Lights, cameras, actors—some movie jobs are obvious. Others can be harder to define, but they’re just as vital to any film on the big screen. Hear from five people behind the lens who make Cincinnati film productions tick.
Eric Ransbottom
Role: DIT (Digital Imaging Technician)
Movies: Turtles All the Way Down, Wrong Turn, I’m Thinking of Ending Things
This is a fairly new role for film; what’s it like?
So I work directly with the director of photography (DP), and one of the first things we talk about is the “look” they want. Everything we shoot now is digital, so it’s in “raw” footage. It’s a very washed out, gray look. I upload all the footage, store it, and I add contrast, saturation, and make the tiny adjustments to maintain the look throughout the film.
Once you get that filter figured out, it’s smooth sailing, right?
Oh no, even between lenses and cameras there are subtle differences. I have the most color-accurate monitors on set to be the DP’s eyes while they’re operating the camera. They’ll basically use my monitors to light the set.
You have to be pretty close to the DP at all times?
On location shoots it can be tough. For Turtles All the Way Down, we were filming by a river, basically on the water with all my gear. You have to get creative with your workflow.
Not as tough as describing your job?
It’s always three things: the picture, the media, and being a liaison between the production and the editing booth. But yeah, my parents still ask me what I do.
Pamela Ford
Role: Craft Services
Movies: Wise Guys, A Kind of Murder, Miles Ahead
How’d you get involved in this work?
I had been working at a design firm, and a former [colleague] of mine contacted me about the role. He said, We’ll give you a budget, and you bring in snacks and drinks for people. To-go items, fresh fruits and vegetables, pastries, smoothies, coffee. At first, I thought—I have five children, I could do that!
How have you handled this role since?
It helps that my children are grown, and they’re helping me now. But on longer films, you get to know what people want. Since they are working long hours away from home, anything you can do to make that time more comfortable, providing good food and a smile, goes a long way.
You’re basically feeding a small village.
Yup, I liken our position as the set Mom, or the set psychologist. People open their hearts when they eat—you get to know everybody on set. I’ve found the favorite item working on a set overnight is midnight grilled cheeses.
Amy Faust
Role: First AC (Assistant Camera)
Movies: Goat, Donnybrook, The Old Man & the Gun
What’s the role of a First AC?
Focus pulling is the main one people think of, but they also assist setting up the shot—the DP [director of photography] or camera operator will tell them what lens to use and what angle to shoot, so we make sure it’s ready for the operator to call roll.
Has film to digital made a difference for this role?
Before, the assistant would crank the focus up close to the operator. Now it’s all remote. Sometimes I’d be in an entirely different room with my own monitor and a dial remote pulling focus. We also have less rehearsal time, because digital creates a “shoot it and we’ll see what happens” mentality. I still remember for one scene writing on husks of corn to find my distances.
Certainly doesn’t sound like boring work.
Focus pulling is incredibly fun, but incredibly stressful. You can fix some lighting and color correcting in post, but you can’t fix a shot that’s out of focus.
Pauline Storms-Perkins
Role: Security, Storms Secured Services
Movies: The Old Man & the Gun; Hillbilly Elegy; Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
When did you start Storms Secured Services?
I was working as a production coordinator on a Lifetime movie when our security fell through. I was like, “I have brothers, we can [do this].” After that worked out, I wanted to continue giving opportunities to my brothers, so we got licensed, bonded, and insured, and since 2016 we’ve been growing.
And what is a day like for a film security guard?
It takes a lot. For The Bikeriders there are eight locations right now, with staff changes every eight hours, so it takes a whole lot of coordination, patience, [and] endurance working on-location or mobile patrols for bigger sets.
Anything you’ve seen go down on set?
There was actually a fight between one of the producers and another individual on The Old Man & the Gun. One of my brothers jumped right in the middle of it to defuse, and out of thanks the producer gave him one of the prop cars. We can’t accept gifts, of course. [Laughs.] He told us we could use it for security.
Deirdre Costa
Role: Location Manager
Movies: Ides of March, The Public, Carol
What’s location management all about?
It starts with scouting; we break down the scripts, see what locations they’re looking for, like a red-brick colonial rather than just a “house.” Then it gets to location management: signing contracts, dealing with lawyers on how many days we’ll be filming, all of the interior or exterior alterations. All of that needs to be negotiated. Then, of course, we need to restore everything once we’re done.
That’s a lot like spinning plates.
It’s a lot we’re responsible for. Permits, dealing with police finding a space for the extras, getting rid of trash—our department is the first on set and the last off.
The Public must’ve been nice, filming mostly at the downtown library.
Not so easy. [Laughs.] We were there for 19 days, and the longer you’re there you have to keep the location happy. It can get stressful for the location to have us around—it’s kind of like the circus coming to town. But they were so cooperative.
Who’s the best director you’ve worked with?
I loved working with George Clooney on Ides of March—fun to be around, cared about the crew, and gracious with all the locations, which made my job easier. After the movie was over, I remember the accountant saying she had never had so many $1 [location contracts] on any film before.
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