The Digital Video Assist Operator - It’s Better to be Above me than B…

Good afternoon class!!! Today’s lesson is going to teach you both vocabulary terms and key phrases that are needed to become a Digital Video Assist Operator specifically and that could be helpful to any crew member.  When I started working in this industry, I used to hear some of the “Old-Timers” complaining about us “Newbie’s” and I would think they were mean, bitter and hated me/us… Now I understand what they were trying to do.  I learned so much from these guys, even as I was often the butt of ALL of their jokes and pranks.  I hope you learn something or at least laugh at what I have experienced from my stumbling through as a Film Crew Member…

Digital Video Assist Operator - The only job in the biz (other than a Producer) where you can be some, no home, shopping cart pushing, walking the dog slob, one day and the next day you’re a full fledged card carrying film crew member of Local Union# 695- Sound and Video Technicians.

Ok,……. so, you think you might have detected a slight bit of  bruised ego hiding between the sentences in that last paragraph.  Did anyone ever tell you that you’ve missed your true calling as a shrink or psychic? You brainiac!! Nothing gets by these film kids nowadays. I may have made things sound a little more simplistic than they are in reality. I’m guilty. The truth of the matter is this, the pre-screening test is pretty tough, but it’s only 4 questions.  You have to get 3 out of the four correct more accurately… you have to be able to answer “Yes” to 3 out of 4 of the following screening questions:

 1. Are you directly related to (blood relation is not required but is desired) anyone Above The Line? (This term originates from the early studio days when the budget top-sheet would literally have a line separating the Above-The-Line and Below-The-Line costs. In the movie industry, Above-The-Line expenditures are those that are negotiated or spent before filming begins. These costs can include rights for the material on which the screenplay is based (i.e. Into The Wild – it would include the price paid to the family for the story…and that expenditure would be considered above the line).  Above-The-Line also includes the salaries for the screenwriter, producer, actors, director, and assistants to directors (not to be confused with assistant directors)?

2. Have you depleted all resources, chances, favors, love, friendship, trust, and for that matter, hopes that said relative stated in question #1, had for you at one time in your life?

3. Do family members, close relatives, friends, close acquaintances, distant relatives, acquaintances and people you’ve met less than twice in your life time refer to you as, The Tick, The Parasite, The Leach or The Blood Sucking Black Hole Family Vampire, aka BSBHFV?

4. Can you hookup a VCR to a TV correctly?

OK, so you’ve answered YES to three of the questions above (I won’t ask which three)…  Congratulations!! You’ve just passed the screening test and are on your way to becoming a Video Assist Operator. All that is needed now is for said relative to cough up the Union’s initiation fees and you can start your new career tomorrow. You might be thinking to yourself, “Hey Glenn…what do I do next?”  Well after the Union rep gives you the spiel about the Union and Code of Ethics…  Traditionally you proceed in securing that the job title of Video Assist Operator is synonymous with what they say about people who Assume or make Assumption. Anyone in the film industry can quickly tell you the definition of “Assumption” and it would be defined as, “The Mother of All Fuck-Ups”!  So you run along and make sure you continue with this long-held tradition and get yourself hired before you learn the fourth item on our checklist (and you too can be known as “Joe…oops I didn’t get that shot Video Assist Guy”). Let’s move on… I’m sure you get the point.

Video Village- I touched on this term in an earlier blog, but it deserves reiteration.  A film set term that refers to the area defined by two distinctly different items placed in the general vicinity of one another, creating a vortex that has no equal power. Strangely enough, this vortex is random if measured by conventional methods.  Although, when measured by the size of one’s intense desire and ability to impose his will on others, well then, not random by any stretch of the word. This vortex draws only a selected crowd of film folk, but it’s always certain to produce just that, a crowd. Even though these selected few seem to be from the same species of mammal regarding their physical traits and appearances (plus, of course, the $900 Saxs Fifth Avenue slacks and the deficiency in cranium sized).  It would seem that these chosen few, let’s just call them, “Above the line”, or better, “ATL” folk share very little in terms of mannerisms and character traits with their working counterparts, the  “beeehheeeelloooooohooooohooohoo (it’s important to pronounce this word, which is correctly spelt, “below” as if you were coughing at the same time as you are uttering the word, Helps with the effect. Remember, I am without the ability to provide sound for my audience (look it’s the sound guys fault NOT MINE).  You could say the amount of sound I provide is in direct proportion to the size of an audience I demand…or is that command).

The Below-The-Line will now be referred to as “BTL” folk. To be more definitive, it’s that the ATL folk don’t share the same lower body strength, willingness, urgency or maybe just plain old concern for the guy that at this very moment, literally, just earned himself the name - One Nut from his fellow coworkers while attempting to move a 120lbs. ceramic potted shrub.  He is presently bear hugging, all by himself, in hopes on saving him and his department’s ass from being berated and slightly defiled in front of the whole crew in less than 2 minutes, give or take a few seconds.  One would say that’s a pretty good estimate if one could assume that this is what the 1st A.D. was referring to when he said, 2 minute warning, everyone!

Two minutes from now, the First team’s coming on stage, “let’s give them quite, people”. Now, One Nut is the only one in his department that realizes that this shrub has been in more shots in this scene then our number ONE cast member or any of the cast for that matter. This 120 pound nut cracker, which by the way had just given him a lovely parting gift for the ride back to work… One nut would’ve gladly refused this if it were offered to him rather than…..crammed down his shorts. What could that have been, you ask?  I’ll tell ya, all the ammo that his department buds needed to dub him with a snappy new set name. Poor poor One Nut!!

Two minutes from cameras rolling and this plant’s been in every shot in this scene and I wouldn’t bet against the script supervisor on picking up on the fact that something is just a little off with the continuity of the set…

We are minutes away from shooting… film will be rolling and it doesn’t matter if your department is ready or not…  By no means does that mean the director doesn’t care if your department is ready or not if ya get what I’m saying?  This should empower the ATL with the ability to move on their own, but in this vortex these “People” are difficult if not impossible to start in motion, leaving them virtually helpless and without the ability to get the fuck out of the way at crucial times.  This unwavering lack of ability or desire to “get the fuck out of the way” along with their, noisy, hindering opinionated mass that spits out catchy clichés such as, “Let’s do lunch sometime” or “Have your people call my people”. Or better yet,  ”That Video guy’s such a moron. He could fuck-up a rock fight.” Do ya get it? See, in a rock fight all you have to do is pick up and throw a rock. Simple,.. right? (his audience, which is made up of other ATL’s, still hasn’t caught on to the simplicity of the joke and sits for hours dumbfounded, silently mumbling to one another as if they’re trying to solve the issue of global warming at that very moment).  Look…the Video Village, in short, is where anyone who is someone stands around the directors monitors as long as they want… No one ever asks them to leave (for fear of losing their job), except on rare occasion, the director… Gotta love that!!

I hope this was helpful…please learn the definitions for the final Exam… Remember, I really will send the prize (computer prop used in Twister) to the highest score

If you made it this far… I have a favor to ask… My girlfriend’s son did a project for his High School Economics Class…  It is on YouTube… Please take a look.  It’s pretty funny!  He doesn’t know we have seen it, and (while you would think he would have asked for my help) they did it with one cheap camera and no experience.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f6ryiODK28

Next week’s lesson is “Who Can I Trust in the Movie Making Arena?”

Tags: Film Blog, Movie, Filmmaker, Movie Bloggers, Filmmaking