Camera Operating

Last night we shot the first day of the reality show pilot, "Scared Sh!tless." It went extremely well and I think we got a lot of really good footage. Brian had to work so Evangeline stepped up and operated one of the three cameras. Thank God she was there because I don't know anything about the HVX or the process of unloading footage. There were a couple hiccups getting things set up (such as the formatting the hard drive) but luckily we figured everything out.

There were three of us operating a camera - Evangeline, me, and Jordan, who has worked with Rob and Karen before. It was the first time I'd ever used an HVX before and the first time since Kay (which was a year and a half ago) that I operated a camera. It was such a "welcome home" feeling with added exhilaration in that there were multiple cameras and no script. I'd always wanted to shoot multiple cameras before and last night only fueled my desire to do more of this. I loved the freedom of shooting a scene in real time from multiple cameras, where I could cover one person and another cameraman could cover the reverse. There was no rehearsing, no real plan or communication between the three of us manning a camera. Instead, we just shot instinctively - we knew what to shoot and how to shoot it. If I saw Evangeline shooting someone, I would come over and shoot the reverse; I was constantly editing in my head, trying to imagine what to capture in order to maximize effectiveness in the editing room. And the three of us, moving around the room, were in such sync with each other that we created this bond between each other where we knew exactly what to do without having to say anything.

Because there were multiple cameras I had the freedom to shoot other things and not worry about "capturing" every single moment. I knew because there were two other cameras, that I could follow one of the actors outside and not worry about missing something inside. I also felt the freedom to shoot random inserts and establishing shots. I loved it. I don't have any idea how the finished pilot will turn out but I do know that this has been a worthwhile and fulfilling experience. Since this isn't my project and I'm not directing or editing it, I felt such a lack of pressure to "get everything right." One of the tough things about making your own stuff is that it's all on your shoulders. There are so many different hats you have to wear when you're directing. But with this project I don't have that massive amount of responsibility. This helped me kick back and really focus on the task at hand and more importantly, enjoy what I was doing! I want to do more of this kind of stuff, not just because I love it but because it'll give me more experience that will be helpful in my own work.

Between work, picking up equipment at Samy's, and shooting until after midnight, yesterday was a really long day. We have one more night of shooting on Sunday and I'm looking forward to it. This time, we're shooting at the location so there are definitely more variables involved. But I expect it to be just as much fun and just as fulfilling. Just the opportunity alone that I've been given with this project, to be given the freedom and trust to participate as a camera operator has been such an honor. To be given a camera and capture moments - unscripted moments - has been a real blessing.