Category: women in film

Not One Size Fits All – Easyrigs and You

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I’ll never claim to know it all. I’m a camera operator and there’s always going to be gaps in knowledge, new technology to learn, or new techniques to master. And you too should never stop learning.

So when I entered season 3 of a reality show, I was definitely surprised when the Easyrig production provided for me just didn’t feel right.

For those not in the know yet (and that’s okay, remember what I said about learning?) – An Easyrig is a camera support system that helps reduce back strain especially when doing handheld with heavier cameras. You probably wouldn’t use one with a smaller camera, like a Lumix or A7s, but for your bigger cameras, it helps a lot to distribute the weight.

It’s sort of a vest thing – different from the Steadicam because it’s a lot softer material in the front – and it has an arm over top that carries the camera via a clip and string. Everything’s attached to a pulley system inside the hardshell on the back.

There’s straps and things to help you adjust it to your body but what I didn’t know… was that the Easyrig wasn’t one size fits all.

We started a scene in an office where a bunch of cast members were doing a meeting. It was going to be a long scene, we knew that. It would be difficult to stop and start again, so we prepared for the long haul.

But as I was operating, I felt the vest slipping lower and lower. I tightened it to the point where it was nearly suffocating, and it was still slipping. The lower portion of the vest where there was a hard point eventually rested on the top of my thigh, and I tried to push through the discomfort.

Of course, that’s when my leg began to go numb.

I kept trying to readjust my body and how I was holding the camera in order to find some relief and power through the rest of the scene. But it wasn’t working. My leg was tingling and going numb and I knew there was a problem.

I finally got on the walkie – something I try not to do during a scene unless it’s absolutely necessary – and called out to production that something was wrong and I needed to set down my cmaera.

Crickets.

Unfortunately for me, they either didn’t hear me or nobody knew who should answer. That’s a problem.

My leg was getting worse. I was probably just going to cave and set the camera down mid-scene, which was something I was loathe to do. I called over walkie again. No response. But then my DP came in and said “Hey, my B cam needs a break. We’ve got to stop now.”

And we did. I took everything off, re adjusted again, took a mini-breka, and went back into it. The rig was slightly better after the break but… it was still starting to cut into my thigh. I found myself hiking up the bottom of it just to keep going with the scene. It was rough. I knew something was wrong.

I ended up calling 16×9 Inc for help. 16×9 Inc is an authorized Easyrig dealer, and the guy on the phone (I’m so sorry I don’t remember your name) walked me through what I needed to know about Easyrig fits. We decided that the right size for me would be a different model, the Easyrig Gimbal Flexvest.

When I got the new Easyrig it was like the clouds finally parted and I could see the sun.

So now I’m the first person who will tell female and smaller-framed operators “Make sure you get the right fit. Easyrigs are not all created equally. They are not one-size-fits-all.”

Putting the Easyrig on

The Easyrig slides on sort of like an awkward, top-heavy backpack. Whenever putting on or using the Easyrig, you need to be aware of your surroundings and of the people around you. You are now taller and bulkier, plus you have a camera that could swing free and hit someone if you’re not actively controlling it.

I usually adjust the waist straps first to get the rig situated properly on my hips, then clip on the chest harness part. Tighten straps for the chest harness so it’s snug, and do the same for straps that are connecting the top to the bottom.

Test the fit by grabbing the vest and seeing if it moves. If it does, you’re not tight enough. Then also test the length of the vest by seeing if your legs can move freely up and down without hitting the bottom of the vest. If anything moves, tighten stuff up. If’s its all the way tight and things still move (especially when you put weight on it) it’s time to consider a different rig or a different method to operate the camera.

It it absolutely not worth hurting yourself to accomplish any shot.

Instructional Video

Dom from LensProToGo goes over how to fit the Easyrig on your body in this video:

Be safe while operating, friends!

Podcast update

We’ve been hard at work bringing Lights, Camera, Remake to life. We are currently up to 11 episodes on Spotify and I’m slowly uploading the episodes to Youtube as well.

We will be looking for sponsors as we grow.

In the meantime you can support us by following on your podcast streaming platform of choice and sharing the episodes or reels we put out. This is a labor of love and we enjoy sharing it with everyone. The response has been wonderful so far.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightscameraremakepodcast/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LightsCameraRemakePodcast

Lights, Camera Remake! A Podcast about Hollywood Unoriginality

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Yet another person with a podcast. Oh my goodness. But let me explain.

One of the age-old complaints about movies and Hollywood in general is that there’s no originality left. We see endless remakes, reboots (slightly different), sequels, spinoffs and adaptations. Can’t they come up with anything new?

As I began to dig into this idea, I found some surprising things. Like the fact that Little Shop of Horrors -the musical comedy horror starring Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene? – was actually a remake of a low budget movie from 1960. Did you know that Martin Scorsese’s The Departed is based on a 2002 Hong Kong film Internal Affairs? 1998’s You’ve Got Mail is a remake of The Shop Around the Corner (1940). Ocean’s Eleven (2001) is a remake of Ocean’s Eleven (1960).

A remake of an old movie can bring a classic story to a new audience… and also sometimes make audiences really angry.

That passionate knee-jerk reaction is worth discussing.

I’d love to see more originality in the movie theater. The problem is — those movies have a harder time finding an audience.

Hollywood studios and executives are running a business, and they want to make money. And working with something that has established IP (like a Marvel movie, or a book adaptation, a remake) somewhat guarantees an audience will attend. At the end of the day, they just want to make money and make their shareholders happy. And they want to keep their jobs.

Anyway, my friend Erica Strout and I got talking, usually at work in between setups or at lunch. We met on a reality show TV show with myself working as the camera operator and Erica as my camera assistant. We became fast friends. And then we watched movies together. And had a lot of discussions about film in general.

Now we’re doing the Lights, Camera, Remake! Podcast.

This amazing artwork created by Taylor Rebyanski!

Is it always a bad thing to see a remake of a classic (or possibly unknown) movie? Our podcast looks to break it down and see if there’s merit to Hollywood shirking an original idea for a retelling.

On each episode we’ll look at a movie and its remake, or sometimes a movie and its sequel, to determine if Hollywood rehashed it for a reason or for a cash grab.

Episode 1 is about Solaris (1972) and Solaris (2002).

Solaris is an atmospheric Russian science fiction film based on a book. It was later remade in 2002 starring George Clooney.

You can listen to the episode on Spotify or right here:

Episode 2 is Little Shop of Horrors (1960) and (1986).

Next up this week is Weekend at Bernie’s! The episode will be uploaded on Wednesday, Jan 22.

Follow us on Spotify, Instagram and Facebook!

https://www.instagram.com/lightscameraremakepodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560111332548

We’ve also got an email you can submit ideas, comments or random concerns too. We understand you have those.

LightsCameraRemakePodcast@gmail.com

http://www.screenrant.com/movies-secretly-remakes-surprising/

theenemyofaverage.com/movies-that-are-remakes/

The Evils of the Rolling Take and Reset

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Let’s dig into a pet peeve of many on set: the rolling take.

A rolling take is when you keep shooting and keep repeating the action. Like an actor walking in to a room who flubs a line and goes back to start it over again. That can be a valid reason for a rolling take. No need to re-slate and re-call action. Just try it again.

An Insert Shot: A watch being picked up and brought into the frame is a valid reason to do a series of the same action without cutting in between.

A rolling or series take might be done on a particular insert shot to get it right. Let’s say your actor needs to throw a letter to land on a desk just right. The director might ask for a series or rolling take in order to keep attempting that throw to get it the way they want. No fuss, no muss, and no wasting extra setup time to get that insert shot that you’ll see for two seconds on screen.

Directors don’t work the slate but I’ll allow this since it’s clipart.

Imagine this scenario: It’s after lunch. The Assistant Director is informing everyone for the third time that you are now an hour and a half behind on the schedule. You have several more scenes to light and shoot and somehow you have to make up a significant amount of time. Hence the anxiety that leads inexperienced directors to try shortcuts. One of those shortcuts is overusing a rolling take.

After experiencing this on a number of films, I’ve observed that green directors love to overuse the rolling take. They’re feeling the pressure and just trying to get footage in the can. The AD, meanwhile, is just trying to make their day. Now suddenly, you’re filming scene coverage as a rolling take, not cutting when you reach the end of the action, but waiting for the actor to reset and just going with it, maybe for multiple “takes.”

A rolling take going on and on is more trouble than it’s worth.

Time = Money

First, what should be obvious — you’re using up footage. This became less of a crisis when most of us went from actual film stock to digital, which is a much cheaper alternative, but digital does not mean free.

Film costs include the film stock, developing, processing, and digitizing so you can edit on a computer.

But just because you can hit “record” on a camera doesn’t mean that doesn’t cost money. Each card needs to be purchased, and you need to have enough available media to get through the day’s shooting without having to write over those cards with additional footage. Ideally, you want your DIT or media manager making backups throughout the day. That means the production also needs to purchase storage and backup storage for that media.

So let’s say you think you know the costs and you’re still cool with doing 40 minute takes instead of a few 5 minute takes. All that footage needs to be downloaded and viewed, meaning you’re paying for the media manager’s time to download that footage and make copies, as well as the editor down the line. A single 40 minute clip is just going to take longer to download and transfer. And you might be paying overtime to the media manager who is staying late dumping all that footage.

Wear and Tear on Cast/Crew

In the moment, if you abuse the rolling take, you’re quickly using up the energy reserves and physical strength of your cast and crew.

You’re also using up your camera operators and 1st ACs and boom ops and everyone doing something physical for that scene that no longer get that tiny bit of rest to reset themselves.

  • The cast has to stay in-the-moment and may get frustrated, flubbing lines more and more.
  • The boom op has to hold that boom pole and actively follow whoever is talking without getting that small break in between.
  • The camera operators might be doing handheld or Steadicam and are using up their muscles faster.
  • 1st ACs, staring at a screen for minute changes in focus, don’t get to rest their eyes.
  • Script supervisors’ notes get complicated as the same scene plays out multiple times in the same take.

When I’m doing Steadicam or handheld, my least favorite thing is a rolling take, especially if it’s long. I just need time to reset. Sometimes there’s an adjustment needed in a handgrip on a shoulder rig or I need to fix the balance on the Steadicam.

Other concerns? Using up batteries! You might be playing beat the clock with what battery you have left in the camera or on the mic packs.

Closing Thoughts

Using a series or a rolling take can be done with purpose. It’s just another tool in your kit. Abusing it can lead you to creating an uncomfortable work environment for your crew. So before you panic and decide to just “roll on everything” look at it critically and see if a rolling take is necessary or if you need to re-evaluate and be more concise with your time.

The Atlanta Film Yard Sale and Building a Film Community

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Last Saturday was the Atlanta Film Community Yard Sale, and I’d like to gush about it a bit.

In a group chat, fellow camera department lady Erin Zellers made a slightly joking comment about us all getting together to have a yard sale. I did a similar event with Film Impact Georgia last year which was popular, so I heartily agreed and wanted to take part. Together, Erin, Tina Somphone and I started planning the event we had no idea would grow from a couple of folding tables on someone’s lawn to the event of the year.

The Venue

We started thinking along the lines of a traditional yard sale. Getting a group of film friends to sell their gear in one place. A lot of people seemed interested, and we realized we’d outgrow a front yard really fast. A studio rental was the ideal way to promote film in a place that shoots film while avoiding potential weather delays.

24ATL Studios, an LED Volumetric Wall Studio in Doraville, GA, took us up on our offer. Our challenge was coming up with the money for the rental. That’s where sponsorships came into play.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 24-studios-space-pic.png

Here’s a still from a short film I worked on at the studio.

Sponsors

Our sponsors ran the gamut from traditional film to grip gear to beverage companies.

  • Cinder Lighting and Grip
  • Kodak Film Lab Atlanta
  • Image Engine/Elemental
  • Guerilla Gear
  • Hammerhead Wheels
  • Atlanta Film Co.
  • Local 600
  • Plaza Theatre
  • J.R. Crickets (food truck)
  • Topo Chico
  • Fontis Water

Our sponsors provided us not just with money to rent the studio and provide for our attendees, but also gifted items as prizes and even held free giveaways. Several of them held demos at their booths if they attended, like Hammerhead Wheels giving people the opportunity to test out the wheels or Kodak with their film loading demonstrations. Image Engine and Elemental owner Marque showed the set of wheels that controlled the rig on his impressive camera car. Cinder gave away tons of free expendables to grateful attendees.

Vendors

In addition to our sponsors, we needed vendors to sell their goods! The goal was to have an event specifically catering to the film industry. Only film, photography or related gear would be allowed.

Our vendors were a mix of companies and individuals. We got a good selection of everything from digital cameras, lighting gear, sound equipment, Steadicam accessories, photo equipment and even a wardrobe seller. Next year we’d like to expand that and get some more variety in departments represented.

The Why of it All

The Atlanta Film Community Yard Sale put an emphasis on community.

This event provided a safe place for people to buy and sell their gear while putting them in touch with the companies they’d interact with in Atlanta’s Film Industry. It was also an excellent networking opportunity. So many friends and colleagues were present, but so many new faces were added too. Folks went to tables and learned about different lenses or compared favorite video monitors or went over the finer points of certain lighting equipment, getting to know their fellow filmmaking professionals and learning some things in the process.

What I was happy to see what not just the sponsor’s support, but all the film industry folks who came just to attend the event and talked about how much they enjoyed it and wanted another.

We had to contact a lot of people to get the word out about this event and also to garner the support we needed. All those supply runs and sponsorship pitches and flyer distributions illuminated what should have been obvious in the beginning – Film is a community, and we were here to help support it.

Much like an event being organized, the film industry thrives on those connections and friendships built along the way.

So long for now from the 3 Gworls.

From left, Tina Somphone, Erin Zellers, Bridget LaMonica.

Why Aren’t There More Women Directors?

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Women have got to realize something:

We’re not funny…

We can’t do action…

wallup.net

We certainly can’t direct…

Maybe we should go truly old school and just have castrated men play all the parts? Worked in Shakespeare’s day, didn’t it?

Obviously the above is satire from my part, but it’s not satire on some corners of the Internet. When a movie does well, suddenly it’s “Oh my gosh, women can be funny!? What a good director! Amazing!” but when a movie goes bad, suddenly it’s “This is what happens when you cater to women. This was a bad female director, actor, writer, etc.” We’ve all heard the Madame Web jokes at this point.

I personally love the part where she says, “It’s Madame Webbin’ time.”

I too did not see that movie. But I probably will because I’m a glutton for punishment.

A 2024 Guardian article pointed out the discrepancy of proposed diversity and inclusion promises and what actually happened.

USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative called out the major studies who claimed they would promote more diversity in their hiring practices after 2020 as “performative.” The study didn’t show any actual progress towards pushing for that change.

Women comprised 16% of directors on the 250 top grossing films in 2023, according to the study conducted by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University. That’s down from 18% the year before.

I’m sorry, down?! Aren’t we more inclusive, more diverse than ever? Nope.

Of the 116 directors attached to the 100 top grossing films of 2026, only 14 were women. Look at those numbers again. That’s 12%.

These numbers are in direct contrast to the women dominated juggernaut of 2023, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie which was a $1 billion success.

By the way, only 4 of those directors were women of color.

Diversity and inclusion are — spoiler alert — not a bad thing. I work in the Atlanta film industry. I work with some of the most diverse crews you’ll see, and yet I still see so many sets that are primarily white and/or male.

As people complain about superhero fatigue or girly movies just not appealing to mass audiences (The Marvels, Madame Webb) I want to share this piece of a statement from Dakota Johnson, the titular Madame Webb herself:

Dakota Johnson survived everything about Fifty Shades of Gray, she can surely shake this off too.

“Decisions are made by committees….art based on numbers and algorithms.” This hits hard because the shadier businessmen of Hollywood are surely looking to A.I. to pump out algorithm-satisfying garbage in order to save a buck. But for years it’s people sticking their fingers in where they probably don’t belong.

Film is a collaborative medium, and that’s a beautiful thing. I’ve seen my work in a whole new light after an editor or colorist has done their job, and I’ve seen scripts blossom through the work of careful critique and notes. Where it falls apart is when execs or producers or whoever start trying to make their mark and just doing arbitrary things they think the audience will want. Or they want. Like a giant mechanical spider in Wild, Wild West, which was originally pitched for the unproduced Superman Lives script. I don’t even have time to get into that one. Read about it here.

One of those arbitrary things is hiring someone like themselves to direct a film. Men in power tend to hire men that remind them of themselves.

This Variety article references a study about how first time directors get fewer offers, but even experienced directors are more likely to be hired if they are white and male. The stat speaks for itself:

  • 4.8% of experienced directors are female. 95.2% of experienced directors are male.
  • 16.3% of experienced directors are BIPOC, the rest are white.

“The results of this study are eye-opening. For underrepresented groups, there remain obstacles, structures and processes that stand in the way of getting that critical first shot. I’m encouraged that first-time directors get equal results, but they just need to be given equal opportunities,” said Dr. Yalda T. Uhls, founder of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA.

It’s 2024. The time for arguing about more inclusivity seems to be falling on deaf ears. So let’s shout it a little louder. And in the meantime, keep your mind open about who to hire on your next film. You may be surprised by the incredible artists you connect with.

Sources:

Study shows ‘catastrophic’ 10-year low for female representation in film

First-Time Directors Still Have Limited Opportunities in Hollywood, New UCLA Study Reports (EXCLUSIVE)

Giant Spiders, Giant Flops: The Enduring Awfulness of ‘Wild Wild West’

Featured Image: Greta Gerwig directing Ladybird.