A focus puller or 1st assistant cameraman, is a member of a film crew’s camera department whose primary responsibility is to maintain image sharpness on whatever subject or action is being filmed. “Pulling focus” refers to the act of changing the lens’ focus distance setting in correspondence to a moving subject’s physical distance from the focal plane. For example, if an actor moves from 25 feet away from the focal plane to 9 feet away from the focal plane within a shot, the focus puller will change the distance setting on the lens during the take to precisely correspond to the changing position of the actor. Additionally, the focus puller may shift focus from one subject to another within the frame, as dictated by the specific requirements of the shot. A good focus puller will have an intimate knowledge of cinematographic and optical theory. Depending on the parameters of a given shot, there is often very little room for error. As such, the role of a focus puller is extremely important within the realm of a film production; a “soft” image will, in most circumstances, be considered unusable, since there is no way to make the image sharp in post-production. One must also consider that an actor may not be able to duplicate his or her best performance in a subsequent take, so the focus puller is expected to perform flawlessly on every take. Because of these factors, most production personnel consider the focus puller to have the most difficult job on set. 1st ACs are also responsible for camera equipment and accessories, such as lenses, filters and matte boxes, and for assembling the camera and its accessories for different shots. 1st ACs arrive on set or in the studio before the director, director of photography (DoP) and camera operator, and ensure that the camera and all required lenses are prepared for the days shoot. If the Director or DoP wants to try out a specific lens, the 1st AC assembles the camera so that they can look through the eyepiece to assess the shot. At the end of each shooting day, 1st ACs clean the equipment and pack it up in preparation for the next day. If there is a problem with the rushes (such as a scratch on the film), Focus Pullers work with the Film Lab to fix any faults with the camera or film stock.

Focus pulling

Sharp focus is elemental to reproducing a realistic, appealing image, and a viewers attention is automatically drawn to sharper areas. When done right, good pulling goes mostly unnoticed by the audience. To prepare for a shot, the focus puller first measures the distances during rehearsals (usually with the help of actors stand-ins), sets reference marks with the help of the 2nd AC (also known as the clapper loader , compares them with the distance markers on the particular lens being used, and marks them on the follow focus ring or on the focus barrel on the lens, typically using a grease pencil directly on the lens, or using a pen to mark a ring of chart tape which has been placed around the focus barrel, or any combination of the above, as each focus puller has their own style and methods. During a take, the focus puller modifies the focus based on the dialog, movement of the actors or subject, movement of the camera, the DoPs directions, and compensates on the fly for actors missing their marks or any unforeseen movement. In some situations, such as on long lenses or wide apertures or very close distances, a subject moving even a few millimeters may require immediate focus correction. If the focus puller feels he has made a mistake—be it a timing error, a missed mark, or any other issue which may have rendered some part of the take "soft," he will typically report this to the operator (who most likely noticed the error in the viewfinder) or director of photography, and may ask for another take if another wasnt already planned. Traditionally, the focus puller uses only his marks and his own well-developed sense of distance estimation to achieve good results. Over the last decade, the increased use of digital cameras and higher-resolution on-camera monitors have provided focus pullers with an additional tool to help maintain proper focus, though relying too much on a monitor can prove to be detrimental. Positioned beside the camera the focus puller can see the out-of-frame marks, and also gain a three-dimensional view of the scene, critical for judging distances. This is simply not possible when looking only at a two-dimensional image on a monitor. This monitorless method evolved with film cameras, which have only one sharp viewing apparatus—the optical viewfinder—which is, of course, in use by the camera operator during a take. The video tap found on modern film cameras is typically only useful for looking at the composition of the shot, and not for judging critical focus, as all video taps have, until recently, provided a low-resolution image. High-definition monitors mounted on a digital camera can be useful, for making small fine adjustments once an actor has landed on a mark. A high-definition monitor is also useful when a fast-paced production simply does not allow time for the focus puller to set and check all marks that may be needed, or if no rehearsal will be provided. In addition to eyesight, the pullers main tools are a follow focus device and a distance measuring tool, usually a cloth or fiberglass tape measure which hooks onto a pin or hook located on the camera precisely in line with the focal plane. When the tape is hooked to the camera, the focus puller can run the tape out to the subject to be measured. Professional 1st ACs have many tricks for pulling focus in difficult situations or when accurate measurement is impossible. Often, before a scene is even rehearsed or established, the 1st AC will take surveying measurements of the general environment in order to have a good idea of the distance between reference points, such as patterns on the floor or walls, furniture, and whatever else might be around. These reference measurements can be used to quickly establish rough distances between the camera and the subject in chaotic shooting circumstances when it is impossible to accurately measure the distance. In situations where marks will not be visible due to an obstruction, the focus puller may request the 2nd assistant call marks over a 2-way radio.

Other duties

As the head camera assistant, the 1st AC is also responsible for the maintenance and organization of all camera equipment, applying or removing any accessories (lenses, filters, matte box s and external viewing monitors), checking for lens flares, and reloading the camera with fresh recording media. The 1st AC reports to the director of photography works alongside the camera operator and oversees the Clapper loader (also known as the "clapper loader") and any other members of the camera department.

References

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External links

* http://www.freshdv.com/2007/09/freshdv-film-school-the-art-of-pulling-focus-part-3.html Video of a focus puller at work] * http://www.thecameranerd.com Pictures of a focus puller on set] Category:Cinematography Category:Film crew fr:Premier assistant opérateur it:Assistente operatore