Focus puller , focus assistant, or 1st operator assistant ; in the jargon, “magician” is a cameraman’s assistant, an employee of the film crew , responsible for maintaining sharpness of the plot-important parts of the film’s image, including when the actors and the camera are moving. To do this, he continuously focuses the lens [1] .
Before shooting each scene, the focus puller measures the distance from the focal plane of the movie camera to the objects being shot, and when shooting each take, if necessary, translates the focus of the camera lens from one object to another. The most difficult part of the “Focus Assistant” job is to maintain a stable sharpness of objects moving in directions close to the optical axis of the lens. This requires serious training, knowledge of the laws of optics and a good eye [2] .
Content
Responsibilities
The features of the moving image do not allow the use of autofocus in professional cinema , the work of which is noticeable on the screen. Therefore, the only way to ensure high quality is manual focus. Most modern analog and digital movie cameras come with a follow-focus type device that makes it easier to maintain sharpness. Around the rotary knob of the lens focus ring drive is a special white plastic scale. When marking up a scene, pick-up distances are marked on this ring with a felt-tip pen , and in the process of shooting marks serve as a guide when focus is shifted [3] .
Marks on the floor of the film set, restricting the movement of actors outside the focus area, also places the focus puller [4] . When shooting from motion, including with the help of stabilizers such as " Steadicam ", the focus puller works remotely via the radio module. Constantly observing the image using a television , the assistant remotely controls the aiming of the lens on the plot-important objects and details [5] . The operation of the focus puller is extremely important, since image quality depends on it. The technical marriage of inaccurate focusing or “washed focus” renders the footage unusable, regardless of its value and the funds invested in the production. British cameraman Oliver Stapleton wrote about his "magicians" [6] :
| The work of the first assistant operator or focus puller is one of the most difficult on the set. And this work is not visible to anyone until he makes a mistake |
In addition to accurate focusing, the 1st assistant is also responsible for the performance of all shooting equipment, including batteries, lenses, filters , compendiums and cassettes . In addition, he is obliged to ensure timely maintenance and cleaning of the camera [4] . Another responsibility at the end of each shooting day is to clean the frame window and film channel of the camera from foreign particles, hair and soot, leading to the appearance of “fringe” along the edges of the frame and scratches on the film [7] . In digital movie cameras, the 1st assistant controls the cleanliness of the matrix .
See also
- Depth of field
- Meter camera
Notes
- ↑ Alla Volokhina. Focus puller: to see the main thing without missing details . Vesti FM (September 6, 2017). Date of treatment July 28, 2019.
- ↑ How to become a good focus puller in one weekend . "Cinemotion" (June 11, 2015). Date of treatment July 28, 2019.
- ↑ 7 ways to not miss the focus during shooting . "Tvkinoradio" (April 16, 2017). Date of treatment July 28, 2019.
- ↑ 1 2 Kodak Handbook, 2007 , p. 89.
- ↑ Olga Shmeleva. Professions in the camera room: who is a focus puller? . The Mosfilm film studio (November 8, 2018). Date of treatment July 28, 2019.
- ↑ Oliver Stapleton BSC. Camera Department "Cineman." Date of treatment July 28, 2019.
- ↑ The Camera Assistant, 1996 , p. ten.
Literature
- Douglas C. Hart. Chapter2. Responsibilities of Camera Assistant // Camera Assistant: Handbook = The Camera Assistant: A Complete Professional Handbook. - Waltham: Focal Press, 1996. - ISBN 0-240-80042-7 .
- Camera crew // The Essential Reference Guide for Filmmakers = Cinematographer’s Quick Reference. - Rochester: Eastman Kodak , 2007 .-- S. 83-92. - 214 p. Archived on June 25, 2012.
Links
- Sergey Matyukhin talks about the profession of focus puller on YouTube
- How to shoot without focus puller: three important tips . "CinemaDSLR" (April 27, 2015). Date of treatment July 28, 2019.