HOW-TO, Techniques, & Best Practices Channel

The Importance of Thorough Communication: Hammering Out All the Logistics

By Saro Varjabedian
posted May 14, 2009, 10:48

Saro Varjabedian is a director of photography based in New York and has worked on over twenty films, music videos and corporate videos for various production companies. He has recently finished post-production on La Chambre de Motel, which he wrote and directed. Currently, he has finished production on the spec for GeoCache and is working on preproduction for the feature film, Testosterone.

Recently I worked on a project which required aerial photography. The opening shot of the scene calls for a private aircraft, a Twin Star in mid-flight going in for landing at a small airport. During the shoot I have the opportunity to work along side a special breed of professionals. Pilots. The experience reinforces the importance of thorough communication on set.

As I sit in the back of a small private aircraft heading for the airfield where the aerial shots are to take place, I�m surprised at the great lengths the pilots take to communicate to each other. They do a checklist and verbally communicate every item they check. Things like left engine, right engine, ECU. They even go so far as screaming, Clear! to warn people to stay away from the engines as they turn them on, even though no one is standing by the plane. At first, all these steps seem like they are unnecessary precautions simply done for protocol. Then it dawns on me that maybe the aviation industry established these protocols for a reason. After all, the film industry has its own set of communication protocols. For instance, at the beginning of every take, you often here the phrases, �Quite on set�, �speed�, �roll camera� and �action�.

When we arrive at the airfield, the first thing we do is reconvene on the ground. I express what I need from the shot and tell them I would like the helicopter to fly along side of the plane as it comes in for the landing. I also inform the pilots what direction I will shoot and in which relation to the sun I need to be. The helicopter pilot asks me how close I want the helicopter to be to the plane. I explain that I need to be as close as possible because we did not have a Tyler mount on the helicopter. All I have available to me is a gyrostabilizer. In order to get a relatively steady shot I will need to be zoomed out as much as possible.

From that point on, the pilots take over the logistics, and it is quite impressive to see. The helicopter pilot and the airplane pilot describe in great detail the angle of approach the plane will take to the runway, the speeds they will reach and the approximate coordinates where the helicopter will first align along side of the plane. When we finally go up to do the shot it is really a spectacular sight to see. The two pilots do exactly as they planned, and the aircrafts fly completely in unison. Because the pilots communicated to each other every detail around the logistics of the operation, I get my shot on the very first attempt.

While I know communication is important, it has been something I have overlooked. After all, as a DP, I tend to focus on the shot and what it takes to get the shot. Not the people behind it. But this experience reminds me of the importance of thorough communication on set.

Consider this, because of the nature of filmmaking, this profession is highly dependant on teamwork. Everyone on the project has their own set of duties and obligations. If everyone�s actions are not communicated and coordinated, a train wreck can easily occur slowing down production. In fact, all it takes is one element to be out of sync to slow down production. Therefore, thoroughly communicating the logistics of every shot to the crew is crucial on set. I guess the reason pilots know the importance of communication is because for them it becomes a matter of life and death.

This article may not be reprinted in print or internet publications without express permission of StudentFilmmakers.com.

Check out this article in the September 2007 print edition of StudentFilmmakers magazine, page 24.