Shooting scenes on a moving train. Tips? Tricks?

[Sam Roberts]

I was wondering if anyone has experience shooting on a moving train. We have a passenger car to ourselves on a regularly scheduled commuter run so we will have to shoot between stops. These are dialogue scenes with two actors sitting. It's a daytime shoot.

A steadicam is not in the budget and I really don't want to hand hold the camera if I don't have to. Any problems setting up sticks? I take it if there is a slight swaying motion the camera will just sway with the car if it's on a tripod so that shouldn't be a problem or is it? Lighting-wise we have no access to power so any suggestions there? Would hidden lavs be better than an overhead shotgun as far as noise levels are concerned? Any thoughts or advice is appreciated. Thanks.

sam

 

[Leo Ticheli]

If the windows are in the shot, you may find you have big trouble if the train is going a normal speed. There is a formula around somewhere that suggests the proper vehicle speed for shooting perpendicular to the direction of travel.
If you use the same vehicle speed shooting parallel to the direction of travel won't match the perpendicular shots.
My ASC manual is at home, but I think that's where I found it.
Not at all sure this helps you as you have no control over the train's speed.
Oh well...

Is there no AC in the bathrooms for shavers? Kino Flo car kit might help.

On sound, ask the pros, but the microphones out of phase, one on talent, the other picking up the noise is said to help.

Good shooting and best regards,

Leo

 

[Sam Roberts]

Good idea on the mics Leo. I'll suggest that to the sound guy. I haven't had a chance to check out the actual car we will be using yet so I am not sure about A/C in the bathrooms. If it's there that will help. I'm going to try and avoid shooting right into the windows if I can and hopefully we can schedule the shoot on a cloudy day so I don't get blasts of sunlight coming in. If there is no available power I'm thinking reflectors of some kind as I expect the light coming in the opposite window won't be enough. What worries me the most though is overhead florescents that I can't turn off. If I balance to them I'm going to have a problem with the color of the daylight coming in the window and I doubt I can gel the windows easily.

 

[Brad Webb]

For lighting, check out the Rosco light pads:
http://www.rosco.com/us/video/litepad_ho.cfm

You can run them off AA batteries and you can tape or velcro them anywhere.

 

[Alexander Ibrahim]

On sound, ask the pros, but the microphones out of phase, one on talent, the other picking up the noise is said to help.

Think about the newish Schoeps SuperCMIT 5 mics. They have two mic elements in them, and use one for noise canceling. They output the noise canceled and the "old fashioned" at the same time.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/708458-REG/Schoeps_SUPERCMIT.html#features

It would make a good rental- but hey... maybe sound's been looking to add these to their kit anyway right?

Schoeps really ought to pay me for babbling about their mics so much.

 

[Brian Petrie]

At least most trains have a fairly dark tint on the windows so that should help.

 

[Mark Collins]

Rosco litepads for lighting, sticks with a Chapman vibration isolator on them.

Those will go a long way towards making your life easier

 

[Sam Roberts]

Thanks guys. I just took the subway into the city. I sure hope the commuter train is smoother and quieter...lol

 

[Michael Hardwick]

Did something very similar to your situation several years ago. Shot a scene on the Amtrak Surfliner from LA Union Station to San Diego. Yes we had to break it up due to stops along the way, but it was not a problem. If I remember we were using a SR3, used steadicam for the master shot that took us down the aisle, then settled into handheld coverage for dialogue. There was heavy ND on the windows, and we used 15" Kinos plugged into a battery pack for a fill/eye-light. If I had to revisit the scenario I'd use Litepanels, Those 1X1's can last for ages off an Anton Bauer battery.
It was great! we shot all the way to San Diego and then stepped off for lunch, then back on board for the ride home. I remember it being a very relaxing and fun day at work.

 

[Sam Roberts]

I think I'll look into litepanels. Do I need some kind of coverter to run them off batteries?

 

[Michael Hardwick]

Hi Sam

I don't think they need a converter, I believe they come standard with an AC/DC solution. As your rental house. The ones I've used were rigged with a Anton Bauer gold mount. We just slapped a Hytron 140 on there and we burned it all day. These were 1X1 Lite Panels, and it put out an equivalent amount of light to say a 2X4 Kino or a Diva. Quality of the light is a little synthetic, so you may want to diffuse it with your flavor of choice. They also dim not to nothing with no change in color temp. Also they box up real compact, and that may be a good thing in terms of loading on and off the train.
The Lite Panel mini's are great also and come with their own battery.

 

[Sam Roberts]

Thanks Michael. I think that's what I'll use.

 

[Joe G.]

The Dahrjeeling Ltd. special features have a whole class on shooting on a train. Especially if you get the whole train to yourself, and can create removable walls, etc.