[drewvalenti]

Hey Connor sounds like a cool shot. Is there dialogue in the scene? How fast does the biking need to feel?

Maybe you can implement two methods:

-Shoot from a car at a further distance away to cover more geographic area, maybe get better parallax, and record better sound so that engine and tire noise are not a factor overlapping with important dialogue.
-If you can control the blocking of the shot, maybe have the talent stop or move slower for critical close up coverage.

When I’m watching anything, I like when the shots feel intentional like they’re happening for a purpose to further the story. Not just spraying down coverage. So if you’re able to work it out with the director, the scene could be a great chance to use coverage as a choice to powerfully move the story in a direction.

Drew
Gaffer LA

[drewvalenti]

Hey Stefano, it sounds like the core of your question is “what type of protection should be in place to prevent hazards in case of bulb failure.” I encourage you to discuss this with your gaffer and key grip. When it comes to electrical hazards and rigging safety, it’s not the DP who will be physically close to the dangers. If you don’t feel you have a gaffer or key grip you can rely on and fully trust, that’s a red flag. Find crew you can trust, crew with more experience in their role than you have in their role. Utilize their experience and perspective. Instead of dictating a master plan, collaborate with them – if they’re experienced, they can save you time, money, and get you closer to your visual goals with less headache.

Hope this helps!

Drew
Gaffer, Los Angeles

[drewvalenti]

Hi! In my experience…

The look is a combination of ALL factors. The specific lights, grip fabrics, sunlight (if present), lenses, camera sensor / film stock, what the script says, what the director wants, the DP’s subjective preferences, color grading, post production, how much time there is on the day to work, (and on the delivery end…) projection, the screen you watch on, the light in the room while you watch etc. Many factors.

Re: The Sicario question, can you get the exact same look with a DSLR and aputures? In my opinion no. Can you get something pretty good with those tools? Yes. Maybe you can get a similar look to a Day INT from Sicario. There are trade offs with every piece of gear you choose.

“How close do you think you could get” is subjective so I can’t really answer that.

If you are early on your journey, know that you can definitely make powerful images with very basic tools. Most professionals will tell you it’s less about WHAT equipment they’re using and more about HOW they’re using it. There are obviously exceptions to that rule, but for the most part if you’re trying to shoot indie narrative projects, you can get creative with what you have and make great stuff.

If you get the chance to be on bigger film sets and watch how they use bigger more expensive gear, you might find that they’re using everything the same way just at a larger scale.

Hope that helps

Drew
Local 728 Gaffer

[Author]

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