1 The Director of Photography – an overview

156 Practical Cinematography
If the production is sufficiently well funded and is to shoot for a reasonable
time, then it is worth having the backlight board engraved
with all the permanent information. If not, put waterproof adhesive
tape on the board first, mark the information with a waterproof
marker and then cover with a further layer of waterproof tape. This
makes for an easily readable board, the backlight idea still works and
the whole lot can be peeled off at the end of the production.
One thing I do not approve of, and most of the backlight boards suffer
from it, is the marking of the lines on the clap sticks with the upper
and lower lines going in the same direction. They should go in the
opposite directions, as in a chevron, as this makes it much easier for
whoever is synching up the rushes to see the exact moment the two
sticks come together.
The camera car
Calling it a camera car is a hangover from the past as nowadays it is, as
often as not, a three-ton truck! Ideally, the sides of the truck should
have shelving with a large lip or bar at the front so that cases of equipment
can travel in complete safety.A bench is essential for assembling
the camera.
Some trucks come with a small darkroom in one corner. This looks
to be a good idea but it is essential that the loader checks that the
darkroom is totally lightproof. This can be a time-consuming and
unpleasant exercise, as one only acquires full night vision after 20 minutes,
and 20 minutes in a small, dark and airless room can be a taxing
affair even if you have taken your MP3 player with you.
Distrust of camera car darkrooms has led several loaders I know to
prefer a second bench on which they can leave their Harrison changing
tent permanently set up. If a darkroom is still fitted it usually
becomes a store for consumables so as not to waste space.
If you are filming in the height of summer or in hot climates, a small
fridge for the day’s film stock is a good idea. Clearly, it will need plugging
in to a power supply, but a friendly word with the gaffer will usually
ensure one awaits you on arrival at every location. It is surprising
how long a fridge will stay adequately cool when switched off providing
the door is never opened. See Chapter 6 for guidance as to storing
film stock at different temperatures.
Once the habit of supplying power to the camera car has been
established, a kettle and a coffee machine are a good idea, especially
on cold night shoots. Make sure the fridge has sufficient space for all
the film stock – in hot countries it is not uncommon for cans of coke
and beer to mysteriously find their way into the fridge. Before letting
any drinks into the fridge, do check if you are on an alcohol-free production;
if you are, then be rigorous about not letting your fridge get
so contaminated, as I can envisage a situation where the loader in
charge of the fridge could get fired when, unknown to them, some
friendly person has stocked up.
Offering refreshment to the lighting and grip crew usually ensures
adequate power supplies, though I must admit to being lucky in this
respect, as my regular lighting crew insist on taking over the coffee
and tea duties and have even presented me with a thermally insulated
mug with their nickname for me engraved on it – that’s service!