poor man's elevation

grinner

grinner

Guest
so like,
I was on a chroma key shoot in Chicago yesterday. My cheap stands that hold my green screen are only six feet tall but it's never really been a problem. I'm close enough with my clients that I can work around it, have em sit, or even ask em to bend their knees but still stand straight, cheezy as that is. :o
This was a new client though and the first guy to speak walked in well over 6 feet tall. I wasn't comfy asking him to correct so, in a pinch, I did what I had to do...
 
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Just curious... wouldn't it have been easier, and certainly safer, to jack the screen stands up instead? I can see about a dozen things that could go wrong here without much effort.

Your client was okay with this... rig?
 
MtnShooter said:
Just curious... wouldn't it have been easier, and certainly safer, to jack the screen stands up instead? I can see about a dozen things that could go wrong here without much effort.

Your client was okay with this... rig?
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Client took the pic. We hit it off and they've got me booked through April. It's all in how ya deal with circumstances, I guess.
 
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What I'm wondering is if you were trying to shoot down on the client to make him look smaller?

I think it would look odd of you're eye level with every interview except one.
 
zac love said:
What I'm wondering is if you were trying to shoot down on the client to make him look smaller?

I think it would look odd of you're eye level with every interview except one.
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It would. He was the first guy so it was just a matter of matching the perspective per speaker after that. Being the editor of these creates lots of freedoms while shooting... and vice versa. I'm creating the animated elements for the background today and matching the angle. Kind of cool.
I'm gonna enjoy working with this company. Fun folks and fresh content. A brother can only do so many beer videos. While I am very greatful for all the business A-B has sent my way over the years, I was reaching a need for change.
 
grinner said:
It would. He was the first guy so it was just a matter of matching the perspective per speaker after that. Being the editor of these creates lots of freedoms while shooting... and vice versa. I'm creating the animated elements for the background today and matching the angle. Kind of cool.
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Is the video improved by looking down on the subjects? If you've matched everything up, then it will look consistent, which is good, but I think more often than not making the talent look small & submissive isn't the best idea on how to frame a shot.
 
'tis all good. I dig it, they dig it, and they've booked me non stop as result of a great day together. It's always easiest to laugh at myself when it all turns out great. ;)

Still... don't go stackin' chairs as way of dazzlin' the client. lol
 
Well, if the chairpod didn't hook 'em for life, I'll bet the bikecam did. I hope you didn't try any dolly shots with the chairpod.
 
The Dumbing Down of America and our Profession.

Rosenblum was right; with today easy to use video equipment every idiot can do it. The last obstacle to make it in this business has been removed “intelligence”.

It’s difficult to believe that someone who claims to be a successful producer and cameraman, not to mention a self appointed artist and the creator of many show and videos, mostly very invisible shows and videos, do not own a light stand that goes over 6 ft.

It’s difficult to believe that on this professional forum we have someone boasting about his creative initiative of putting the tripod on chairs because he doesn’t own a tall stand?

WTF is happening to this profession.

I’m contemplating retirement or at least slow down a bit but my phone keeps on ringing more than ever and I keep wondering why, then I see this crap referred to as "work of a professional" and I fully understand why.

The tragedy in "The Dumbing Down of America" is that these people actually believe that their work is good.
 
A lot of field work is problem solving. If you don't have the "right" piece of gear on hand, you have to improvise and do what you can with what you've got. We've all had to do some thing unorthodox the get the shot.

It sounds like the subject walked in ready to go and that was the quickest solution Grinner could find. Perhaps not the safest, or most professional looking, or some thing I would have chosen to do with my gear, but the client walked away happy and he's got work with them in the future.

I try to do some prep work and ask what the subjects look like so I can think ahead about whatever variables may be a factor like hight, hair, glasses, etc. The client or producer should know these things. My solution might have been to take the green screen off the stands and tape or thumbtack it higher on the wall. However, I wasn't there so I don't know everything about the situation.

Maybe Grinner will use some of the profit from this gig to get some taller stands (or thumbtacks) for the next basketball player he shoots. For now it looks like he's got a Lowell kit (see the picture), so those are the stands he's got on hand to work with. At the time, he got the job done and he's looking forward to a challenging edit, and some times that's enough.
 
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2000lux said:
It sounds like the subject walked in ready to go and that was the quickest solution Grinner could find. Perhaps not the safest, or most professional looking, or some thing we would have chosen to do with my gear, but the client walked away happy and he's got work with them in the future.
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Sorry, but I don't believe a word Grinner types. His responses scream inexperience. He never backs up his claims when he's challenged to do so. For all we know, he stumbled upon that picture somewhere else and stole it.

It's incredibly easy to fluff your résumé and experience on the internet. This forum remains mostly professional, but some members must be taken with a grain of salt.
 
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