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lemma. While shots like this may gain you infamy when you
upload them onto YouTube, they certainly won’t help your
editor create a piece that will make the client happy (especially
if the client is the university). The longer you persist
with your compromised shot, the longer the peeing drunk
will persist. This is bad.
Not long ago, I was editing material from a military
grocery store. In a memorable clip from the raw footage,
a female soldier approached a long and colorful array of
produce. For a moment, I marveled at the shot’s perspective
beauty; the tight rows of fruits and veggies perfectly
receded into a distant, softly-focused vortex.
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Then, all hell broke loose! Just beyond my happy, little,
background-y vortex, the doors to the meat locker swung
wide open. Men in bloody smocks and bloody yellow boots
were suddenly traipsing around in my beloved vortex — only
now the vortex was the only part of the shot commanding
attention!
What was the reaction of the shooter? NOTHING! He
rolled on for 20 additional seconds! I can still see the female
soldier sniffing a melon — blissfully unaware of the carnage
ensuing just under her well-focused nose and chin.
Needless to say, the shooter missed a classic
opportunity to quit on the shot. I don’t know about you, but
I find that sort of hazy-headed, brain-dead, gum-chewing
laziness the antithesis of what I’m looking for in a shooter.
So what am I looking for? Well, sticking to the confines
of this discussion, I’m looking for someone who knows when
to quit on a shot. I’ve even created an imaginary character,
Shooter-X, who embodies all the lean, serene, and sensible
values of this efficient shooter (an homage to Speed Racer
and Racer-X, perhaps?).
When I am reviewing material that has been shot by
Shooter-X, I can literally sense what was in the mind of this
caring professional with each pan of the camera. There is
an awareness”that comes through loud and clear. Shooter-X
“gets it,” because Shooter-X cares. Shooter-X is paying attention;
he’s fully focused on what he’s delivering.
Re-envisioning the table-top product shoot, Shooter-X
carefully carves over his subject matter like a sculptor work-
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The Asset Management and Distribution Issue — Creative COW Magazine
ing with clay. Over and over and over again, Shooter-X caresses
the product with his lens, never wasting a smidgen
of time if the “landing pad” is missed. Soon hitting his stride,
he delivers two to three simple, solid shots before moving
on to a new angle. In the end, Shooter-X always gets me
what I’m looking for, not because he is perfect, but because
he is smart.
When it comes to rack-focusing, Shooter-X is likewise
unafraid to quit. A rapid-fire magician, he quickly retreats,
resets, and re-racks. Infused with the simple knowledge
that a rack-focus is almost never done properly on the first
attempt, Shooter-X does not hide his failures, but neither
does he dwell on them. Put another way, he fails efficiently
— a great trait when success is your goal.
In the end, Shooter-X always gets me that useful “rack”
I’m looking for, not because he is flawless, but because he
is alert.
And is Shooter-X hesitant to use the most valuable (but
underutilized) tool in a shooter’s entire bag of tricks — his
voice? With or without a director on set, Shooter-X is the tail
that wags the dog — and he is never wary of barking! If he
didn’t happen to catch the beginning of some easily repeatable
action, no problem: he speaks up and suggests a redo.
In the end, Shooter-X always gets me that wonderful
moment I’m looking for, not because he is an Academy
Award winning cinematographer, but because he knows it
is in his job description to care.
By the way, Shooter-X is no myth. I hope it serves as an
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inspiration to all camera ops trying to elevate their game
to know that professionals like Shooter-X actually exist.
They are not always flashy; they are not always brilliant;
they are not always tech-savvy; they are not always dexterous;
they are not always edgy; they are not always visionary.
Indeed, they can possess all or none of these attributes,
but there is one thing they all have in common:
they sure are useful.
All hail, Shooter-X! I think I love you, man! (Or woman,
as the case often may be.) And more importantly, I
respect you.
n
Never hesitate to use the most valuable (but underutilized)
tool in a shooter’s bag of tricks — your voice.
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Creative COW Magazine — The Asset Management and Distribution Issue 45