I’m currently “set photographer” on a Raintree Pictures film that stars Joan Chen.
The set photographer is like a speed bump on a highway. An inconvenient not-too-necessary evil.
As set photographer, you are irrelevant to the whole equation of making a movie, and yet you have to be pretty much near the front where the actual camera is. This means you step over everyone and everyone steps over you.
The more interesting part of taking set pictures happens after “cut” is yelled. Yet, you have to stay away so that the actor, when interacting with the director, doesn’t feel like you’re intruding. I think I’ve more than once overstepped the line in my enthusiasm and have to remind myself to stay back.
The fortunate thing about having Joan Chen on set is that you will get to see Russel Wong too. Like Joan Chen, I never manage to make any eye contact with Russel Wong (though I’ve tried), nor spoke with either at all, on set.
But this all changed when Russel Wong asked me a question.
So, that opened the door for me to speak to Russel Wong. (Although I felt it, I did not tell him that I was most embarrassed to be holding a camera in my hand in front of him.)
I took the opportunity to talk with him about set photography. He willingly and openly spoke about being a set photographer.
I was telling him that I was having trouble with the low light on set. I was opening up the apeture, using 1/60 and minimizing the bump in ISO to 400. But at times, I was forced to go up to 500, 800, even the max of 1600.
I told him I was afraid of the noise at those high ISOs. But as a result, when actors moved too much, too fast, they would end up blur.
Russel Wong told me that on the film set, he hardly ever went beneath 1/125. He reminded me that while people can accept a grainy picture, they’d never accept one that wasn’t tack sharp.Of course! How stupid of me! So now, I’m sacrificing ISO, grain, but I’m keeping things sharp.
Russel Wong also suggested that I try to custom make a jacket, using diving suit material for the camera in Hong Kong that would do a little bit of what the Sound Blimp would do. I’m guessing it would be a bit like a Camera Muzzle. One fine day I might actually travel to Hong Kong.
Well, I’ve probably recorded my last conversation with Russel Wong. Oh, and in case you’re wondering… no, eye contact and conversation has never happened between Joan Chen and me.
I am but a speed bump.
The good thing about being set photographer and not being so involved on set is that, I also get to watch the way other people work.
Sometimes it can be frustrating, because you see and hear things that the relevant people (such as the Assistant Director, props guy) ignore or miss. But you don’t want to go and kachow and cause trouble. And mabe they noticed it, but decided that it would be okay and you telling them would be like mosquito sucking blood from them.
Anyway, sometimes it’s better to shut up and just watch.
There was a particular mother-daughter scene between Joan Chen and Tracy Tan. As I’ve never read the script, I don’t know where the scene lies in the entire timeline. But it is one where they share a quiet and accepting moment.
The First AD yelled “Action” and immediately Joan Chen lost her focus. They cut, and she said that the “Action” startlied her.
Immediately, my (former) AD mode kicked in and I thought, “oh dear, sensitive actor.”
Unfortunately, the First AD didn’t hear Joan Chen and again yelled “Action” really loudly.
And again, Joan Chen lost her line. This time, Joan Chen asked who was calling it and explained that “it’s a soft scene, so please try to do it softly.”
The explanation kept on playing in my head even up till now (second day of shoot and the third day of shoot some 6 hours away).
When I was in TCS (now MCS), we were trained under the BBC style of working. And we would be taught to call “Action” loudly and clearly so as to make everyone aware and alert that we’re in serious recording mode. Pay attention, please.
But of course Joan Chen’s point is perfectly valid. After all, if you’re an actor and mentally you’ve worked yourself up into a sensitive mode, it can be quite jarring to have that moment interrupted by a loud “Action”.
Imagine. There’s a full moon. You’re by a beautiful lake and about to kiss someone you love. Then a squealing kid runs past. It would kill the momentum.
Now, if I had been involved in this production as an AD, writer or director, I would’ve been too stressed and missed this valuable lesson.
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