Rules for (a peaceful film set) life

Taking the opportunity of re-launching our website to have some fun with the new blog feature. One of my pet peeves is that a lot of the young film-makers we work with have, for whatever reason a lot of knowledge about the industry, but are missing some of the bits and pieces that make the difference between a difficult shoot and a seamless one. Having made a living standing on movie sets, being told what to do and later telling other people what to do, I eventually learned that it is not about the latest tech, or the most elaborate shots. It's about a good script, good actors and a competent, cohesive crew. If you miss any of these three elements, turmoil is guaranteed. Anyone who reads the trades can point at stories of set disasters averted at the last minute (or not), embarrasing mistakes and busted budgets. In that context, talking about a peaceful movie set sounds a bit weird. Maybe we should say harmonious. So now and then, we'll add to this blog queue, with some thoughts and some lessons learned the hard way, in the hope that it will save some unnecessary scrapes and bruises.

On the set at the North Sea Shore

#cinematography #lessons #expert