I Want It Wider But Tight

"I want it wider but tight"  That is an actual note given to me by a Director on a national spot.  I managed to conceal my chagrined amazement with my Camera Dept poker face, a skill I learned as a camera assistant.  When all hell is breaking loose (flashed mag, primes rolling on the floor) you need to stay calm and poker faced when the Director or DP asks if there's a problem.  Heck, no.

I simply nod and say "Got it".  I walk over to my 1st AC, instruct him to remove the lens from the camera, walk over to the lens case, open and close it and return with the same lens to remount onto the camera.  I ask the dolly grip to move the camera on the lens 2 feet closer to the subject.  I call over the Director for frame approval - "That's great, let's shoot it."  

Set politics is a tricky thing -  knowing what or what NOT to say is tantamount to a smooth running set and more importantly, future bookings.  Asking the above Director to explain himself wouldn't have been very productive and you also run the risk of embarrassing him while he tries to explain the note.  I didn't order the rubber lens for this shoot.

A wise DP mentor who deals with politics on an uber scale - he's an A lister who shoots mega budget pictures, once told me something I've carried with me to this day.  Say yes to everything.  Most suggestions / opinions will fall to the way side in the scurry / intensity of the set.  You'll know what the important notes are and how to deal with them.  

I was surprised to learn that set politics is such a large part of my life on set.  Those that learn to play the game well work, and those that don't......

I'd love to hear about your experiences with set politics - you can email me at
treadway45@gmail.com or tweet me at @456split

If you'd like to learn more about my projects http://www.stephentreadway.com