Blog Post 3: 5^th February -  Runner & Data Wrangler – Walworth ABC 2 3003 Group

I usually have Thursdays off to study and do coursework.  However, instead I got offered a job as a Daily Runner/Data Wrangler job for 3003 ABC Group. I got this job through a cameraman that I’ve worked with on a number of jobs already. They were making a pilot documentary on the Wandsworth community, which was near Elephant & Castle, in South London. This shoot is still going on and they were aiming to have a 3-day shoot over the next couple of months. In my role, I was responsible for doing all the DIT and was responsible for ensuring all the footage was transferred onto the laptop safely, without any errors. I usually do two data transfers on the shoot and these both happen near the end of the shoot. This is because the time to taken to do the transfer can vary and can take a while. This happened when I wasn’t needed for one of the locations at the end, which was great because I could sit down after a hard day on my feet and wait for the data to transfer.

During the shoot I had an experienced sound man/Data wrangler helping me, which was great because he showed me loads of tips and tricks.  Some simple checks he showed me were great, because it helped me to check for any errors whilst carrying out this really important role.

The image above shows the original source folder and the other one is the backup copy.  This image shows that the backup copy has significantly increased in size by about 30%.  This is very rare and you always need to check it just in case, because if it is a lot larger, then there will be problems with the coding in the file.

My other job on set and the main priority of the day, was being a runner.  On the shoot I had to do a range of tasks, including phoning people to make them aware of any changes on the shoot, sort out the delivery lorries so they could deliver the props to the right location. Also, I worked alongside the cameraman and helped him carrying his equipment around. He was aware that I am trying to become a camera assistant, so he showed me some things about the camera, such as knowing how to put the right lens on the Sony-F5 and how to work the settings on the camera.

This shoot was a paid job, not just work experience. This meant it was really important to work in a very professional manner and appear as if I knew what I was doing! During the shoot, there were some problems with communication about the delivery, which caused a delay in the shoot.  The shoot was fairly dis-organized which was a big disappointment for me, as I got the blame from the director/executive producer for some of the delays.  This was the result of cramming everything into one day and not giving enough time over to travel and other general things.  There wasn’t even any cash for lunch for the crew and I ended up spending £10 to buy a few sandwiches for everyone.  He didn’t pay me back, but the cameraman, out of courtesy, paid me back, as I was being paid less than everyone else.

Unfortunately, he fired me and blamed all of his problems and mistakes on me.  However, a few days later he calmed down and he hired me again, as I was the only one in the crew that knew how to do the DIT.  Hiring a professional data wrangler would have been a waste of money, as it is a relatively simple job, if you know what you are doing.  To hire data wrangler it would cost between £300 and £500 and I was being hired a £80 a day. 

Reflecting on this shoot, I learnt that when working in a group, sometimes you have got to distinguish the balance between treating people fairly and when someone is not up to the job.  I did my job perfectly well and without any problems, but the director didn’t organise the schedule, or the shoot times for day, properly. This made my life an absolute nightmare, because I was constantly apologising to people on the phone, as they were waiting for us roughly between 30-60 minutes.  Unfortunately, sometimes you've just got to let it go, take the criticism and just get on with the job. Otherwise, bigger problems occur, like not being paid for 3 days work!  Also, I noticed that the crew were surprised that I didn’t argue with him and this seemed to get me a lot of respect from the other crew members.