Just Checking In..

Hi everyone. I'm just adding some pictures to show a little of what we've been up to. It's all going well so I've got no complaints. Internet access is a little sketchy so I haven't been posting as much. The grips and a camera operator all got a beautiful house on the ocean and moved out of the crappy hotel, so at least we have a nice place to stay now. Everyone stay safe and send along any questions/comments.

The Endless Scene

We've all had them...the scene that comes last in the day that just goes on forever. It usually involves dogs or cats or some special effect. Yesterday, mine was a three sided mirror. We shot the master from one side. Two actresses standing in front of a three panelled mirror in a twenty by thirty room. We did a slow push in on them, switching from the mirror to them as we crossed their profiles. After two hours of endless miror tweaking and lighting, we switched to the other side to do a complementary push in ending in a complementary over. More mirror tweaking. The catch was that the room was smaller on the other side so we couldn't get as much movement in before blocking our lead actress before we were supposed to cross. Add timing all this to dialogue and you have yourself a recipe for a meltdown. We got it, though. At the end of it, the operator and I were pretty much done. The director (a great lady) came in and gave me a hug. I needed it.
Keep the comments and pictures coming. Going out to dinner with the boys.
Later

Update and New Pictures

We've been getting our asses handed to us for a couple of days so the posts have been a little few and far between. I've added some new pictures from the last couple of days work so you can see what we've been up to. Cranes, water, insert cars, and 9 hour turnarounds are pretty much the routine we've fallen into. It's cold up here too. Especially on the ocean trying to muscle a Phoenix crane around on a boat at high speed. Anyway, I'm tired and turning in. By the way, one of my hard track wheels fell apart (the bearings fell out as I was changing tires around) and one of my pneumatics has a leak. The hits just keep on coming. I'll catch up with everyone when I get a chance.
Later,
D

And The Brake Sucks

That pretty much sums it up.

Week One Over

Week one is over! The first three days were a little rough due to some equipment issues but since then, I've found my rhythm and it looks to be a fun show. This DP (who is a complete gentleman) likes to work the dolly. We use a lot of dolly and boom shots which I like. The operator, Jimmy, is first class. One thing I like about this cameraman is that he doesn't turn dolly shots into Steadicam shots because he thinks they're faster (see "Steadicam is Not Faster" 11/24/07). Dolly shots are dolly shots and that's how we do them. In answer to a question from earlier this week, I have used the cedar shingle shims. I think they're fine. It's more a matter of what works for each person. I have a pack or two of shims that I keep with me in case a crosstie is too low for a wedge (esp. on carpet, the weight of the dolly makes them kick up and hit the wheels). They're not the wide shingles, though. They're about 2" wide by 6" long. The wedges we make ourselves (or have made by someone).
I know the blog has been a litle sloppy and sparse lately. I'll try to get more done when I can. Azurgrip asked earlier this week what those of us who go on location a lot take with us. I think it's an interesting question, so let's see some answers. (This isn't what Azurgrip had in mind, but I take my Xbox 360)
I hope all is well where you are. Stay in touch.

Checking In and Laying Dance Floor on Carpet

Hi all. It's been a rough couple of days. I finally got my dolly issues taken care of. Chapman sent a tech out from LA and he tweaked the arm. It's pretty good now. At least I can tell where the detente is (the neutral space in the arm between up and down). It was non-existant before and the up has been taken off hair trigger. It's still slightly "on-off" for my taste but still night and day from what it was. We also are shooting in a large office with uneven floors and thick carpet. Normally (always) you double lay the plywood when on thick carpet and screw the top layer into the bottom.. Our dance floor moves were so large that we didn't have enough plywood for two layers, though. So after a couple of attempts (the plywood layer "walked" about 10 inches after only three or four takes) so we had to go to Steadicam until a shipment of ten more pieces of ply showed up today. The first shot, before the ply showed up, which we were able to do was a push in and turn through a 30" doorway chasing our lead actress into an office and then dancing around some more in there. It was a little tense when the plywood wouldn't stay in one place even after spiking it into the carpet with screws and simpson plating it together as much as we could. We managed to get the shot though. So the two headaches of the first day have been resolved and everything's starting to go better. There's nothing like that feeling that you can't give the DP what he wants (even though it's really not your fault) and everyone's looking at you. Unfortunately in this line of work it happens every now and then and there are some tense moments. It all worked out though.
I hope you all are doing well and working. I know Gil is working and Azurgrip is starting a pilot. Hope all goes well.

Hello From Boston

Hi all,

Spent the day prepping. I ran into a common problem (well, unfortunately it's common today). A lot of shows no longer want to pay a dolly grip to check out his dolly at the shop. Many times now, you arrive at location and your dolly has been shipped to you after being picked at random from the dealer. This can lead to a few problems. You might not have all the accessories you need, and the arm might not be what you like or need.I'm using a Hustler 4 and a Peewee 3. The Peewee is fine. The arm on the Hustler, however, is not quite what I would like. Most Dolly Grips like their arms a certain way. A certain amount of resistance and the way the arm actuates are a big deal when you are looking at spending 12 hour days for 10 weeks with a particular machine. The arm I have has a great, smooth action all the way up and down. It's a little faster than normal on the up (which I actually like, even in the "Normal" setting) but it has a hair trigger. The feather in is very sensitive and goes from 0 to 60 in a very small turn. It's also a very loose arm, almost no resistance. I like about a half inch of turn before actuating with a slow feather in and a little bit of drag on the turn. I spent the day on the phone with Chapman and they were wonderfully helpful. I ended up cracking the thing open and loosening the nut on top of the gear a little which gave a little more play before the start and seemed to slow down the start a little. Since I'm in Boston, I'm a long way from the nearest other Hustler. The arm is workable (at this point it's just becoming a matter of taste) but it's still not the way I would like it. I'll give it a couple of days to see how it responds and then see what my options are if I'm still not happy with it. It just seems silly to me that the machine you plan on shooting your movie with isn't checked out by the guy using it. It always makes for more headaches later. Anyway, that was my day. Hope yours was good.

Leaving Town

Hi everyone! I hope you're all busy and doing well. I'm leaving town tomorrow morning to start a movie in Boston so I may be quiet for a couple of days. Or maybe not, depending on how crazy it is when I get there.
Speaking of slider use, strangely enough, today I did a push in on track as the operator slid left and then poked a snorkel lens through a hole in a piece of hard gel for a French perfume commercial.
Anyway, I'll check in later.
D

Calling Your Shot

I was recently on a website that is production oriented and someone had asked how to accomplish a particular shot. Along with the shot he gave a link to a similar shot as a guideline. Several recommendations were given by various professionals, as well as mine, and all would accomplish what he was trying to achieve. This got me in mind of the Dolly Grip's role in the practicalities of a shot. If we're really lucky, a DP will describe what he wants, where he wants it, and then leave. Then it's up to us to decide the fastest, safest and easiest way to give him what he wants. Most of us have done this every day for years and are experts at accessing, and attacking a particular problem. A shot is thrown at you, you listen carefully and as the DP is talking, you are already running various scenarios through your mind,listing pros and cons, and deciding which plan is best. One of the answers given on the website offered more versatility, yet would have been a little awkward to operate. Another one was a little bit of overkill. This is the line we tread. How much is too much? I gave a scenario that would give the DP exactly what he asked for, but left little room for adjustment if the shot changed. Another person gave an answer that offered versatility, but would be inexact and hard to operate dolly-wise. Somewhere between the two is the correct answer. Generally, we tend to overthink things and make them more complicated than they have to be. Actually, it wasn't that complicated of a shot, something any of us would have come up with an answer to right on set in about 5 minutes. The beauty of experience is knowing that that simplest answer WILL work, and throwing it out almost off the cuff, because in your mental file, somewhere you've done the shot or something similar sometime in the past. After thinking about it, I still like my answer the best. I was shown a shot and asked how to duplicate it, and I gave the easiest answer, not one that would accomplish multiple variables of shots, but the one I was asked about. I don't think the other guys believe me, but that's ok. It beats the hell out of the idea the guy had about using the crane to do it.

Using Sliders

Sliders (or overkeepers) have their place, although, like Azurgrip, I tend to prefer to hold overs myself ("overkeeper?, I AM the overkeeper.") My sentiments exactly. Sometimes they do come in handy especially for confined spaces. I often will help the operator use one and apply tension by sliding my thumb along the bottom of the slider and the top of the rail. I can help him hit exact marks in this way. As a financial necessity and because every job has one now, I've acquired a few in different lengths (with a partner) that I can bring with me. I have a 6', 4', 3' and a 2'. (We basically bought a company that had them). They also come in handy for shots when a lateral move is needed during a move and you are on track. I have overcome a little of my reluctance to use them and see them as just another tool for camera movement which has it's place. They can save you if used in the right way. They can also be a nuisance if you're working with a director or DP who doesn't really understand what a dolly grip does. They can be unweildy, and tend to sag at one end or the other as the camera moves, making it necessary to support the ends. The main thing I'm trying to get across is, don't forget you have it as an option when you have a tricky move. It can save you if you know how and when to use it.

Hi Guys

I'm still around so keep the comments or questions coming. I'm doing a lot of commercial work so I'm checking in every day even though I'm not writing much. Thanks all for your comments and participation. Again, if anyone has any ideas for good articles, send them along. I'm just too tired at the end of the day to think of and then write a long article so I need your help. I'm doing a perfume commercial right now with a lot of round track, circling around Naomi Watts. Anyway, thanks to all my Dolly Grip brothers and sisters for making the blog a success (we just rolled over 10,000 hits in about 5 months!).

B Camera and You

I've thought mainly of B camera over the years as a training ground for A camera. You can learn all the logistics of the dolly with less pressure and you get a move every now and then. Personally, I really don't like doing B camera. Mainly because it's boring. Often the B camera dolly grip is also treated as a third and has to work the set when his camera isn't working. Every job is different though. Some treat both cameras more or less equally (even though one is still B camera) and you just have two dolly grips. I take B jobs (especially if I like the operator) if no A camera jobs are available. We recieved a question as to how to act as a B camera dolly grip. Treat it like you would if you were on A. Take care of your operator, protect the lens, keep your eyes peeled. You may not do as many moves (or you might depending on the show) but there's still plenty to do. Mostly, though, if you're moving up and plan to do A camera some day, treat it as a learning opportunity. Watch the operator, learn lenses, learn the dolly (usually a Peewee). Become the A camera dolly grip's right hand man.

Busy, Busy

Sorry the posts have been few and far between lately. Between getting my taxes done and commercial work and a freebie for a friend of mine I've been pretty worn out. I acted as camera operator on a festival short for a gaffer buddy of mine and it was three nights of work, but it was fun to be on the other side for a little while (and to leave at wrap). I'll be back with some more posts later this week. Please put up any ideas/questions you may have for posts in the comments section.
D

It's Back

I've been getting a lot of hits from people looking for the Track Jack, so the video's back up.

Dolly Grips and the Camera Dept.

"Dolly Grip Job Description"

Those of you finding this by searching for "Dolly grip job description" should see my post http://www.dollygrippery.com/2010/01/dolly-grip-job-description.html.



I'm not really in the mood to write anything but I know I need to so here goes:
The story has been floating around the business for years that Dolly Grips may be/should be/will be absorbed into the camera dept. I've heard it from operators, ACs, Key Grips, and even a gaffer or two. First of all, let's get the obvious out of the way. It makes sense from a camera standpoint. We tend to work more closely with those guys than we often do with our own. We rig the cameras, carry the cameras, level the cameras, even carry a case or two if we really like them. Operators slap us on the shoulder and say things like,"You really made that shot," or "You are a camera operator too." (Too bad we don't get paid like one). They even have their loaders bring us coffee. Most of us even know where the camera is going before we place it. I turned it into a game a few years ago to see how close I could line up the camera to it's final frame before the DP looked through it. As the years went by, my average got better and better.
Having said all that, I think it's a bunch of hot air. We're too firmly entrenched in the Grip dept for it to ever work. With all the rigging we have to do, we'd have to come up through the Grip dept anyway. I guess that's the only way it ever could work. You slave in the trenches until you get enough credits/experience to make the jump and then plunk down your money for a camera guild card. Techno techs already do something like this anyway.
I don't know the specifics of why or how the Dolly Grip started in the Grip Dept but I have a theory. In the old days (30's and 40's) cameras and dollies were monstrous. Moving the camera involved not just brute strength, but a good bit of ingenuity, both traditionally the areas that Grips excelled in. They started there and, as equipment got lighter and more versatile, they stayed there. Now, there's a new crane to learn how to put together or operate or a new dolly to master every year it seems. More is expected of Dolly Grips than ever before from the camera dept. I think MTV started it.. Back in the day, camera moves seemed to be more effective and made a bigger impact because they were used more sparingly. It was a bigger deal to move the thing. You got a push in here or a lateral track there complemented by a big crane shot every now and then. Now, we're constantly swooshing and pushing in and turning the camera upside down and flying it over trees and any other place they can think of to stick it. And we deliver. Unfortunately, our pay (or status) hasn't gone up as much as the demand. So we're stuck in the neutral zone between two departments. Our heart belongs to one, while our brain belongs to another. Anyway, these are just idle musings on my part while I kill time to the next epic. When I'll start the swooshing and pushing and upside down over the trees crane swishing (I hope).
So what do you guys/girls think? Would it be a good idea?

New Pics

Azurgrip sent two great pics. They are up on the right.

Out of Town

I've got to go to Phoenix for the weekend for a wedding. I don't know if I'll be able to post until Monday. Talk among yourselves.

Laying Pipe

I had another column up that I wrote last night but it was so badly written I took it down. It involved the rumors in recent years of the Dolly Grip being absorbed into the Camera Dept. Those stories have been around awhile and deserve an honest look, but not the one I wrote. It was bad. So I'm going to let that one stew awhile and put up another.
In checking my hit counter, I've lately gotten a lot of "1st time visitors" from Google Search.
I enjoy clicking on the referring page link because it shows me what they were looking for when they found my page. I get everything from "castle nut wrench" to "stairway dolly" (two very common ones). The next most common seems to be "Wally Dolly" which is apparently some Australian sled type dolly and also the name of one of my posts which is actually about skateboard wheels. Most of the hits give a lot of insight to the searcher and most appear to be from beginning Dolly Grips searching for info before they start a job ("crab dolly steering", "Fisher 10 camera dolly"). I enjoy these the most because I genuinely like offering something that might help someone. My beautiful wife seems to think that I'm "giving away my secrets" and no amount of discussion can dissuade her from this belief or the fact that nothing I, nor anyone else, writes on this site will make you a better dolly grip tomorrow. It takes a lot of real world practice and there aren't really any secrets, just a few basics. Lately, there have been a few searches for "laying dolly track." So here's a little primer. (everybody does it a little different, but here's my way).
Lay it out, connect it, find the high point. Once you have the highest point located, level that rail from one end to the other, at the joints, until it's all level with the high point. Next, go side to side bringing the other rail up to match it at the joints.(I go side to side at each joint as I'm leveling the high rail, but it's a matter of choice.) Next, before filling in, get down on one end and sight down it, tweaking the imperfections (have another grip take up or let out joints that need it)Do this to both rails and fill it in.
This is just a rudimentary, easy way to do it for someone who's new to it. After a few years, you get a lot quicker and can recognize when you don't have to be level every time and can go with a slight slope or just do it by eye without a level and slam it in, saving a lot of time.
Wedge your boxes. Make sure they don't rock then wedge on top of them if you have to.
There are a lot more things to learn about it that only come with doing it over and over such as when you get 3 feet off the ground on one end, Aluma beams, how the dolly should be oriented, crane track, when to use skates, etc. that I won't go into.
Tips anyone? Leave them in the comments.

New Video

Check out the new video on the video bar. It's a Steadicam on an Akela Crane. Pretty cool!

Your DP and You

I've been doing some commercial work lately with my feature DP and it's gotten me thinking about the relationship between the Dolly Grip and the DP. Most Dolly Grips have one or two DP's they work with on a regular basis. There's nothing like working with a guy you know well and have mutual respect for. I've been very fortunate to work with some phenomenal cameramen who are also great people who I genuinely enjoy being around. Of course there are sometimes people who you just can't get along with, no matter how hard you try. It may be a personality conflict or maybe you remind them of their brother-in-law, whom they despise. Or they may just be jackasses (you may be a jackass too, but this forum will assume that the Dolly Grip is always right. Dp's have their own sites). As with every business, sometimes not-so-nice people rise to positions of power. In this business, luckily in my experience, they've been few and far between in the DP department. I've only had one cameraman who I just could not please, no matter how I tried. It was probably a political thing more than a personal one, but he made it personal and it turned into a miserable experience. The worst thing was, he was a cameraman whose work I admired. In situations like this, you have two choices: decide to grit your teeth and hang on as long as possible, or decide you don't need the job that bad and life's too short for this crap and walk.
It mostly boils down to two things- trust and respect. My feature DP and I have a great working relationship because he trusts me. He shows me where he wants the camera, what he wants to do with it, and then goes away to light the set, leaving me to figure out the logistics. I never tell him "No, I can't do that." I may tell him, "There's no way to fit the camera in that space and do a move, but what about if we go two inches this way it's almost the same thing." Usually, I just tell him, "We'll figure something out." and he leaves. He doesn't yell, or throw a fit. Our energy is spent on figuring out the shot, rather than finger pointing and hysterics.
The unfortunate thing about this business is, if you work with a new DP on every project, you spend the first few days proving yourself all over again. It's like auditioning constantly. This is where you build your trust. My job is to make the DP and camera operator's job easier. I worry about the million little things they don't have time to worry about so they can concentrate on executing the shot. You have to show them you're looking out for them and deliver. Once they see that you're dedicated, not just some yahoo who got the job because it was his turn to bump up, you become a team. This is where Dolly Grips have gotten a bad rep for so long. It's a high pressure specialization that people end up doing just because they're grips. They don't just pick someone to operate just because they're in the camera local. Operators practice and study and work to become operators. Dolly Grips are the same (or should be). You've got to earn the trust of the DP that you're a pro, who pushes for a living.