Film Production Radio Etiquette

Walkie Talkie Radio Etiquette on Set 

Tips for Proper Radio Use:
*Be professional
*Always use your name when identifying yourself. Common practice is to say "Go for ____(your name)" when someone calls for you.
* Keep your voice low when taking on the radio. Most crew will have ear pieces but keep your voice down. Especially when around actors. Just because they are not in front of camera does not mean they are not working.
*Know that anyone could be hearing your conversation.
* If you need to have an extended conversation (or private) take it to another channel. Do this  by telling the other person "Go to Channel___". For really private talks it's best to ask them to meet you in person.
*Production Assistants (P.A.s): If someone higher up than you has their radio battery go dead, give them yours and get yourself a new one. Same if their radio breaks. Be prepared by carrying a couple of extra radio batteries with you. You are being Johnny On the Spot by being so prepared!
* Always say "copy" meaning that you heard and understand. Without a response, people wonder if you heard them or not.

Common Radio Codes:
10-1: Going to the bathroom doing #1
10-2: Going to the bathroom doing #2 (It's not to be gross, just saying that it will take a little longer than #1)
10-4: I have heard and understand
10-20 or 20: Location of someone or something as in "What's your 20?"
"Copy": I Have heard and understand
"Do You Copy?": Did you hear me? Do you understand?
"Radio Check": Say this if you are not sure that your radio is transmitting or working. The proper response is "Good Check". If you hear someone ask for a radio check....respond!
"Stand by": Means that I am busy at the moment and will respond ASAP.
"Flying In": Always respond when asked to bring something or someone to the set. It lets them know that you are on it. Also lets us know that multiple people are not attempting to do the same task and wasting precious manpower and time.

This is only a small sample of the lingo used on sets. As you get more experienced in the professional world you will learn the language. Be aware that there are different variations on terms, so don’t look like a dummy. East Coast and West Coast terms sometimes differ. The British terms differ. Be willing to learn. When in doubt ask.

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Day 1 complete, thank you everyone.--Director of Photography Leo Jaramillo

Shoting in Spain Spain Day 14--Jeffrey Hart

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Leo Jaramillo

Film Crew Slang

Spritzer- No... it is not a carbonated wine cocktail on set. A spritzer is a pump/spray bottle of water used for misting an actor's skin to make it appear wet or sweaty. It is a way of controlling the "wet look" for continuity of shots.

Filming in Kathmandu today---Louis Normandin

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Sriracha day on the Dub Stage!---Mike O.

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Tune in to the season finale of The Amazing Race this evening on CBS to catch my Steadicam work mixed in with 20+ other cameras!------FBS Grad Tim Yoder

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Well, yesterday morning I get up at 04:30 to shoot the International Space Station flying over. I get to my location, cameras set up and ready to go, then I check my GoISSWatch app and low and behold I'm 24 hours early! (insert sad face here).
Now, fast forward to this morning, 04:30 and it's really tough getting outta bed, but I did. Went to the window halfway hoping the sky would be full of clouds, but alas, all I see is stars, some them floating around my sleepy head, but most of them real, and in the western sky from where the station will approach. The game is afoot! Here's the result, think I even managed to get it focus.This shot is from the brightest part of the pass which was at -2.6 magnitude, that's about 2.5 times brighter than Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.---Cinematographer James Neihouse

Indy Director Jim Jarmusch’s 5 Golden Rules for Filmmakers

Jim Jarmusch is one of the truly independent filmmakers having successfully navigated his way in and outside of Hollywood. Director of 19 films, his most famous are Coffee & Cigarettes, Mystery Train, Stranger Than Paradise, Night on Earth, and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.

Jim's Golden Rules:

Rule #1: There are no rules. There are as many ways to make a film as there are potential filmmakers. It’s an open form. Anyway, I would personally never presume to tell anyone else what to do or how to do anything. To me that’s like telling someone else what their religious beliefs should be. Fuck that. That’s against my personal philosophy—more of a code than a set of “rules.” Therefore, disregard the “rules” you are presently reading, and instead consider them to be merely notes to myself. One should make one’s own “notes” because there is no one way to do anything. If anyone tells you there is only one way, their way, get as far away from them as possible, both physically and philosophically.
Rule #2: Don’t let the fuckers get ya. They can either help you, or not help you, but they can’t stop you. People who finance films, distribute films, promote films and exhibit films are not filmmakers. They are not interested in letting filmmakers define and dictate the way they do their business, so filmmakers should have no interest in allowing them to dictate the way a film is made. Carry a gun if necessary.
Also, avoid sycophants at all costs. There are always people around who only want to be involved in filmmaking to get rich, get famous, or get laid. Generally, they know as much about filmmaking as George W. Bush knows about hand-to-hand combat.
Rule #3: The production is there to serve the film. The film is not there to serve the production. Unfortunately, in the world of filmmaking this is almost universally backwards. The film is not being made to serve the budget, the schedule, or the resumes of those involved. Filmmakers who don’t understand this should be hung from their ankles and asked why the sky appears to be upside down.
Rule #4: Filmmaking is a collaborative process. You get the chance to work with others whose minds and ideas may be stronger than your own. Make sure they remain focused on their own function and not someone else’s job, or you’ll have a big mess. But treat all collaborators as equals and with respect. A production assistant who is holding back traffic so the crew can get a shot is no less important than the actors in the scene, the director of photography, the production designer or the director. Hierarchy is for those whose egos are inflated or out of control, or for people in the military. Those with whom you choose to collaborate, if you make good choices, can elevate the quality and content of your film to a much higher plane than any one mind could imagine on its own. If you don’t want to work with other people, go paint a painting or write a book. (And if you want to be a fucking dictator, I guess these days you just have to go into politics…).
Rule #5: Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery—celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to.”
Article thanks to Moviemaker.com

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Santa Monica reminds me of the Favelas of Rio---Cinematographer Leo Jaramillo

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Personal Development Night. Composing music for "The Rub".--Kenny Beaumont

Flying is easy, landing is the hard part.--Colby H., FBS Graduate