Ryan Elder
Forum Replies Created
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Or I could just ask the DP if he/she wouldn’t mind practicing and being the operator if that’s better, and then I can concentrate more on directing.
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Okay that’s what I thought. However, since I have never been able to find a steadicam operator on past projects, is it a bad idea to start get my own glidecam and become my own while working with the DP?
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Okay thanks. I am in Saskatoon Canada. I went to film school and the school hooked me up with some connections as well as rental houses, but they only have tripods and dollies only. The steadicam guy was someone I met at a convention.
Even though he was stoned and made some mistakes he still did some good work for 60 fps technically.
On very low budget projects though, I feel that I am expected to provide a good number of the equipment such as glidecams and things like that if I want them, which is fine by me. I shouldn’t expect them to have them, should I?
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Okay thanks. Basically the reason why the DPs kept becoming unavailable on that past project is one crew or cast member will cancel for he/she is sick, or couldn’t get out of something, or for whatever reason. So a rescheduling is caused, and the DPs time was up by then, so I had to get someone else, then someone else in the cast or crew had to reschedule, and then that DPs time was up, etc.
So it wasn’t anything to do with me, it was cause of the reschedulings, from other people, and the times they were available.
I could go to the guy who has all the gear, but the last time I worked with him he smocked pot all the way through a shoot, and was high the whole time, and made quite a few mistakes that I feel he wouldn’t have made if his judgment was not impaired.
He also wanted to shoot the whole movie in 60 fps, where as I wanted 24 fps. I don’t like the 60 fps look and he was very stubborn about it, and would not do it any other way than 60 fps.
So if I go to him for and pay him his fee, what can I do to get him to be more flexible on the 60 fps thing?
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Or if I should seek out a DP who already knows how to use one, where do you find the DPs who are familiar with steadicams?
In the past, none of them were, so where do I find these DPs specifically?
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Okay thanks. I should start over or reschedule maybe then, instead of trying to book multiple crew, simultaneously on a crew call then.
So I’ve had this happen in the past before, with DPs, and I am wondering how to address it now. In the past I asked DPs what I would need to get certain kinds of camera movement for the shots, and they said a steadicam. However, they did not know how to use one and they said they would need a lot of time to get the hang of one and practice with one.
If this is the case, how much time is too much do you think and you need to get pre-production ball rolling? Like how much time would a DP ask for to practice before it was too much do you think?
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Sorry for all the posts, but I can’t seem to add to a previous post on here.
I haven’t met a DP who has that gear yet, as everyone of them I know has tripods only. I only know one DP who has all that gear for movement, but I found him to be really difficult to work with, and I don’t want to work with him if I don’t have to.
But since all the others I know have tripods only, I thought I would just invest in the gear for whichever one wants to be DP, who I would like to have as the DP. As for rental houses, I checked the rental houses, and they only have tripods and dollies only, but no steadicams or jibs.
So I would have to buy them it seems.
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Sorry I didn’t specify camera choice. Well every DP I know has a camera that weighs no more than 10 pounds. So if that is the case, then a glidecam or a dolly, could support any of their cameras.
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What I mean is by the time a DP is signed on there may not be enough time to order the equipment so I have may very well have to make that decision beforehand.
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Okay thanks, but here is the problem. The first shoot date I have planned is September 16. No DP’s have signed on yet. I got all the other crew so far, but no DP. The deadline is coming up, so by the time a DP comes on board, I may not have time to wait for the equipment to be mailed in.
So I need to plan in advance, if that happens and a DP is signed on too late.