Digital Video - March 2008 - (Page 26)

Q FOOD FIGHT! 9:55 AM: It is time for the signature battle signal. Picking up his line from the ingredient reveal, Chairman Dacascos shouts the traditional cry “Allez cuisine!” (rough French for “go and cook”) and steps back dramatically. This is covered by several handheld cameras and two jibs and is captured in just a few quick takes. 10:10 AM: The 60-minute battle is now set to begin. Both jibs have been rolled out to the edges of the set, one at the front of each competing kitchen station. They are operated by one crew member each and have joystick-controlled remote pan/tilt camera heads. Apple boxes are located at set intervals along the outside of each counter, giving handheld cameramen a better vantage point for peering into tall pots and over the shoulders of sous chefs. Two cameras on Vinten Quatro rolling pedestals roam the front of each kitchen station. Crewmembers are equipped with HME BP850 Receiver headsets so they can take direction from the floor crew and the backstage director. However, much of the time operators simply cover their predetermined zones and react to the action instinctively. Most of the camera operators and crew members have been with the show since the first season. That would account for the speed and efficiency of the crew; they are a well-oiled production machine after over 90 episodes. As the director shouts “Battle!” both chefs make a mad dash for ingredients. The pace of the edited show on television is frenetic to be sure. The entire set is instantly crawling with activity, cooks and food literally flying all over the kitchens as four handheld cameramen rush from station to station. Each camera is equipped with a small shotgun mike to pick up localized audio, and shotgun “sizzle” mikes are strategically placed throughout the set for stationary sound effects. Both jibs and robo cameras roam constantly over each kitchen. Meanwhile, in the background you can hear a constant stream of play-by-play chatter from Alton and Kevin. 10:30 AM: Alton delivers the judging panel introduction tossover to a jib-mounted camera. The toss-over will be cut together in post with Kevin’s previously taped introduction. Today’s panel consists of food critic and author Jeffrey Steingarten, broadway actress Cady Huffman and chef Art Smith. 10:37 AM: A product logo is discovered on one of the boxes in the challenger’s kitchen. As Food Network has a strict “No Product Placement” policy, the offending box is removed and 26 dv march 2008 PHOTO BY MATTHEW JEPPSEN 9:45 AM: Today’s secret ingredient is revealed by “The Chairman” (actor Mark Dacascos, best know for his work in martial-arts films) with a flourish. It is obvious he is fighting back a smile while announcing the food item with an exaggerated expression on his face. Laughter breaks out across the set. The sequence is captured from three angles, two cameras on tripods and one overhead jib. After The Chairman delivers his line, the crew busies themselves over the next few minutes shooting B-roll of the secret ingredient. the product returned in a nondescript bag. And for the first time today I hear the phrase “fix it in post.” During the course of the battle, notes on each course are taken, and everything is recorded into what basically amounts to a script created on the fly. In post back at Triage Entertainment’s facilities in Los Angeles, editors will use this script as a guideline as they cut the ensuing 10 hours of time-code-synced battle footage down to under an hour. I note that throughout the course of the battle, a director back in the booth has been coordinating camera tape changes at specific intervals. 10:57 AM: Alton delivers a few one-take commercial break bumpers into a handheld camera. I know he’s been studying his notes, but I can’t help but wonder how much is simply off the cuff. He is a hosting machine. 11:00 AM: Challenger Samuelsson plates his second course as Alton solicits comments from the panel of judges. None of this commentary is scripted, and I realize why: The pace is so demanding; the time for retakes is virtually nil. In the last 50-odd minutes, the cameras haven’t slowed down one bit. I stifle a laugh as one cameraman sprints to capture a shot, practically dragging his assistant, who is furiously unlooping cable like a windmill in a hurricane. Chef Flay calls for the time — we are at 10 minutes and counting down fast. 11:10 AM: The battle has been called, and the crew moves in quickly to capture Kevin interviewing each chef. I am reminded that the show is not live at this point when the director stops Bobby in mid-sentence to reframe the shot. But reactions and commentary remain unscripted. 11:21 AM: Alton quickly burns through a few pickup shots and commercial bumpers. He looks surprised when the crew calls for a re-take on one of the bumpers, but the director quickly assures him it was a camera misstep. 11:36 AM: The judging process begins. Each chef has 45 min(continued on page 49) www.dv.com http://www.dv.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Digital Video - March 2008

Digital Video - March 2008 Contents DV Update Q&A Fest Circuit Instant Expert LP-Micro Light Fusion F2 Drive PPFP-3N Bag Ego Digital Imaging Light KE-79CC Boom & Fuzzy Close-Up: Honoring George Spiro Dibie, ASC Food Fight Key Thoughts on Chroma key DV101 Dynamic Duos First Look: A Big Serve Cameras & Courtrooms Ad Index Production Diary

Digital Video - March 2008

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