SHOOTING EXTERIORS – the Yard-Blower
by Jim Zura
From time to time, I get an assignment where we have to shoot a whole bunch of interviews in a given day. Sometimes that would mean more properly-lit interior setups than is practical to accomplish. Of course, I always strive for perfection, and to accomplish at least the “network-quality look.”
But everything is not perfect in life, and often we have to compromise a bit in order to get the job done. So, one way to save some time is to shoot some interviews outdoors. Natural outdoor light can work well, with the right weather conditions, composition and lighting tools, and allow us to “knock-off” some setups more quickly than bringing stuff into an interior location. And often, the exterior scene is preferred because of the subject matter.
We bring our interviewee outside, and the lighting is fine. We are about to shoot, and suddenly nearby, a contract yardkeeper fires up his obnoxious gas-powered yard blower!
OK, so then we send the toughest crew-member over to deal with the guy (which sometimes is me). Well, he’s got a job to do too, and doesn’t give a baby’s-behind about our shoot! But—fifty bucks to a laborer is enough inspiration to move on to the job down the road and come back later.
I might just be imagining this, but I could swear it’s the same guy who spots TV crews shooting outside and fires up his machine!
Not a bad career! There’s enough exterior shooting in Houston on any given day that a guy could make a good living without actually doing any work! Hmmm, maybe I’ll think about investing in a noisy yard-blower for some extra cash when I retire!