"Hey, is this a day or night scene?" my colleague asks me, standing next to desk lamp on the set we're lighting. His thought process was a good one; if it's a day scene, the lamp doesn't need to be turned on. If it's a night scene, it's be a good idea to power it up.
However, I couldn't help but stare at him in confusion for a second, wondering if he really had just asked me that. He could've gotten that information off the day's callsheet. He also could've remembered our conversation with the Best Boy this morning when he said today's work consisted of all day scenes. Or, better yet, he could've remembered that we just set two BFLs* outside the set windows not thirty seconds ago.
"Sunlight" was streaming in from every window on our small set, and there he is, standing in the middle of the room, asking if it's supposed to be day or night. SMH.
I'm one of those people who try to live by the "There are no dumb questions" rule, but sometimes, this job makes it hard. I'm constantly surrounded by people who don't do the bare minimum of just looking around before they ask something.
No, we can't run cable that way. Can't you see the camera pointing exactly in that direction?
No, that light isn't going direct. Didn't you notice that huge bounce card the grips set up behind you?
Since everyone's talking loudly and the Art Department is still moving furniture around, I'd say no, we're not rolling right now.
Seeing as how we're doing exterior work and it's noon, yes, we're leaving our tungsten package on the truck.
Yes, the Kino you're about to bring in needs to be tungsten tubed. We're on a stage. All the other lights we've used so far are tungsten. Why would the Kino be any different?**
Are you standing between two light stands with the camera pointed in the opposite direction and wondering if you'll be seen during the take? I'm going to go out on a limb and say no, you won't.
Sigh. Sometimes, I feel like I'm in Clerks.
*Big Fucking Lights.
**There are a few scenarios where it would be different, so before I get bombarded with comments about how that one time you guys did it differently, I'm talking about "normal" situations here.
