Craig | 
04 10th, 2008| 
I recently went on a week long shoot for a documentary that the company I worked for was making. My role while in the field was to record the audio and help out the camera man when needed. It was quite an experience and I learned quite a bit.
Here’s 5 things that you should keep in mind when filming in the field:
Open your eyes
If you are a camera assistant, you need to be ready to grab equipment and take it to where the camera operator is most likely to shoot from next.
I have been in situations where the camera operator will take the camera off the tripod and go and shoot something off the shoulder and then tell me to setup the tripod somewhere else. In this case; I had to find the best place to shoot from very quickly otherwise we might miss the shot. This is especially important when you’re working quickly (eg. news, events, etc.)
Practice
This is a big one. Practice setting up equipment quickly. There is nothing more annoying to a camera operator than having to wait for the assistant to setup the equipment and evidently missing the shot.
Don’t be afraid to tell people what to do
When I first starting recording the audio in the field I was scared of telling people to shut up. I quickly learned that if you want to get good quality video/audio then you can’t be afraid to yell at someone. The same thing goes for getting people to move out of the shot.
Don’t be rude about it if you can avoid it, but you need to be firm. This also makes you look more professional and makes it look like you really care about getting good quality footage. Always be in control, (or at least look like you are).
Be prepared, and know what you/the client wants
If your client has lots of specifications that the video/audio needs to be recorded at, make sure you know exactly what they are beforehand. Things to look out for are aspect ratio (4:3 or 16:9), recording levels (usually -12db), shot lists, and overall style of the film.
Also, get to the locations early so that you have plenty of type to find the best places to shoot.
Think forward
Once you learn to think forward you will do your job a lot better. Even if you are not personally going to be editing the final product, keep it in mind when you are out in the field. What is going to make your/the editor’s job easier once you get back to the edit suite? Correct filing of video/photos/audio will help you out a lot when you get back to the edit suite and need to put it all together. Also keep in mind certain shots that need to be achieved.
Make friends and have fun
And last but not least, a new one that I didn’t have in before but I think is very important; Make friends. Make friends with everyone from the cast, crew, client, PR people, other people from different companies, and the locals. Nothing is better than a bit of local knowledge, whether it be about the town you’re shooting in or just the company.
Any most of all, have fun. There’s no point doing this if you’re not having fun, and it will show in your work.
So there you have it. Six things that I think are most important to remember when you’re filming.
