How ACs work on film cameras?

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

Ok, I'm new to all this stuff.

And I'm completely unware of everything related to film.

I once walked on a set and the woman that was being AC was next to the camera operator and she was staring to a 7" LCD with her hand on the FF. The camera in question here was a Panavision Genesis.

How does rack focus work on film cameras when focus must be done on the fly? Like when the camera is handheld, tracking someone or some situation like that.

Noob question, but hey doesn't hurt to ask.

 

[Nick Gardner]

Hi,

Good ACs are extremely good at judging distance. Plus of course things are rehearsed, marks are put down, distances are measured, on most big shoots there is use of a cine tape (sound based range finder) as reference.

Most of the time you have some references. Some times the AC just has to SWAG it (scientific wild ass guess). Basically it just comes down to being good at your job.

Now days a lot of hand held shooting has the focus pulled remotely with a preston or a bartech.

Cheers,

Nick

 

[Nick Wolf]

Impagliazzo its very brave of you to stick out your neck here with all these experienced pros...Thats great now you are in the ring. Keep fighting you will get there!

I can highly recomend these learning tools that will give you several years of information in a couple of sittings.

http://www.digitalcinemacourse.com/index.html

http://www.fxguide.com/

Cheers,

DogDay

 

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

Impagliazzo its very brave of you to stick out your neck here with all these experienced pros...Thats great now you are in the ring. Keep fighting you will get there!

I can highly recomend these learning tools that will give you several years of information in a couple of sittings.

http://www.digitalcinemacourse.com/index.html

http://www.fxguide.com/

Cheers,

DogDay

Digital Cinema Course is an awesome way to learn this stuff.

I wanted to buy only the lighting dvds, unfortunately they don't sell them alone.

I'm still a newbie on the digital medium and film is out of this world for me right now.

Hi,

Good ACs are extremely good at judging distance. Plus of course things are rehearsed, marks are put down, distances are measured, on most big shoots there is use of a cine tape (sound based range finder) as reference.

Most of the time you have some references. Some times the AC just has to SWAG it (scientific wild ass guess). Basically it just comes down to being good at your job.

Now days a lot of hand held shooting has the focus pulled remotely with a preston or a bartech.

Cheers,

Nick

Hmmm, interesting.
I'm amazed to know that one can get it right with 35mm DOF doing this.

So remote FF staring to a nice LCD is what happens the most when the medium is digital?

 

[Nick Gardner]

There has been much talk on this board about weather or not to pull off of a monitor, most professional ACs will say it's not a good idea. The key to pulling focus is learning the math, your DOF charts, know what the hyperfocal distance of you lens is at your current stop, and be a human range finder with distance. Parctice Practice Practice.

Nick

 

[Nick Wolf]

Get the whole set dont be cheap its a fantastic investment you can always sell it used later once you have picked it all up...

DogDay

 

[Martin Weiss]

Usually an AC would look at the subject (i.e. Actor in most cases) while pulling focus. At times, one also uses the 2nd AC on especially tricky shots. The monitor should really only be used to check for framing - but never to judge focus. If it looks soft on the monitor, it is way too late anyway. It is the AC's job to get the focus right, but the operator's job to check that it is.

Well, with 4k and viewfinders having less resolution than that, I guess that job is now transferred to the DIT?

How does rack focus work on film cameras when focus must be done on the fly? Like when the camera is handheld, tracking someone or some situation like that.

That's why experienced ACs get so good - they really "feel" the distance. It is some sort of Zen-like state. If you've ever felt it - it is indeed a great feeling. (And then you can move on to become a Jimmy Jib operator; but that is a different story altogether...)

 

[Júlio Taubkin]

If you REALLY want to know it, no better way of Buying Douglas Hart's book: The Camera Assistant handbook.

 

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

If you REALLY want to know it, no better way of Buying Douglas Hart's book: The Camera Assistant handbook.

Taubkin, note taken, I'ma be adding this to my Amazon wishlist.

___


Thank you all for the insight.