Behind the Scenes of the Silver Screen
As some of you may already know (since I reference it all the time in my art bio), for more than 30 years I worked in the film and television business. I was an editor turned director, so my career, which started in the dark, vampiric world of the edit suites eventually moved me out into the bright lights of the studio floor. Shoot days are long, intensive ordeals. As a director, you literally have to make a thousand decisions, from lighting and wardrobe, to the actor's performances and which camera position best captures them. Indeed, every take laid down is a decision; do we do another one, or do we move on?
Long and grueling as they may have sometimes been, I look back with great fondness upon my days on set. Shooting crews for the most part are freelance, but over time you build up a steady cast of regulars, and often arriving on set was like the start of an overdue reunion. And laughs, certainly on any set I ever helmed, were mandatory. Otherwise tensions could easily mount due to issues of ego and the ever-ticking production clock.
And so I thought, what better way to pay homage to that former life, than to create a behind-the-scenes painting of a crew working their magic? Since I don't typically paint contemporary scenes (just personal preference), I thought of creating one from the 1930's. And so "Between Takes" was born.
The viewpoint is looking out from backstage towards the principal shooting area in the middle of the stage, during the time between the director calling 'cut' and the next time he calls 'action'. The buildings of the set are constructed from wooden flats, held upright by 'jacks' with sandbags draped over them. Most of the lighting is affixed to the grid above, with a couple of lights on stands providing other effects. One of these shines through the sheer curtains of the phony building on the left hand side.
I researched some of the gear that would have been used at the time, such as what cameras of the day looked like. But most importantly, I peopled the scene with some key players...those found on virtually all sets. They are as follows (consider it a bit of a primer for those who never fully understood these roles):
THE DIRECTOR:
The director is the ultimate decider of what it is that gets onto the screen, in terms of the visual/artistic elements of a film. The role is often confused with that of the producer (I can't tell you the number of times I was directing something and somebody asked if I was the producer). So I'll clarify. The producer is the boss of a production mostly from the logistical end...the money person...the organizer. The overseer of the business of getting a picture made: budgets, timelines, staff, etc. Sometimes producer and director are one and the same, but it's an enormous load for one person.
The Director is the more creative half of the team. He/she decides on camera angles, mood, music, tempo. They work with the talent to elicit the best performances. They are the one on the set yelling "action" and "cut". To draw another analogy...the producer is the homeowner with the money who wants the dream house. The director is the talented architect who crafts and executes that vision. Producers sometimes visit the set but don't necessarily need to be there once everything is in motion. The Director is the ever-present captain of the set.
On the left, the legendary director Cecille B. DeMille.
THE CINEMATOGRAPHER OR DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY:
If you've ever found yourself saying "Wow, that movie was beautifully shot!" it's the Cinematographer who deserves the credit.
The D.O.P. is the man on the left in this set pic from 1919.
THE GAFFER:
And the D.O.P. has their own right hand ally in the form of the Gaffer. The Gaffer is the chief electrician on the set. They physically set up the lights and handle all the connections, cable runs, etc.
If the D.O.P. needs a 30,000 watt bank of lights set up to simulate moonlight, it's the Gaffer that's in charge of getting it done.
THE KEY GRIP:
Just as the Gaffer is in charge of all things electric, the Key Grip is the boss of all things mechanical on set. This includes tasks such as laying dolly track, or any other rigging...whether it's to suspend something up or keep something anchored down. Not dissimilar to having an engineer/handyman/carpenter standing by to address the inevitable unforeseen problems and puzzles that pop up on any set. Need that styrofoam boulder to stay in place so it doesn't look like it only weighs 2 pounds (this actually happened on a shoot I directed)? The Key Grip's your go-to person.
THE BEST BOY:
Probably no other crew member title elicits more questions than the Best Boy. He (I'm using the male pronoun simply because of the male-oriented job title) is primarily the right hand of the aforementioned Gaffer. Sometimes too he's the Key Grip's main guy. Supposedly the term originated in old Hollywood under the studio system, when crews were under contract as full-time workers. A shoot that suddenly found themselves in need of additional help would run over to another nearby studio and request the help of the 'best boy' they could make available.
THE MAKEUP ARTIST:
And in this instance I'll use the female pronoun to describe the make-up artist. I'm sure there are male make-up artists, but I never encountered one in my 30 years on set. Ironically, perhaps the most famous Hollywood make-up legend is a man, Max Factor.
The bright lights of a film set can turn the coolest customer into a glistening mess, and so all actors need to spend some time in the makeup chair before the day starts. It takes a deft hand to apply the proper amount of makeup so that performers look their best on set, and that is the domain of the makeup artist. After working her magic in the makeup room, she'll also stand by on set to keep runaway hairs in place, or to make sure the talent isn't starting to shine under the hot lights. Since the nature of their work involves such close contact with people, I always found makeup artists to be some of the most personable people on set. I often used the early mornings, when the talent was relaxed and under the care of the makeup artist (and couldn't go anywhere for half an hour), to introduce myself and discuss the day that lay ahead.
I haven't bothered to discuss the role of the actors on a set, since that's something pretty well understood in popular culture. One note is that film acting differs greatly from theatre acting in that it isn't continuous, and a performance needs to be consistent in the face of constant interruptions. Also, the camera is technically the viewpoint of audience, and is sometimes mere inches from the actor's face. This means 'playing to the back row', common in the theatre, often translates as too over-the-top for film acting.
And so to all the film crews of the past 100-or-so years who have brought their enormous talents to the craft...and especially those that I had the good fortune to work with, who are now life-long friends...this one's for you!
If you would like a print of "Between Takes", they can be found here:
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