We're shooting night exteriors when this conversation takes place...
Best Boy: Hey AJ. Can you set up a work light?
Me: Sure. Where at?
Best Boy: For our staging.
Me: [Looking around.] Uh... Are you sure we need one? We're right under a street light, plus there's all that ambient light coming from the surrounding stores.
Best Boy: Yes. I'd like our staging to be a little bit brighter please.
Me: Okay. Sure. What do you want me to use? Like a 1k? [A 650 would've been more than enough, but a 1K work light has been pretty standard on this crew.]
Best Boy: I was thinking more like a 2k*.
Me: ... Really?
Best Boy: Yeah. Give me a 2k please. Just bounce it off the wall.
Me: [I look at the Best Boy and he's being totally serious] Okay...
I set up the light and the Best Boy gives me a nod of approval. Then, moments later...
Director: [Sitting at video village which is somewhat close to our brightly lit staging area] God damn! I can't see anything on this monitor with everything else being so bright. Can we get a tent or something put up so I can see the screen?
In fly the Grips with floppys and c-stands, and in a matter of minutes, they build a makeshift tent to block out the ambient light coming from our bright ass staging area. In doing so, they also block out everything else, including the street lamp that was previously serving as a work light for video village.
A few minutes later .....
Director: Fuck! It's so dark in this tent! Can we get a work light in here, please?
Best Boy: [Over the walkie] Hey A.J.... Can you set up another work light?
Me: [Sigh.] ...Yeah.
*A 650 = 650 watts. 1k = 1000 watts. 2k = 2000 watts. The bigger the wattage, the brighter the light.
5 comments :
That's like a retard feed back loop.
Sounds like a certain best boy just might be a frustrated wannabe gaffer/control freak...
True, but that would just make him a bad best boy at that point. I feel frustrated some times, but that's just tactless. If it makes your key look bad then it makes you look even worse to your key.
The key should just feel your presence on set and around the truck but never see anything other than functioning equipment staged where it should be. Ninja comes to mind. That's my philosophy anyway.
Since he felt the need for "enlightenment" and was surrounded by his own gear, he could have set the light himself. It also would have made it easy to erase his bad judgment, when it was noticed. "Sorry boss....., just testing out a fixture."
Niall - Yes.
Michael - Yes.
JD - I agree. But at the same time, if my boss asks me to set a light, I kinda have to do it, no matter how stupid of an idea it is. :P
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