Unit 15
Obtain, Prepare and Return Camera
Equipment
15.1 Be able to obtain camera
equipment
1.1 Identify the equipment
requirements from the production brief
For this specific production the
equipment requirements are as listed below;
·
X3 DSLR cameras
(with filming feature)
·
X3 Tripods
·
X1 Spotlight
·
X1 Soft box light
·
X1 Chair
·
X4 SD cards
·
X3 Camera
batteries
·
X1 Zoom mic
·
X1 Mic stand
·
X2 AA batteries
This production was for a short film
surrounding CSE and is a project given to DCAS by Derbyshire County Council. It
was my job as well as other participants to think about what the film would
look like. However the final say was down to me. In the end I chose to use the
main stage at DCAS as our main location for the story. As we wanted the actor
to be lit up we knew we needed to provide light to which we could manipulate to
get the correct and suitable image. The equipment above is all that was needed
for this days shoot.
1.2 Specify all requirements for the
protection of equipment or stock in transit
The protection of the equipment is
listed below;
Cameras – All of our cameras at DCAS
are kept safe and secure in a padded sectioned camera bag occupied by other
related equipment such as camera batteries, SD cards, lenses, USB cables and battery
chargers. This equipment is stored like this to avoid anything going missing,
to maintain organisation, and to protect the camera equipment from being
damaged.
Tripods – The tripods are less likely
to break or get damaged so they have less protection, however still have some.
The tripods are kept in a tripod bag with a handle of for safe and easy
transportation.
Lighting – As the lighting equipment
is quite heavy and dangerous in terms of sharp edges we have a large suitcase
shaped especially for lighting. This also contains padded materialised sections
so that no damage is done to the equipment itself and the user.
SD cards – The SD cards have small
plastic covers so that there is a lower risk of the cards getting lost, another
safety measure we do for the cards is keep them all together in a zipped
secured bag.
Zoom Mic- As this piece of equipment
is especially used to record audio and to maintain quality of this piece of
equipment it is also stored in a plastic casing, this is to ensure it is not
damaged during transportation. This also
comes with a sponge covering which is placed over the mic itself.
1.3 Produce legible paperwork which
clearly states all requirements
When preparing for a day’s filming I will produce
all of the necessary paperwork. It is extremely important to complete a call
sheet before shoot as it has all the information on for the filming day such as
contact details, who will be attending, location details, schedule and any
requirements. It is important that everyone involved has the same amount of
information so that no one is left outside of the loop.
Below is a Call Sheet I produced for a short film
surrounding CSE;
1.4 Place orders to allow deliveries
in time to meet shooting schedules as required
For this production in particular there were
no deliveries to be made so that meant there were also no orders to place.
However, if this was to be something we needed to consider during a production
then there are ways in which it could be done. For example if I ordered a white
backdrop offline and there was a specific day it needed to be delivered for
then when ordering offline you can often request for a tracked delivery which
means when the order is placed you receive a code that you type into the
providers or deliver’s website and this will track your item and let you know
what stage your parcel is at. This information will provide you with the
parcels progress and let you know the date and time (roughly) your order will
be delivered.
1.5 Organise collection or delivery
time at an agreed time and place.
Again, like explained in 1.4
organising the date, time and place is all given when placing your order through
the organisation you’re buying from. Organising requirements such as collection
or specific times and places for delivery is often done through the phone.
15.2 Be able to prepare camera equipment
for use
2.1 Label items accurately and legibly
as required to enable identification
In our Multi-media suite at DCAS we
have a cupboard where all the camera equipment is kept safe and secured by a
lock. Within this cupboard you can clearly see shelves which provide different
equipment such as music related items, camera equipment, and other media
related items. All the camera equipment is in the same space so it maintains
organisation throughout the workers and centre itself. In each camera bag you
will also find battery chargers and camera batteries and all these are also
labelled so that they are easily identifiable.
2.2 Check that the equipment supplied
matches document requirements, seeking solutions if necessary.
This is quite straight forward in
terms of providing the correct and required equipment for the production.
Whoever has the responsibility of gathering the equipment then they will look
at the production equipment requirements and choose items appropriately to
match the needs of the production. For example if on the requirements sheet it
asks for a DSLR camera than that doesn’t really suggest which one, in this case
it will be down to the crew member to decide which would be most appropriate for
the job. If there becomes a problem where the equipment required is not accessible
then a solution such as replacements or compromised equipment needs to be
considered.
2.3 Test equipment on delivery
Testing equipment is very important as
it can sometimes be the thing that keeps the whole production together, for
example if the production was all based around gathering good quality footage
and then find out on set that the camera equipment doesn’t work or is damaged then
that could affect the whole production. To test the camera equipment it is best
to start with testing if the batteries work by turning on the camera. Then looking
at the quality of footage you can get through the camera by testing it out on
set, it is also handy to carry a cleaning kit for your lenses and sensor as
this could be the reason the picture quality isn’t at its best.
2.4 Make accurate reports of any loss
or damage, passing them on to relevant parties.
If something is claimed to be missing
or damaged there isn’t any documentation in place that we fill out however, our
receptionist, cleaner and manager are all alerted as soon as a report has been
made. A full description of the item is taken and if this item is handed in or
someone finds this then the owner will be noted ( if we have the details) if
not we ask anyone who comes to try and claim the item to give a full description
of what it is.
We also have a policy in place that
anyone who enters the building is responsible for their personal belongings and
we do not take any responsibility for lost or damaged items and this is stated
all over the main areas of our building.
2.5 Use safe lifting and handling
methods
When lifting and handling
equipment it is essential that Health and Safety guidelines are followed,
especially if there is heavy equipment to be carried it is important that it is
handled and carried in the correct way to avoid any injuries to yourself or another
member of the team. It is important that you follow specific
instructions, lift with the knees not with the back, and to also never lift
something that you don't feel capable of doing alone.
2.6 Store items safely,
ensuring they are readily available for use.
There is no set way as to
how to pack your equipment although there are tips on how it can be managed so
that it can be transported in the safest way. For example it is useful to have
the correct equipment in each camera bag. The materials needed for a day’s
shoot could consist of a camera, battery pack, SD card, USB lead, camera strap
and a selection of lenses so it is important to check that these are available
to you before going out. Particular camera bags have dividers inside the bag
and this is to separate all your equipment appropriately and it can also reduce
the chances of the equipment being damaged during transportation.
15.3 Be able to return
camera equipment
3.1 Use suitable
travelling cases and packaging materials
As stated in 2.6 keeping
your equipment in safe packaging materials is very important as it decreases
the risk of damaging the equipment, I also go into a bit more detail about
specific items in section 1.2 of this blog. Please find information to this
answer in these sections.
3.2 Pack items to meet
weight and other safety regulations
When packing your items
into a transit or transporting vehicle in a correct and safe manner, making
sure when packing heavy equipment it is stored first, this is to allow the more
sensitive items to be placed on top rather than at the bottom with a chance of
getting damaged.
3.3 Identify any equipment
that is liable to affect the recording medium
There are many pieces of equipment
that could affect the recording medium. When using a memory card it is
important to keep it away from any magnetic materials as this could wipe the
card which could result in losing all the footage, this would mean that a day
would have been wasted and it would cost the company more time and money to
re-do. It is a good idea to also keep equipment away from heat and direct sun
as this could cause the equipment to over-heat which could damage it and make
it unusable in the future.
3.4 Label and record the content of
each travelling case legibly, conforming to any regulatory requirements.
During
preparation for a shoot I will record each piece of equipment to ensure that we
have everything we need. I use a kit list to check and tick all the
necessary equipment that we need for the shoot. When using hired equipment I
will compile a list for all the different parts so that at the end of shooting
I can tick off the list so that we don’t forget anything.
I will also
record which car/transit the equipment is in and who is responsible for the
safety of specific equipment.
3.5 Check
the equipment being returned, signing for it against a copy of the delivery
documentation.
Usually when
DCAS are set out to do a production we use all of our own equipment from the
centre and very rarely hire out or borrow equipment elsewhere so there would be
no documentation for me to fill out. However we always, as a team take pride in
our equipment and treat it with a lot of respect in terms of locking after the
quality of each item. So it is extremely important to us to check that all
equipment is brought back to the centre in one piece and with all the correct attachments.
3.6 Notify
all relevant parties when documentation is complete and ready to travel.
When working
within a big team on a large production it is important that every team member
is kept in the loop. This will increase team work skills and communication
skills amongst the team and it also lets everyone know that the production is
on track. This can then give other team members a heads up that the production
is on schedule and look at tasks to do next.
3.7 Return
the equipment promptly to avoid incurring extra costs
As I said
DCAS use all of their own equipment when working on a project or production so
we are not under any pressure to return the equipment in a particular time
frame unless of course another member of staff needs the equipment for another
project. However if this wasn’t the case and we did need to return the
equipment promptly we would still do it carefully and safely to avoid any
damage caused by rushing and careless handling.
