Four weeks ago I received the type of call you hope to get as a cameraman, a call about going to Mongolia on a shoot for National Geographic with Market Road Films, we’d be shooting recreations for show on the last days of Ghenkis Ghan. In the weeks leading up to the shoot, I traveled to NYC to meet with the crew; Tony Gerber, Innbo Shin and Stuart Dryburgh. During these pre-productions meetings, I learned that we would be shooting film. Film I say! In today’s documentary and commercial world this is a luxury afforded to few, and amazing opportunity to learn from one of the best DoP in the industry, Stuart Dryburgh.
A month later on the Steppes of Mongolia and I am loading film for Mr. Dryburgh, setting up a focus / frame chart. We’re in a Ger tent camp 70km outside of Ulaanbatar with four assistants and the Arri 416. The wheels of the shoot are in motion, and after the weeks of pre-production we finally had a chance to shoot, and use the equipment that we’d been discussing.
For many the idea of doing a chart test isn't that exciting, (Note: Chart Test is typically done on the first roll of the first day of the shoot so that the post production facility has a reference of how the camera is calibrated. Also - the chart usually has the project name and the DoP that is shooting...in other words, the chart is for calibration purposes for the post facility) for others - it means nothing. Well, I must say, I am in a third category, that being the category of complete excitement about rolling film on a white piece of A4 paper with frame marks on it!!
In conclusion - the first day ended with me staring at the stars through the top of my ger, waiting and wondering what the first day of our Mongol adventure would hold!
