Let’s Get You Started!!!!
Welcome to The OP!!! Thanks for stopping by. As the website has grown we have heard that it can be a bit overwhelming at first so this page is a quick rundown of a few of the pages on the site with suggestions on each page to get you going. Of course you can still just bop around to wherever you’d like but this can help easily introduce you to things and you can go from there.
Enjoy and thanks for checking us out!
The Breakdown - Some of the best operators out there share shots they have done and explain how they created them
Will Arnot • Homecoming - Will goes into extreme detail about how he and his crew executed a series of three extremely complex technocrane shots.
Larry McConkey • Carlitos Way - Larry discusses a huge steadicam oner complete with the original video tap recording so you can see what he saw while he was shooting.
Gary Malouf • The Bear S1 - Gary narrates an incredible handheld shot that was one entire episode and explains everything that went into creating it.
Don Devine • Panic - Don discusses why its isn’t always necessary to move the camera or even shoot coverage and how creating the frame is sometimes all it takes to tell a great story.
The Blocking - Creating scenes that work is the key to great operating and good blocking is everything in that process. Examples abound!
Sneakers • Good Cop, Bad Cop - A one shot simple dolly move that still contains overs, closeups and dynamic movement in a visual game of chess as the scene unfolds.
Munich • Street Shooting - Spielberg is a master at blocking. This is but one of the many examples of just how good he is at creating storytelling visually.
Kurosawa • High and Low - If Spielberg is the modern day master, he learned everything from Akira Kurosawa. High and low is film school all on it’s own.
The Musings - A blog about working in the film industry. Quick tips, conceptual ideas, and the soft skills every operator needs to succeed.
The Answers - Questions are submitted to a group of operators and their answers are printed unedited and anonymous
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
What was the most memorable note you’ve ever had to give an actor?
The Words - Just that, a list of film terms you’ll hear on set. Hover over any word and the definition will appear.