Camera Foundation
- Lesson8 of 8
- Time50 min
Focus marks, and a first pull
Outcome
Lay actors' marks, measure distances safely, and practise a simple focus pull off set.
Mapped to 2 ScreenSkills checklist lines
- ScreenSkills second assistant camera / clapper loader skills checklist · Core responsibilities: "Set actors' marks during line-up and rehearsals"
- ScreenSkills second assistant camera / clapper loader skills checklist · Core responsibilities: "Explain the colour-coded mark system to actors"
ScreenSkills checklists are guides, not accreditation. This course is not endorsed by ScreenSkills.
Watch
3 films · about 31 minutes
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More like this: Focus pulling (1st AC) path
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Laying marks
- During the marking rehearsal, watch where each actor stops. Lay a T or V in their colour of tape at the toe line. Agree colours with the actors and tell them which is theirs.
- Keep marks small and out of shot where possible. Use a sandbag, a stick or a 'sausage' (small soft bag) if the actor needs to feel the mark without looking down.
- Note the distance from the camera's sensor (focal plane) to each mark, and give it to the focus puller.
Measuring safely
- Focus distances are measured from the focal plane mark on the camera body.
- A tape measure is quiet and accurate. A laser distance meter is quick, but never point it at anyone's eyes. Measure to a mark or a stand-in's chest, never the face.
- Keep the tape out of shot, off the actors, and never across a lit set during a take.
A first pull, off set
- The focus puller's job is theirs alone during a take. Practise on your own: a camera or phone with manual focus, two marks, a friend walking between them.
- Mark the distances on the lens or a marking disc, rehearse, then pull smoothly, landing as the person lands, not before.
Check
3 questions drawn from 8 · pass mark 80% · safety-critical questions must be right · 3 attempts in 24 hours · new questions each time
Watch the films to open the check.
Do
Plan the marks for a scene · 20 minutes
Scene: Ama enters through a door 6m from camera, walks to a table at 3m and sits. Joe is already seated at 2.5m. The shot is a 40mm at T2.8. Plan the marks and the focus distances. If you have a phone with manual focus, try the pull and say how it went.
How it's marked
- One colour each for Ama and Joe
- Marks at the door (6m) and the table (3m); Joe's position noted (2.5m)
- Distances measured from the focal plane
- Measuring done safely (no laser to the face)
Met or Not yet, with a comment from a trained reviewer. Until accounts open, open the model answer after you submit and mark your own work against it.
Model answer (open after you submit)
Ama: yellow T at the door (6m) and a yellow T at the chair (3m); a sandbag behind the chair leg for the sit. Joe: blue V at 2.5m. Distances from the focal plane: 6m, 3m, and 2.5m if the focus racks to Joe. Measure with tape or to the stand-in's chest with the laser.
Reflect
Record
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Moving on doesn't complete a lesson. A lesson is complete when the films are watched, the check is passed and the task is marked Met.