Cinematography-Theory-And-Practice

Figure 15.18. Chief Lighting TechnicianTony Nako (standing at left)setting muzz balls for a fire effecton X-Men II. (Photo courtesy of TonyNako.)Other UnitsThree other types of teams will also be under the DPs control:second unit, additional cameras, and rigging crews. Second unit is animportant function. Usually it is used for shots that do not includethe principal actors. Typical second unit work includes establishingshots, crowd shots, stunts or special effects, and insert shots. Shotsthat include significant lighting are not generally considered forsecond unit, except in the case of special effects.Second unit may be supervised by a second unit director, but oftenthe team consists only of a second unit DP, one or two camera assistants,and possibly a grip. It is the duty of the second unit DP todeliver the shots the director asks for in accordance with the instructionsand guidance of the director of photography. The shots mustbe in a style that is consistent with the principal photography. It willoften be up to the DP to specify what lenses are used, film stock, andcamera filtration. It is the DPs name that is listed on the credits as theperson responsible for the photography of the film; the audience andthe executives will not know that a bad shot or a mistake is due tothe second unit. In light of this responsibility, it is standard practicefor the DP to have a say in who the second unit cameraperson is.In the case where additional cameras are used in principal photography,they are designated B camera, C camera, and so on. On a bigstunt that cannot be repeated such as blowing up a building, it is notuncommon for a dozen or more cameras to be used. Some are usedas a backup to the main camera in case of malfunction, some are justto get different angles, some run at different speeds, and some are“crash cams,” small expendable cameras that can be placed in dangerouspositions.In slating with multiple cameras, there may be a separate slate foreach camera, clearly marked as A or B slate. The slating AC then callsNaturally, separate camera reports are kept for each camera. Analternative is to use a common marker. This is possible where allcameras are aimed at approximately the same part of the scene orwhere one camera can quickly pan over to catch the slate, then panback to the opening frame. If this is the case, then the director mustwait for all operators to call set before calling action. Calling out setshould be standard procedure in any case where the slating can’t beright where the camera is ready for the opening frame, if the first AChas to refocus or another adjustment needs to be made. In the casecinematography302