PentaVision's "What's Your Story?" Blog

Why is it you can have a light on for the entire time you’re setting up and blocking a shot but right when someone calls “Action!” the lamp burns out? How can it be that when you look away from the viewfinder for a split second, when you look back, there’s a car parked in your perfectly-framed shot? Who thought it would be a “cute setup” to have a dog AND a child? With lines? If that last take was “perfect,” why are we doing it again? How come when you just start getting to the usable portion of a great interview, the battery warning light flashes ugly red?

Didn’t the crew that landscaped the ground where you want to set the dolly track own a level? Is it me or is the best shot and camera position always from where the heaviest object to move is? Does it seem like it always rains on the exterior days and the sun decides to shine on the interior days? How can it be such a calm and peaceful day but as soon as you extend the jib to 20 feet, the wind decides it needs to kick in and spin you around like a weathervane? Is it polite to correct a director who likes to do 20 takes, but always says “ONE more time!”  Camera direction…pan out?…enough said. How do I know “just go hand held” and “run and gun” mean I’ll sleep well tonight? Why can’t planes, trains and cars needing mufflers all go by at the exact same time and be done with it? Is there an equation for the amount of time it takes between critically focusing a light and somebody tripping over the stand and moving it? Should you admit you haven’t even touched the dimmer yet when the director of photography yells “Perfect, leave it right there”? Shouldn’t someone have asked your permission to cut down that tree at that “perfect location” you scouted two days ago? Should the entire crew or just the director of photography worry if the “out of town” producer looks in the viewfinder and asks if there’s color film in the camera? Should I still smile every time I hear “The next shot is in a glass!” For now, that’s a wrap….