One of the scariest moments that a new VFX supervisor can endure is their first day on a working film set. The seasoned veterans you may encounter your first time out can sometimes be less than helpful and often downright intimidating. Walking onto a hot set from the relative safety and comfort of the soft glow of a monitor can feel a bit like a white-tail deer walking into an NRA convention.
Come prepared
As you can see from my earlier kit bag post, I like to come to set prepared for anything. This also extends to doing my homework and knowing exactly what I am shooting and how I’m going to accomplish getting the plates that I need. There is no shame in writing down a checklist and knocking stuff off one set-up at a time. You do not want to be the guy who just isn’t quite sure what the hell he wants. Your average film production professional can smell fear and ineptitude almost as well as approaching catering truck. If the crew starts to think you’re just another mouse jockey who doesn’t know a Baby from a Blonde, they can make your life on set a living hell.
Bonus Tip: Most VFX Supes I know carry a laptop with them to set. A rough of the matte painting that is going into the greenscreen or the animatic of what the non-existent T-Rex is going to be doing when the shot is finally done is key to getting everyone on board with what you are trying to do.
Know your lingo
Jargon is commonplace in in the military, medical and IT fields and for good reason. There are many specific objects and actions that need to have a common named assigned to them to keep any task from evolving into chaos. You don’t ever here a ER doctor say “Nurse, get me the long thingy with the little clippy gizmo on the end!” The world of movie making is no different. It’s up to you to crack the code. Listen carefully to what people say on set and take notes. Aside from practical reasons, film set slang is also used to quickly gauge the level of experience of newbies. Coming to set armed with a few key terms put you way ahead of the game.
Bonus Tip: If you only learn one tidbit of jargon, concentrate on terms that relate to camera movement. You need to know about tilt, pan, crab, ped, push and zoom. Camera position is key to every VFX shot
Try not to ruffle any feathers
Don’t be fooled by the rough and tumble exterior of film crew members. Deep down they can be as sensitive as a sunburned baby bottom. Remember these noble men and women have sacrificed countless hours with their friends and family so that they can hone their craft while standing around a table full of stale doughnuts and luke-warm coffee. In other words, they can be a down right cranky bunch. Telling a DP that their lighting looks flat could result in a death stare that could melt a standard camera package. Just changing the adjective from “flat” to something less confrontational like “even” mean the difference between a productive plate gathering session and complete bust.
Bonus Tip: Be careful who you yell at. The general rule is “Be nice to everyone.”. You never know, that lowly PA might end up as the head of the studio some day.
Don’t hold up the show
An A.D. once said to me “If you’re ten minutes early you’re on time. If your on time, you’re late.” Film productions live and die by the clock. If you take into account the amount that the crew gets paid, the rental fees for the stage and it’s equipment, electricity, food and all the other things that you can get gouged for on a film set, you’re talking about thousands of dollars per minute of time on set. You don’t want to be the guy who costs everyone money. Be on time and stay where the action is (without getting in the way of course). The Director could start screaming at you at any moment. Think a few moves ahead and be ready for when your shot comes up. You don’t want to be fishing around in your kit bag for tracking markers while everyone is waiting.
Bonus Tip: Make sure you get everything you need before the Martini Shot is in the can. Once “It’s a wrap!” is called there is no way you are going to get everyone back for one last VFX plate.
Become part of the crew
You have to realize that stepping on to a film set as a young VFX Supe leaves you at a distinct disadvantage. Others will perceive you as a pasty faced mole person that has spent his entire life blankly starting into monitor and has never done a full day’s “real” work in his life. They may be right, but the fact is you need to create some sense on camaraderie with the people that you work with. This may be harder than it seems considering your average CG guy would rather discuss the state of the art in NES Emulators rather than updates to 2008 Bass Master (Grips love the catch and release). Finding common ground can be challenging but if you stick to film related topics you should be ok. Movie lines in particular are a big hit. If you can transition seemlessly from Caddyshack to The Godfather, you’ll do just fine.
Bonus Tip: Look for the old timers. Those close to retirement usually have some great war stories to pass along. A Gaffer once told me what it was like to shoot the original Lassie show on LSD. Priceless.
