Really interesting, this piece about focus marks. Some times you see during a scene that the focus changes from one person to another, for dramatical reasons or when the second artist takes over the dialogue from the first one.
Some questions though; does the focus mark-measurer also tape the positions in their different colors? And who tells him/her (always “him”?) to mark where, the camera operator or the assistant director or somebody else?
Actually, nowadays there are quite a few women focus pullers who then move up in the department, often becoming DPs. There has been much I’ve watched over the years that’s been awful – the multi-nationals taking over Hollywood and trashing it, as they have done with so many other businesses, but the one bright spot is the growing inclusion and respect that the industry has had for women.
Re focus pulling. I rehearse the scene with actors. “Stand ins” (maybe we’ll do a piece on them next episode) are watching the rehearsal. On the last rehearsal a 2nd camera assistant (usually) runs around with different colors of rolls of tape, quickly putting down various colors of tape. The “stand ins” then walk around on those marks so that the camera people and lighting folks can get everything lit and know the correct focus positions. Sometimes a great stand in will help with where the actors move and stand. It’s a real team effort.
Really interesting, this piece about focus marks. Some times you see during a scene that the focus changes from one person to another, for dramatical reasons or when the second artist takes over the dialogue from the first one.
Some questions though; does the focus mark-measurer also tape the positions in their different colors? And who tells him/her (always “him”?) to mark where, the camera operator or the assistant director or somebody else?
Herman
Actually, nowadays there are quite a few women focus pullers who then move up in the department, often becoming DPs. There has been much I’ve watched over the years that’s been awful – the multi-nationals taking over Hollywood and trashing it, as they have done with so many other businesses, but the one bright spot is the growing inclusion and respect that the industry has had for women.
Re focus pulling. I rehearse the scene with actors. “Stand ins” (maybe we’ll do a piece on them next episode) are watching the rehearsal. On the last rehearsal a 2nd camera assistant (usually) runs around with different colors of rolls of tape, quickly putting down various colors of tape. The “stand ins” then walk around on those marks so that the camera people and lighting folks can get everything lit and know the correct focus positions. Sometimes a great stand in will help with where the actors move and stand. It’s a real team effort.