, <i>A Quiet Place II.</i><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Tell me what challenges you faced on Quiet Place?</b>
AQP2 was challenging for everyone. The entire movie was on the move. Running, long oners,
lots of locations. We have gotten so used to moving small digital cameras with primes that going
back to film made it exponentially harder. I found myself on an electric car with a Miniscope and
a Libra chasing or leading people in closeups very often. Shots evolve for John. What starts out
as one thing almost always morphed into something very different. The challenge of that was
giving ourselves enough room to evolve. The last thing we wanted to do was to be backed into a
corner with nowhere to go. I also saw more Don Juan steadicam on that movie than I have in
the last 10 years combined. Running full out, balancing the camera, and framing the camera
backwards is one of the most difficult things I can think of for an operator to do. Matt did it on a
regular basis when no other tool would do. We tried a rickshaw which was not maneuverable
enough. Matt threw out the idea of the Mini Libra on the steadicam arm, but we never got that
one going because of weight limits for the head and the film camera. Recently we were able to
mount a Ronin 2 on a Steadicam arm with a Sony Venice. It worked great. Being able to
concentrate on running while someone else operates makes all the difference. (see attached).
All in all, it was an extremely fulfilling experience. Honestly, between the 3 jobs of operating,
pulling focus, and pushing dolly, I had the easiest job. Speaking of pulling focus. Steve Cueva
was often wide open, shooting anamorphic, on a long lens, and winging it. He is my personal
hero.</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>I know you've worked a lot with Matt Moriarty. Tell me about the dolly grip/ operator relationship: </b> Matt and I met on Castaway in 1999. We became close friends a few years later when I pushed
dolly for him on his first ‘A” camera job with John Bailey. Matt and I share similar work ethics
and get along very well. I love that Matt is very direct and keeps order around camera. I learned
under Tony Rivetti and Moose Howery. I was taught that a dolly grip stays with camera and
supports camera however he or she can. It has been invaluable. For instance, very difficult
Steadicam work was often used on AQP2. My job was to be there and pick up the slack and
support Matt, Steve, and Kate Luele (2nd AC). In return, good rapport and friendships are built.
Matt asks me what I think and in return I acknowledge the responsibility that he has to get the
shot. To me, that is exactly the relationship to have between an operator and a dolly grip. Matt
and I have it down.</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>
What shortcuts might you give a young dolly grip?</b>
Stay with camera, don’t wander off.
Support the camera crew and help them. Pay attention to blocking.
Eavesdrop on conversations about the shot. The more that you know and understand, the
easier it is to get the camera where it needs to be at the right time.
Pay attention for your key grip. You are right there watching everything, help the key catch
things.
Keep a good positive attitude. I am by no means a model for that, but I do notice how vastly
different life is at camera is when I’m present and friendly.</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>
What has changed about the job in the last 20 years?</b>
The job went from being an extension of the grip department, where the key decided very often
how shots would gt made, to several years of handheld camera (yawns), now back to getting
extremely challenging shots. I find myself in the position of solving difficult logistics quite often
these days. To the point where I question why I’m the lowest paid person directly involved with
getting shots.
Often as a dolly grip I find myself solving problems for an operator.</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>
What things do you look for in a setup that might make your operator's life easier?</b> <b>What
problems do you solve?</b>
I worked on a show for a while last spring that had me at camera by myself quite often because
the DP also operated. The shots were long and complex. It was a bit shocking to the system at
first but then I got into it. I could see all of the blocking problems, bogies, and actor issues when
nobody else could. I like an operator that takes charge of the set and improves on the ideas
presented so that’s what I did. And it was met with open arms.
My point is, the more experience you have as a DG, the more easily problems become
apparent. I watch for these things because no one person can catch everything.
Help police the frame. Make suggestions on blocking if you and your operator have that
relationship. Keep your operator informed so that good decisions come easy.</blockquote>
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Thanks to Sean for the great advice. I'm going to try to do more interview type posts with some of the great Dolly Grips we have in this business. Stay tuned.<br />
D<br />
<br />Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-633732166781293332020-02-23T21:18:00.000-08:002020-02-23T21:26:58.030-08:00The Lost Rules I've often said that the advent of the digital age has somehow degraded the rules of the set we all used to follow. Here is a refresher:<br />
Don't stand in front of the lens. Just don't. These days the hardest part of the job seems to be just finding the shot. At any given time while the operator and I are trying to set up a frame there are: Meetings happening in front of the lens.<br />
Makeup or hair being done in front of the lens. (before we even have a shot).<br />
Here come the ladders.<br />
Aimless wandering, staring open mouthed at the wonder of the set. In front of the lens.<br />
Phone calls being taken, in front of the lens.<br />
Stories told about the weekend's activities, in front of the lens.<br />
Please, I beg of you, let us find a shot. Everyone will get their turn but it is meaningless until we set the frame.<br />
Don't stand in doorways. This drives me crazy.<br />
Don't stand under the crane arm.<br />
Don't shush me. Ok, this is more personal but I hate being shushed by a 25 year old. I've spent more time in the honeywagon than you have on set. You shush.<br />
When did I get so old.<br />
<br />
<br />
Incidentally, I will be working in Prague the month of March if anyone wants to get together for a beer.<br />
<br />
DDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-80209059107803666382020-02-07T19:03:00.002-08:002020-02-07T19:08:31.699-08:00Communication Is The Key I've done a lot of wire work with a Technocrane. It seems every job I do now involves at least one sequence where I'm swooping a camera around an actor or stunt person on a wire. Needless to say this can get a little hairy and requires intense focus. It also requires that you as the crane operator know where the actor is going and that the stunt guys in turn know where you are taking the camera. Now a lot of work of this kind involves a fair amount of "making it up as you go" or "rocking and rolling" as we used to call it. So while you may not be able to say exactly where the camera will be at a given point during the shot, you can agree on parameters. Look at the set. See where the wires are and any movement they may be doing. I always talk to the stunt coordinator and see where I <i>can't </i>go. I've been in so many freelance situations where there was a miscommunication from the 1st AD or operator that I always go right to the source and find out exactly what that actor or stuntman is doing. They will appreciate it and see that you are actually looking out for their people. Also, forget the monitor. In these situations you can't afford to take your eyes off the head. Having a pickle operator you trust is priceless. Mine have saved me from more than one unfortunate incident. Call out your moves on the headset. I'm always saying, "Swinging right," or "left and down," etc. I had an incident a while back where we had an actor travelling toward camera on a wire. We were in a hurry and losing the light and it was getting a little chaotic. The operator thought we were going to push in at the actor to simulate movement. With no rehearsal, the AD yelled. "Roll camera!" As we were about to go I saw that the stunt guys thought they were supposed to move the actor to camera. I stopped everything, went to video village and informed them that I wasn't going until I knew exactly what the stunt guys and I were doing. The DP agreed and I went out to the wire guys for a consult. Once we all knew what was happening, we rolled again and continued with the shot. Everything happened so fast, everyone thought everyone else knew the plan. In these situations, you have to step up and call a halt until everyone is up to speed. That Techno arm doesn't stop on a dime so you have to know what everyone else involved in the shot is doing and vice versa. This kind of situation can happen to anyone. The wire guys and AD department were all world class but mistakes can happen when the sun is going down and the yelling starts.<br />
This advice actually goes for any stunt. If they are flipping a car, go to the stunt coordinator and get approval for any camera positions. If it's an explosion, go to the effects coordinator and find out the minimum safe distance for camera. If it's a gunshot, talk to the armorer. Communication saves lives.<br />
In any case, it's been a long week. Everyone stay safe. They ARE out to get you. Not really but act as if they are. It only takes once.<br />
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D<br />
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DDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-35833864306751842342020-01-19T16:06:00.000-08:002020-04-12T18:39:40.747-07:001917 I had looked forward to this movie for a while. The first world war is the war that we hear the least about. Even though it was known as the War To End All Wars. Early on, I had heard that it was a "one shot movie" in the style of <i>Rope.</i> This, along with the subject matter, had me intrigued to see how and what they did. I was not disappointed. As an aside, the press keeps mentioning the "one shot" aspect as if it's a gimmick or a fancy Hollywood trick like 3D or <i>Glorious Smell-O-Vision</i> (look it up) meant to put asses in seats. This isn't that. It's really the best way to tell this story. It's immersive and visceral. The camera never leaves the protagonists and you as the viewer are taken along (whether you want to go or not) for the ride. Camera movement almost becomes a character in itself in this picture. In a lot of ways it's like being on the first hill of a rollercoaster. You're slowly clanking and lurching toward the top and you know that a big drop is coming followed by a bumpy ride. Under the sure hand of the legendary Roger Deakins and Key Grip Gary Hymns and his crew, the camera movement is nothing less than spectacular. The only problem I had was that the whole time I was watching it, some part of my mind was constantly shuffling through camera platforms; "OK, that's a Stabileye on speedrail, that's a crane, that's a steadicam." Joe Blow from Minnesota won't have that problem though. Go see it. Whether or not you think the subject matter was treated the way it should have been, it is a technical marvel. If you want to see how it's done, here's your answer.<br />
8 Am call tomorrow. Blah,<br />
D<br />
<br />Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18888640.post-78592001961440733262020-01-04T18:04:00.000-08:002020-01-04T18:17:31.705-08:00Back to Work Well, the vacation is over. Monday morning I, along with many of you, will jump back into the grind and will carry on until around April. The job I'm currently on is a new streaming series. Instead of breaking it up into separate episodes as we're shooting, we treat it much like a six month feature. The director and DP are constant. This adds to a certain cohesion that is often compromised in standard series shooting where the DP alternates and the directors are on a revolving door. We know the drill and the fastest way to get things done.<br />
One of the systems we are using regularly is the Oculus head on the dolly. This works very well for a lot of things, but isn't a universal tool for everything. Wisely, our DP likes to use an arsenal of tools for many situations. We often go from Technocrane, to dolly, to mini Libra underhung on speedrail and carried. They all work really well in specific situations. I really like the Oculus on the dolly. It gives the operator and I a tremendous amount of freedom to find shots as we often make them up on the fly with little rehearsal. While this works well and the Oculus is an amazing head, don't make the mistake of thinking a stabilized head can fix everything. A wavy floor like a linoleum one will still often show up onscreen, especially on a longer lens on a dolly. It's best for high frequency vibrations like a wood floor. If you use it on a very wavy floor, it's best to leave off the vibration isolator. Pneumatic tires also help a lot, Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth.<br />
Good luck in the coming year and stay safe out there. Remember, take nothing for granted and if something can go wrong it will.<br />
DDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08466991423411721535noreply@blogger.com6