Michael Wynne Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Thanks for sharing this Todd. I had a similar thing happen during a intense Xbox filming with star quarterback Russell Wilson from the Seahawks. I discovered I hadn't rolled on a decently long and necessary pick up shot after the wardrobe had changed on him and background. What saved my ass is I noticed in enough time to notify production to get him and background back in the old wardrobe and get the shot. Fortunately they were understanding and at the end of the day what mattered is I caught it looking at my sound notes and we got the shot in time before he was on a plane that afternoon and gone. For me, shit happens, I take responsibility, come up with a action plan and then learn from the mistake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd Weaver Posted May 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 No worries Todd. I'm just teasing. I laughed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Feeley Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 I laughed! Oh geez Todd. I totally missed that you're riffing on this...nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd Weaver Posted May 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Oh geez Todd. I totally missed that you're riffing on this...nice. Brilliant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 I've dome it slightly different. I've rolled a take but after cut was called didn't quite hit the stop button and have rolled quite a big file with nothing of use. Yep, that's happened to me, too. "Whoops! I'm still rolling!" It drives the post department a little nuts, so I try not to do it more than once or twice a day. What makes me crazy is when camera keeps rolling after somebody yells "cut," and they're halfway into a second take before I realize it. Way too much disorganization and chaos on some shoots. The next day I went to the Video Assist person, Lindsay Hill, and asked him to play back those takes to my cart and I recorded everything to a new roll of tape. The quality was surprisingly good even coming off the Super VHS cassette he was using. This sound, incidentally, did wind up in the movie, no ADR was necessary. I think the statute of limitations is now up on this one. On the 1993 Rip Torn movie Where the Rivers Flow North, I was told by the producer that about 2 days of Nagra production tracks were lost by FedEx when shipping from the location to their office. Luckily, everything had been dubbed the day after production to 3/4" dailies tapes prior to shipping. All they had was the 3/4" audio. Incredibly, that was used for the final re-recording mix and they were able to clean it up. To me, it sounded absolutely fine and I don't think anybody would know in the context of maybe 10 minutes in the final film. But it's still scary. This was back in the day when there were zero backups. Backups are good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bash Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Its end slates that get me. I am a man of habit, and my muscle memory works in that I call speed when they call turn over, but I hit the record button immediately after the clapper board goes 'clap', giving a perfect 10 second (well 9 to be pedantic) run up before the board (am I aging myself here?). Now remove the board going clap at the start of the take and my system is blown, no 'clap' makes me forget to hit record, and I have done that before. I have to really concentrate nowdays, especially on end boards. Kindest, sb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VASI Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 The best part is when they cut and after rolling again without "speed", "roll sound" etc and question is: "Are you rolling?". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Trew Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 I've never admitted such a thing. But I know that sick feeling! gt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Woodcock Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Just call it a technical problem and there are no files for last take Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd Weaver Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Just call it a technical problem and there are no files for last take Somehow I think the production company might not think they are getting their monies worth if I did that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Woodcock Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Somehow I think the production company might not think they are getting their monies worth if I did that. So you would rather say that you forgot to press record and have them think incompetence instead of saying your machine crashed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd Weaver Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 So you would rather say that you forgot to press record and have them think incompetence instead of saying your machine crashed? Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Feeley Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Yes. +1 As a producer with some modicum of technical knowledge (enough to be dangerous), I'd much rather hear a confession than an excuse...especially if I figure out that the excuse is bogus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Rose Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 +1 If you admit a mistake, they can consider you human and offer forgiveness. Just don't do it too often. If you claim perfection but blame the equipment, they'll wonder what kind of crappy gear you're supplying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S Harber Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 It's OK and you are human. When I first got my PIX 260 our A camera 1st AC forgot to roll. I would, on a weekly basis, bring up to him that I could roll video as well if he was planning to for get to roll. He just had to let me know. It happens and it's not such a big thing. I've come to listen to my headphone outputs rather than a digital or line level out as it gives me beeps on rolls and cuts on my machines. Another way to give yourself a heads up, AND... I roll on BoomRecorder as well which has saved my behind more than a few times. I figure on my last show I rolled about 80-100 takes a day for 210 days of shooting. So somewhere in the 20K+ range of files in a season. There WILL be times things don't happen as they should. Nothing is all that dear that it can't be dealt with in a non-hostile way when a mistake is made. How many thousand of takes have I sat through that were; A-Buzzed multiple times B-Camera Non-roll C-Actor mistake D-Light goes out or is not turned on E-etc F-Uncontrollable sound issue G-YOUR NAME HERE TODD (Sorry but I forgot to roll/had tech issues so the files no good). You will be OK and probably more respected in the long run if you cannot know a readily accessible solution that you KNOW you can lay off a backup from. Scott Harber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd Weaver Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 +1 If you admit a mistake, they can consider you human and offer forgiveness. Just don't do it too often. If you claim perfection but blame the equipment, they'll wonder what kind of crappy gear you're supplying. Exactly my thinking. I don't like working with dishonest people and I have to work with myself everyday. Besides, they pay more for my equipment than they do for me. I don't want to throw the kit under the bus. But seriously, your reputation is what you rely on for future work. There really is no point in investing in a ton of equipment and of your time learning a craft if you can't form lasting relationships with the ones who place their trust in you enough to hire you. Respect is not earned by making excuses and blame shifting. If you do a fantastic job consistently and play nice with others, you may find it unnecessary to try to cover up your rare mistake with cheap and transparent excuses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnpaul215 Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 I have worked on plenty of jobs, scripted and unscripted, where there was a case of the camera operator either double tapping or somehow camera not going into record. It happens. There is one DP I worked with that adamantly denied it the next day and insisted we never shot that coverage of the scene and blamed scripty for "skipping a letter on the slate". He started being kind of abusive and aggressive with people about how long he has been in the industry and how he knows exactly what happened on his set. He might've gotten away with it until the editor said "but we have the sound files for that setup". Case closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Trew Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 So you would rather say that you forgot to press record and have them think incompetence instead of saying your machine crashed? Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 I had an equipment issue the other day during production and the others on set didn't think anything of it. After all, we were shooting on a Red. There is no one -- repeat, no one -- who has been in this industry for any worthwhile length of time who hasn't witnessed a malfunction of some sort. It's how you handle it that matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Reilly Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Another way to look at it (direcor's POV) is human error is often more easily corrected for than an erratic piece of gear. I'm sure a lot of how this goes down depends on the context and tone of the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wandering Ear Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Exactly my thinking. I don't like working with dishonest people and I have to work with myself everyday. Besides, they pay more for my equipment than they do for me. I don't want to throw the kit under the bus. But seriously, your reputation is what you rely on for future work. There really is no point in investing in a ton of equipment and of your time learning a craft if you can't form lasting relationships with the ones who place their trust in you enough to hire you. Respect is not earned by making excuses and blame shifting. If you do a fantastic job consistently and play nice with others, you may find it unnecessary to try to cover up your rare mistake with cheap and transparent excuses. +1 Mistakes happen. Own up to it and work on a solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whit Norris Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 I've come to listen to my headphone outputs rather than a digital or line level out as it gives me beeps on rolls and cuts on my machines. Another way to give yourself a heads up Scott Harber I listen for the beeps through the headphone output of the Deva knowing that I am rolling or cut. Always a nervous feeling when a 2nd AC accidentally advances a take.. thinking I missed one... a quick run to script to confirm that I am correct... Always a bad feeling till I confirm I am correct. Whit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 1. everyone has or will not roll the recorder for some unforeseeable reason. 2. every set and shoot is different, so you can tell the truth or tell a story, your call. For years now Video Asst. has yelled "kick out" if they forgot to roll. 3. in my world, I consider Video Asst. to be a backup sound recorder. 4. you are on a F up'd set if sound & video both don't roll. my 2 cents. CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinTheMixer Posted August 12, 2016 Report Share Posted August 12, 2016 Just reading this older post. I had a job about a month ago, I guess the director would whisper roll to the cam dept. , the first thing I would hear is "background action", and I would hurry up and hit record. After several scene/takes, the director looked at me and said "sounds rolling"? As if he had just had a revelation that there was a sound person recording on the set. I think that was the only time that day I got to acknowledge that sound was speeding. Several times, I would ask if we were cut, and someone would go figure out if camera was cut. I guess it was a secret. That job was the most screwed up scene and take names I ever did. Sometime I would still be rolling and they would start another take. They would fix something, wardrobe, whatever in the middle of a take and would have no idea if they were cut. What a mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wandering Ear Posted August 12, 2016 Report Share Posted August 12, 2016 Monitors help a lot with that lack of communication. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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