Next Day Sober Rewrite- A Week Later

Those of you who are regular readers may have briefly caught a post I did last week entitled So You Want To Be A Dolly Grip. It listed some questions that every dolly grip should be able to answer or situations that a good dolly grip should be able to think his way out of. It was written under the influence of several Captain Morgans and inspired by a situation that I was irritated about. After reading it the next day, I deleted it. I didn't like the tone which came across to me as a little smug and a lot obnoxious, which most of you probably didn't even pick up on, but sprung right off the page at me. I deleted it and got a lot of emails and a few comments asking where it went and when I would rewrite it. Everything I write comes from experience and long hours of doing things the wrong way until I figured it out, or someone showed me the right way. There's no substitute for putting in the time and you can't learn it all overnight. I still learn things every day and am still trying to be better. Dollygripping is a craft, like any other that requires you to develop specific skills and a base of knowledge to solve problems quickly. You can't learn it in school but if there was a final exam, these questions should be on it:


Director wants to boom up from the lens at ground level to roughly eye height (or as close as you can get), what do you need? (No, it's on a dolly not a jib).

What is the inherent problem with pie pieces in a dance floor?

What are some things you can do to eliminate a track that is squeaking?

Track is on a wooden floor, the floor is popping under the weight as the dolly moves, what can you do to help eliminate the noise?

100' of track on a 300mm. It has to be smooth. What do you need? (No, Sanjay)

Crane track should always be ________.

You're doing a commercial and the company has rented a Fisher 10. What question have to ask? (after, "What's the rate?")


Director wants to pull an actor down a sidewalk with the camera directly in front of him. He can't step in the track and the director doesn't want to use Steadicam. What do you suggest?


A camera is to be placed looking directly down on an actor lying on a bed. What do you need?



Doing a haul-ass move on track with another grip helping push. You rig up a push bar on the back of the dolly. What shouldn't you do? Hint: If you do it wrong, the dolly can go off the side of the track.)



All right. There are some basic questions that a dolly grip should know the answers to. Smugness removed.

Social Media and Miscellania

To help spread the word, you can also find us here:

https://www.facebook.com/dollygrippery

We've got a new Flickr page up for photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dollygrippery



If you have a moment also check out the adventures of Rodger the sandbag (it's a laugh riot!) at:

http://thetonguedollyexercises.tumblr.com

So You Want to be a Dolly Grip? NDSR

This post is being rewritten. Those of you who've been coming here for a while are familiar with the NDSR, or Next Day Sober Rewrite. I wrote this post last night after a couple of Captain Morgans and was already irritated about something related to this topic and the end result was predictably obnoxious (at least to me). I read it three times and disliked it more each time I read it. So, I pulled it down to rewrite it. A little awkward, but I can't have something up that I'm not happy with because it will drive me nuts. Once I've taken some of the kinks out I'll put it back up.

New GI Track Update

  Gil over at GI Track has a beautiful track system and I thought I would give everyone a chance to see some highlights. For those of you who aren't familiar with GI Track, it's a heavy duty dolly track with one innovative difference. It's capped with a PVC cover that is easily replaced if damaged. Get a nick in it?, Just snap on a new cover and you're good to go. Your track can conceivably remain in like-new condition indefinitely. I've tried it out and it works great. He also has a line that expands to crane width and can hold up to 6500lbs if supported every two feet. That's a 30' Technocrane (and we all know how much fun Technocrane track is to work with). Here's a link to a video of his track under a Techno. And  here's a link to his website that has more in depth info on GI Track and how it works. If you're in the market for new dolly or crane track and want something with the smoothness but not the fragility of aluminum track, give GI Track a try.

Things I've Heard,

The following is a compendium of some things I've overheard over the years. I am responsible for a few of them, but most were said by others.*

I've got more time in the honeywagon than you do in this business.

Twenty- five year old juicer: "We're going to need a sider on this."  Friend of mine: "I've got shoes that have been in this business longer than you have, so shut the f^%$ up!"

Why is the word "bag" not funny, but the word "sack" is?

When you get all the extras out of the door, I'll lay the track. Til then, I'm going to sit here and play Angry Birds.


To gaffer who just suggested a dolly shot- " You just make sure everything's plugged in." He did not take it well.

It's not a magic vibration isolator."

Key Grip to DP: "You're a f^%$#ing amateur."

DP: "This looks really nice."   Operator: " And it only took three weeks." He didn't take it well either.

John Frankenheimer to Key Grip: " Look through the lens and make sure nothing stupid happens."

Dolly Grip to Tim Burton after he called for a huge crane shot at the last minute: " This ain't Batman!" (He thought it was funny).

Famous Actress: "Can I ask a stupid question?"  Operator: "Better than anyone I know."

"Pipe down, Bullock!"

Operator to DP: "Do you want to step outside?"

UPM to me: " Your ass is in a sling!"

Stunt Coordinator on an insert car: "We'll go a little faster around the on-ramp and maybe the car won't turn over."

"We don't have much money, but it'll be a lot of fun!"

UPM to me: " You don't get paid for wrapping."   Me: unprintable. (We got paid).

Twelfth grade English teacher: "Your ass is in a sling!"  What is it with this saying?


"Go Slower, start later, end sooner." What does this mean?

"Low, wide and tight." Ditto. Who are these people we work for?


Specular softlight.

"That had all the emotion of a truck pulling out of a parking space!"

On a parallel (scaffolding), "Give me a high hat." I shit you not.


DP on a boom and a move: "Can you do that?"  Dolly Grip: "Can you pour piss out of a boot?"


* This is a next day sober rewrite. I didn't like the title.

Being A Good Guest

 The idea for this post actually came from something that happened this week. We were shooting in a nice neighborhood in the heart of downtown. Our trucks were about a half a block away and I was pushing the Peewee to set. I reached the parking lot of the location and noticed one of our guys talking to a neighbor and apologizing to him for the locations guy. "What's going on?" I asked. "Well," he said," the juicers put all the gas bottles for the balloon (the lighting balloon for a night ex later) in front of his house and he's worried that his kids might knock them over and get hurt. We called the location guy over to deal with it and he says he's busy directing traffic and doesn't have time." I shook my head and trundled on to the staging area. On my way back, I noticed the neighbor still standing in the parking lot. "Did someone help you sir?" I asked. "No," he answered. "We weren't notified of anything and no one has been over to talk to me about this yet." I looked around and saw the Locations Assistant (about twenty-five years old) standing in the road waiting for a car to come by so he could wave it through. I saw the Location Manager on the phone laughing like an idiot about something while this guy fumed. " I also saw a row of about twelve huge gas bottles still lined up like soldiers in front of his house, just waiting to be knocked over like bowling pins by his five-year-old. "I apologize, sir," I said. "We are guests in your neighborhood and someone should be here to deal with this. I'll see if I can find someone to help you." Seeing that the crack locations team was still busy doing nothing, I went to the Second AD and brought it to her attention and she handled it. The guy later came up and thanked the other grip and myself for helping him out.
  In our business we are always in someone else's space (unless we're on stage). It's easy to forget that we don't actually "own" the location. We are guests and it's important to act like it. I could easily envision this guy calling his father-in-law, the state senator, and giving him an earful, and then the next day's cover story in the local paper, Film Crews Have No Respect For Our City. It wasn't really my place to deal with this guy. I could have easily shrugged and gone on about my business, but this is my town, and it's my responsibility, as it is everyone's, to make the experience of having a film crew in your neighborhood as painless as possible. The excitement of it lasts a while, but can quickly fade at two in the morning when condors are cranking up and grips and electrics are clanking around with equipment and shouting into radios. I'm as guilty as anyone of being disrespectful from time to time. In the heat of battle things happen, but we have to always remember that we are guests. As dolly grips, this can translate into cleaning your wheels before you go into a location, or even putting on the soft tires to help protect the floors. Put your parts down on a mat and lean dance floor on a wall only after you have protected it with a furni pad. I've actually taken over for dolly grips who were fired for not respecting the location. Yes, it's often a pain in the ass, but go the extra mile and people will notice.
I now step down from my soapbox. The Captain is calling.

Things That Don't Suck

In order to balance out the universe, it's only right to have a list of Things That Don't Suck.

In no particular order:

You know that perfect zone you get into when doing a boom up or down combined with a push-in and the speed of both match up exactly and the operator doesn't have to touch the tilt wheel? That doesn't suck, but it's a delicate balance.

Finding the one perfectly level piece of ground in the whole state. For a fifty foot run.

The director walking up and saying,"Thank you. Great shot."

A standing board that fits the first time.

Per Diem.

A UPM who actually understands how movies are made, not just how to read a balance sheet.

Seeing an old friend you last worked with over ten years ago.

Pulling off a very technical move on the first take.

Your family showing up at lunch.

fourteen hour turnarounds.

The familiarity of working with a camera and grip crew you know very well and with whom you've done several shows.

Having your B camera dolly grip walk up at the martini and saying, "The truck's loaded, just roll it in and we're done."

A really good wrap party. Not a snooty one with a jazz combo, but an open bar and a nasty funk band.

Finishing a show in December and knowing you have another one starting in January (Or even February).

A good stand-in.

Getting rained out on location, in a really cool city, early in the day.

Laundromats with bars in them.

Night exteriors downtown when you light up three city blocks.

Getting home while the sun is still up.

This is only a partial list. Please add your own in the comments.
D

Things That Suck

In no particular order:


Directors who actually look over my head to ask the operator to "Go faster," "Go slower," etc. You do realize that I'm actually here, don't you?

Actors, usually under the age of twenty-five, who don't understand how the camera works. If you can't see it it can't see you. If you completely change your action or speed out of the gate and veer off on some wild course, it's almost impossible for the camera operator and I to keep up, much less guess what cockamamie thing you're going to do next. If you go from sitting normally in one take to dropping into a chair and out of frame the next, it just adds a take, and everyone who knows anything knows it was your fault. Someone needs to teach these youngsters that there's more to it than just the acting.

DPs who pick the dolly for you without actually having a conversation with you. I do not understand why they care which dolly I push. They all do the same thing. Wouldn't you rather me have the one I am most comfortable with? It's not 1975. Many advancements have been made in dolly technology and I may actually be better able to use one rather than the other.

PAs who actually try to keep me out of the set while I'm doing my job. Dude, do you hear the DP calling my name? I've done five pictures with the first AD. I'll tell him you're an idiot.

Being shushed. I'm not five. If you shush me one more time I'll flick a booger on you when you're not looking.

Steel track.

DPs, Ops who want to keep the slider on for every shot. Who do you usually work with? Where's the trust?

People who kick the track accidentally and then just keep walking like it doesn't matter. Either replace the wedge you just kicked out or tell me you did it and apologize. Yes, I'm talking to you.

Having to look for a stinger on every shot. No, I'm not going to pump it manually. It's your job. Leave me a stinger and tell me where it is. Please.

Seat offsets.

People who stand in doorways.

People who stand in front of the coffee machine. What are you, guarding it? Get your cup and move on.

Fraturdays.



Cables. Someday someone will invent a way to send pictures through the air. We will call it "wireless."

Location Managers who habitually find locations that are either totally impractical ("You can put all your equipment in this five square foot space, but stay off the sidewalk!"), or take us 30 miles outside the zone for a nondescript house with a tree in the front yard.

To be continued.....

PA Juice

I don't normally plug other websites here. Other than Blood,Sweat, and Tedium, and The Hills are Burning, or other fellow industry bloggers. I get emails from time to time asking me to write about this film school or that website, but generally I just ignore them. I even get authors asking me to review their books. One was titled something along the lines of My Tight Firm Butt (yes, that really happened). I have to put in a good word for PA Juice, though. This is a great site written by below-the-line insiders for below-the-line insiders. Whether you are a grip, juicer, or PA, you'll find something here to smile at. Check it out!

Picking A Speed

 Years ago, I was in the middle of a movie and was off to the side of the set laying a track for a future shot. The lead actor walked up and watched me work for a minute. "Hey, let me ask you something," he said. "How do you know what speed to push the camera?" I think I gave him some lame answer along the lines of, "You just know." He got a dubious look on his face and said, "Yeah, but how do you know?" I'm pretty sure I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "I guess if you do it enough you just develop a sense of it." He walked away with a doubtful look on his face. This conversation was brought to mind again last week when I got an email from a student asking the same question...."How do you know?" After thinking about it for a while, I believe my second answer those many years ago was essentially correct. After you've done it a while, you just develop a sense of what works with the rhythm of the scene. Of course, your operator and DP will tell you if you aren't going the right speed, but generally, you develop a timing that is usually pretty close to right. I was talking to a camera operator recently about another Dolly Grip who was going to take my place on a show that I was leaving. He said, "I don't want to have to talk to him and I'm afraid I will."* He wasn't being unfriendly, he just meant he didn't want to have to explain the speed or execution of every shot (this camera operator and I have a very tight working relationship and rarely have to talk about the shots. We just do them). I think that, first of all, you have to speak the language, and film is a language. It has a pace that you will immediately pick up on if you've seen more than ten movies (and of course you have) in your life. You basically do the same shots over and over in different situations. The operator I'm working with now will often just look at me after we've set up a shot and say something like, "page three, paragraph B in the Dolly Grip Handbook?" And I'll smile and nod. You'll generally know what kind of move the shot calls for just by knowing what the scene is about. Of course, staging shots are generally self-explanatory. You follow an actor at his speed, start when he starts and stop when he stops, all the while adjusting for any variations he may make or for if he misses his mark. These shots are all about just having the camera where it needs to be to see what it needs to see. It's the aesthetic shots that are a little more subjective. These are often unmotivated moves that add emotion to a shot. These require you to speak the language. Sometimes even staging shots require a little more finesse than normal to work though. I did a shot last week that involved starting behind two actors sitting on the trunk of a car. One actor stood up and walked away from the car about ten paces forward, away from camera, stopped and turned to face camera, leaving him in the background facing the actor who was still on the trunk, with her back to camera. He then walked forward toward the girl on the trunk and as he did, we pushed forward and met him at the trunk in a fifty-fifty**. A pretty straight forward dolly shot. Just match his movements as he walks forward and meet him at the car. After one take, though, the camera operator asked me to delay my move a little because we were moving forward so fast to match him that we totally lost the foreground actor on the trunk and then found her again as we landed. So, I adjusted a little and held back to hold them both the whole time, causing me to land later than he did. I just creeped the end of the shot a little and wrapped around them to make it look like it wasn't an accident that we were landing a few seconds after he did.In the end, while not a perfectly matched staging move, it worked. I also suggested to the email writer that he watch a few movies for the camera movement to get a sense of why certain moves were made. The fact is, you really shouldn't notice a staging move unless you're looking for it.
  All right, I've droned on enough. Please feel free to add any thoughts you may have, or suggestions for up and coming Dolly Grips who may have the same questions.
More next week including an end of the show wrap-up.

*He worked out fine. The camera op called me later and told me the guy was "awesome."
**a "fifty-fifty is a two shot featuring two actors facing each other in profile,each usually taking up an equal amount of the frame.

A Worthy Cause

I got a strange phone call the other night. It was from a production assistant I had worked with years ago and hadn't really heard from since. She left a message and said she had some questions to ask me. I was curious, so I called her back and we played catch-up. Then she told me the reason she had called. She is a producer with an organization called Make a Film Foundation. The organization operates much like the Starlight Foundation. It allows a child with a serious or life threatening disease to write and act in his or her own film along with noted actors and directors and of course crew members who volunteer their time to help this child's dream come true. It's a good way for the child to not only communicate what he or she is going through, but to fulfill a dream. She was calling to ask if I could donate some time on a weekend to work on a film sometime but I had to inform her that I was, unfortunately, no longer in Los Angeles, or I would be there in a second. I told her that I did, however, have access, through Dollygrippery, to many working professionals. So do me a favor, guys, check out makeafilmfoundation.org and see what you think. There is a link for volunteers, but if you are really interested, please send me an email and I can put you in touch with Debi Hughes, the lady who called me. I know we are all tired on the weekends, but many of us have children of our own and can't imagine what it would be like for one of them to develop a life threatening illness. This is one way we can put our considerable skill to good use, other than cranking out the next overblown studio extravaganza. I know next time I'm on the West Coast, I'll be getting in touch with Debi to see if there is any way I can help. Just check it out.

D

Eyewash

 I the course of our day-to-day activities, we are sometimes called upon to simply LOOK as if we're accomplishing something, without really accomplishing anything other than making others feel better. I call this eyewash. I don't know where the term originated, or where I even heard it, but I've always used it to refer to these situations. An example- The DP asks you to "lock off" an effects shot even though you know from talking with the operator that it will be unoperated and no one will touch it during the shot. So, you dutifully grab an arm, a head, and a mag clamp and affix some good old fashioned eyewash to the camera. The DP sees it and is happy. Even though it's essentially doing nothing. Other examples of eyewash are- harnesses in a scissor lift, a furni pad over the operator for a squib hit that's 50 feet away, a lenser for the moon. There's nothing wrong with eyewash. It scores you points easily without having to do much actual work. I'm a fan of it no matter how I may roll my eyes when I'm doing it. I know all of you have some good eyewash stories. Let's hear 'em.

                                                                                     

What's on tonight?

This question was posed to me recently: What am I watching?

I'll admit. I'm one who uses a monitor. I feel in this day and age of high page count and long work hours that anything that can help me go out quicker and less takes - I'm all for it. One can't always get close to the camera when there's two (or more) camera crammed against each other and assistants all over so, one feel a bit removed. The monitor really helps and I feel that I'm more "synergistic" with the operator.

Having the right tool for the job is more than ever important these days. One can't always get by with a little 3" Casio wireless anymore. It's a big decision whether to spend big bucks on something that you may not even get the kit rental on. I purchased last year a Marshall 7" HD monitor. Not top of the line, as I'm not pulling focus from it, but something that has reasonable brightness to see in the outdoors (with the help of a hood).

Are you using a monitor? And if so, what are you using?

Double headed Dragon - Pure Brilliance or Sheer Panic?

This photo is from doing "Double Headed, Hand Held Walk and Talks on "Covert Affairs' season two.

I did a daily on what was called a "webisode" for a already shooting television series. This is more and more common these days. Get in a couple off day actors, spill some crew over from main unit and get the writers to come up with some witty 2 page scenes. Sounds simple. HA! Never is. Add a a bunch of these "scenes". Mix in a few set shifts and you've got the makings of a long day.

These guys had brought in two camera teams, but only one dolly. Invariably the "blockings" of these setups generally had both cameras on top of each other with "A" camera edging "B" camera and ruining choice moments. Panic ensued… "Let's just put "B" on with "A" and that will solve everything!!"

I know that script people get a rate upgrade with more cameras - can that happen for me too?

We got the shot, then out of panic the rest of the day was setup that way - as Double Headed Dragon. I can understand in certain circumstances that it would be helpful, but so many times, one camera wants to go one way when the other camera wants to go the other. Then, due to lack of space, the focus pullers can't ride and now they're crying and tripping over themselves.

Is this the answer? Are locking two cameras together the answer (not including 3D here)? Or is this just panic?

Speaking of 3D, I did have a chance to see "The Avengers" over the weekend. Bloody great movie! To all the grips on the show: you should be very proud! It's been a long time since I was part of an applauding audience in a movie theatre!

Coming back to the "real" world?

Where have a been all this time? I've just finished working on a feature film.

Well, thanks to Non-Disclosure Agreements that I've had to sign I can't really say… and as the NDA is still in play I still can't say anything till the movie is released next summer.

However, I can say that I've been working on the largest project to be shot in Canada. I was working as the "B" Camera dolly grip. Up to four cameras every day. I worked with different operators, depending on the situation. Most of the time on headset with the director. Days with 300 extras. Days of SteadiCam. Days of two telescopic cranes fighting for the same spot. As big as the scope of the movie was, the rigs weren't big. Its seemed we were either on Steadi or crane and the moves weren't complicated. Always 1 to 2. The director was very prepared and knew exactly what he wanted, but at the same time, camera work was figured out on the day. We generally shot the first rehearsal and worked from there.

For me, I was an odd duck on the crew as it wasn't my regular crew, plus the out of town Key Grip was working with a new crew for him. They left me alone to do my job, as I worked with camera operators and the director.

It was a long seven months. Not many long days. Good turn around. Rarely did we go late on a Friday night (the Friday Five Dollar Draw stories is a post unto itself!). It was a paid vacation.

Now, after a couple weeks off, I'll be returning to the meat grinder of television series work. Mondays to Saturdays.

Every year I wish I could make it down to L.A. for the J.L. Fisher open house and CineGear Expo (and the Chapman BBQ?). Please let us know if you're going and what you saw that interests you!

Hello from NOLA!

Hello from New Orleans! Posting has been a little sparse lately. I apologize for this. Between babies and work and travelling, it's hard to find time to post, much less come up with a topic. I am writing to you from my hotel room in the beautiful Riverside Hilton. We are in week three of ten on my current production and it's going well. I have a great operator, who I genuinely like, as well as my regular feature DP whom I haven't seen in three or four years, as he's been in Europe doing two movies back to back. It's such a pleasure to work with people you know well and have a history with. The hardest part of this job is getting back into a feature frame of mind after having been in tv for so long. Quick and dirty is not always required and it's easy to forget that I now have the time and the latitude to do things properly rather than just resorting to the easiest and quickest option.  Where I would have recently just thrown down a piece of plywood for a push-in, I now take the time to lay a rail, and no one questions it. As I've said before though, tv makes good Dolly Grips, and I'm grateful for the time I spent in series world to refine my skills a little. I'm so used to having only a couple of takes to nail the shot that I find myself getting a little bored when we do seven or eight because of performance. I've also been doing B camera for a few months to get away from it a little and I have to admit I'm a little rusty. Things that were once second nature (knowing which side is best to mark etc.), I'm having to relearn. I find myself going back to something GHB said in a guest post about crane work. He said he always marks the side of the camera between him and the actors. I used to do this instinctively, but now, after so long away, I have to think about it. It goes for Dolly work too. If you mark the wrong side of the dolly, you find yourself out of position to do the shot. Either you can't see the mark, or you can't see the actors. If you find yourself having trouble executing a shot, change the side of the dolly your marks are on. Odds are, you've marked the wrong side. I know several of you are working in NOLA. Give me a shout and we'll have a beer. Till next time....
D

PS: I've now  registered "dollygrippery.net" so the site should be available there now. You may still visit "dollygrippery.com" for a good dose of crazy from the woman who inexplicably bought it.

Fisher Open House

  Save May 19th on your calendars. It's the Fisher Open House. It's one day that celebrates the Dolly Grip and his contribution to the art of motion pictures (wow, I'm loaded). Seriously, the guys at Fisher put on a great show. There's beer and barbecue and you'll more than likely run into an old friend or two.  I try to never miss one. Visit jlfisher.com for details.

Handheld

  My last post generated a lot of comments, so obviously it's a subject that merits more attention. Most Dolly Grips will assist in handheld mode by lifting the camera and placing the camera on and off the operator's shoulder. My regular Key Grip has always insisted on this and I've never really had a problem with it. I consider myself "camera support" and am generally happy to do it. To a point. Lifting and placing the camera in handheld is a courtesy, or at least that's always how I've viewed it. I've never seen anything in the Dolly Grip's job description that mandates it. I've always tried to follow the British tradition of "Camera Grip" and be as supportive to the camera department as possible. Generally, I follow the Key Grip's lead. If he expects me to do it, I'll do it. He's (or she's) ultimately the boss and I'll do my best to fulfill his wishes. I'll always start out doing it as if it's expected of me until one of the camera crew gets snotty about it. When a 1st or 2nd assistant starts yelling for me to pick it up, it's over. I will patiently explain that I'm providing a courtesy out of respect, that can end at my discretion. At some point, it just became expected that we carry the camera when it's not on a shoulder, which is nowhere to be found in any union by-laws that I've ever seen. Again, I love my camera brothers and sisters. But don't get cheeky or, as my friend GHB says, you'll find yourself getting very lonely around the camera.
   In recent news, my pilot is almost over. Three weeks of handheld (which I happily carried out of respect for my operator) is almost over. After almost six months without being behind a dolly on "A" camera other than a few second units, I may be ready to jump back in. My regular feature DP has a show in New Orleans and I'm excited, for once, about getting back to it. I was so burned out after my last job that I took a few months to only do "B" camera and second unit jobs, and was perfectly happy with that. I'm looking forward to it. I'll let you know how it goes.
D

Three Weeks of Monkey Work

Handheld....the bane of the Dolly Grip. I recently signed on to a pilot. Sounds like a good story, A-list cast, average money, and it is a perfect bridge covering three weeks until my next feature. I check out dollies and track with the B camera Dolly Grip, load the truck, and then find out it's all handheld. And I mean ALL handheld. Three weeks of fourteen to sixteen hour days of bench pressing an Alexa. Not much thought or skill involved. Just help keep the operator safe and try and massage my sore shoulders every night. The crew is great and the work moves along fast, but it's hard not to feel at least a little like the victim of a bait and switch. The dollies all look as shiny and new as the day we loaded them and they probably won't even come off the truck. I don't mind a little handheld every now and then. But picking this thing up and putting it down over a hundred times a day is starting to wear on me. I need a drink.

Bite Your Tongue

 This post was suggested by a Dolly Grip buddy of mine from Texas. He had worked with a relatively green operator, who, when he made a suggestion, would disregard it it, and say, "I'm the operator, you're the Dolly Grip." There was a time, in the not-too distant past, when I would have probably not taken something like that sitting down. My reaction to a situation like this, however, is directly proportional to my financial situation. As a new (and old) father with a new mortgage, I find that I'm suddenly much more agreeable and willing to let such comments slide right off me. Although I've never had a situation arise like this with an operator, I have with a DP.  While I'm a firm believer in knowing where you stand in the whole pyramid structure of the film crew, I also am not very good at being treated like a tool rather than a technician (see previous post). There are times when you just have to bite your tongue. Dealing with an inexperienced or attitude challenged camera operator can be trying, and sooner or later you will reach a point of saying, "Enough's enough." One thing I won't be is verbally abused. I may take it for a while, but sooner or later it's going to boil over. A good camera operator knows to rely on his Dolly Grip. The operators I work with regularly know that I can help them if they'll let me. They may not take my suggestions, but they always listen and are usually willing to try them. An operator who casually dismisses his Dolly Grip and has the attitude of Operator> Dolly Grip is unknowingly letting his inexperience show.  Still, if you need the job, taking a deep breath and telling yourself it's only temporary is necessary. The older I get (and more in debt), the less hotheaded I am. So maybe biting your tongue is also a by-product of maturity. I recently watched a short film on Dicky Deats, a legendary Key Grip who recently passed. He said that his favorite part of filmmaking was being part of the process. Being relied on to solve a problem gave him the greatest joy. That's all any of us want, especially as Dolly Grips. Part of that process involves knowing when to bite your tongue.