Here’s the sequence of events when shooting a take:

• You ask if everyone is ready.
• If so, you yell “quiet on the set”.
• When the set is quiet, you yell “roll camera”.
• Then, the camera operator (probably you) starts the camera rolling. After watching the white timecode numbers advance three seconds, the camera operator yells “camera rolling” or “speed” (meaning the camera is “up to speed”)
• The talent then goes into character but waits before beginning any action.
• After a few more moments, you yell “Action”.
• The  [read more →]
  

Let’s summarize all our knowledge into one common sense absolute truth:

If it looks good, it is good.

This nugget of wisdom, with its koan-like simplicity, should form the foundation for your judgement when making decisions on the set. What you see through your viewfinder or reference monitor is what your viewers will see.

Of course, the visual image differences between a viewfinder and the final delivery screen must be taken into account. But this rule is still the only rule that  [read more →]