The Danger of DSLRs

So, as anyone who reads this blog regularly already knows, I have been diligently trying to finish my first short film which was shot last September. It has already been far more difficult than I anticipated but we're almost there...well, so I thought.

The fetching new "Wig and Camera Hat" (Available at all good retailers)

Last week my editor and I went through the entire thing and made every single cut perfect, as it has to be, especially with comedy as getting the right timing, reactions, rhythms are absolutely essential. On that note it really is an amazing experience to work on something in the editing room and trying to find that punch to the gut you're looking for. It could be a matter of frames, but when you get it right, it's undeniable and you both crack up laughing. Very odd.

Anyway, so we got to the very last (and subsequently very vital) last shot of the entire film and guess what? It's out of f**king focus! Not by much, but enough. Well John, surely you could use another take? I hear you say. Nope. None of them worked. Another angle John? You retort. Nope, every other angle did not capture the one thing we needed most which was for me to simply look down and back up again. Instead it contained various takes of me, as my editor kindly put it, "f**king around". So I suppose it's my own fault, which makes it all the more frustrating.

It's not the end of the world of course, it just means I'll have to re-shoot a couple of things. It's just a bit of a pain in the arse.

My point is that I have finally found a downside to shooting with a DSLR camera. Although, in the right hands, they can give you magnificent looking shots and are relatively cheap and extremely easy to use, the only thing you have to look at is a poxy 3-inch screen. Which always looks in focus. Blown up on the big screen however, it is not always the case.

So my advice, pop pickers, is this: I had the pleasure of helping out on a mates set this weekend (from 6.30 to 3am as the slate person - the bloke with the clapper board to you and me) and they also shot with a DSLR. They, however, had a 7-inch monitor attached to the camera, giving them a much better perspective of how everything looked. This my friends is a must have. That and a Director of Photography. Having a DP essentially means that your job as a director is simply to know what shots you're looking for, and getting the best performance from your actors. You don't have to worry about setting up shots, what lens to use, the lights or any of that palava...they do it all. I'm definitely getting me one of these chaps for my next shoot.

Other than it's been back to the grind of trying to write something profound, witty and life-affirming, auditioning for things and trying (so far in vain) to get my feature-length off the ground.

"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions" (Albert Einstein)

Peace and love,

Juan.