Credits

[Dan Coplan]

If you were hired on a show to do Steadicam and operate but all you ever did was operate, is it fair to put Steadicam as a credit in addition to operating?

 

Dan

[Charles Papert]

Fair? in the film business??!

 

It's not strictly accurate, to be more specific.

[Afton Grant]

I'll agree w/ Chas in that fairness and accuracy in crediting gets neglected a bit too often. Personally I wouldn't want a credit for something I didn't do.

[Dan Coplan]

Personally, I do feel a bit weird putting a credit for something I haven't done though people have argued that if you're hired to do something and you're paid for it, that earns you the credit.

 

Just wondering what the general consensus is.

 

Dan

[Lohengrin Zapiain]

Nop.... I you didn't do it you did not earn it.

 

If you put it in your resume it is going to come back and bite you in the behind... yo will be better if you are 100% honest with your resume

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

If you didn't do steadicam you shouldn't take a steadicam credit. Sadly I see people doing it all the time.

[Stephen Press]

A guy sent me a tape of ?his? work once and it included some stuff I?d shot? 10 gold stars for taste -100 for honesty.

This industry is a lot smaller than people think and if there is any doubt about who did what you don?t want to get a reputation for claiming credit for stuff you didn?t do.

[Erwin Landau]

You do it you get credit for it... you don't... you don't get the credit. period.

 

I was several times hired as just the Steadicam guy and ended up operating the A or B camera instead or even the crane... no steadi credit. Or both ergo steadi/camera.

 

The moment you pick up the rig and you do a shot, you can get the credit. Also if you are not the main operator I use "additional Steadicam operator". Usually you get credited if you are the guy with the most days, if other operators were also working on the project.

[Jurgen Badenhorst]

Sadly i have had two shoots where i did steadicam and did not even reveive a credit at all.

 

At least i got the footage after the job so i used it in my showreel.

[Erwin Landau]

Lately, if you watch the credits, it says most of the time just Camera operator. The only way to know who the steadicam op was is if you know that he or she does also steadicam. It seams that of late the steadicam has become so integrated into the production package that it's not mentioned separately. And in TV... the camera department is not mentioned at all...

[Charles Papert]

It seams that of late the steadicam has become so integrated into the production package that it's not mentioned separately.

 

...or paid for!

[Erwin Landau]

I didn't wanted to go there... but yeah... or paid for.

 

"We are giving you less per hour then last year and as a thank you, you will throw in the rig for free... Deal? If not, I can call one of the other 20 guys in cue."

[Kris Torch Wilson]

And in TV... the camera department is not mentioned at all...

 

No so on our show Erwin... By contract "Long Credits" must be run once a week. But you are right all operators are lumped together.

 

Here's a twist on the original post; We get a different rate for ped/Handheld/steadi/jib. Say you were hired to do hand held and then switched to a ped. Does one still put in for the higher rate? I must admit I have depending on the production and how I was treated.

 

Kris

[Mike McGowan SOC]

It used to drive me crazy when somebody would have a credit for something they didn't do or only did as a day player. I always try and put the exact job I did. For example, if i did 3 days of steadicam while a show was on location but somebody else did the bulk of the show as the steadicam operator, my resume line would say, "Additional Steadicam Operator". People so regularly disregard this rule that I've pretty much stopped caring but we should still make an effort to do it correctly.

 

IMDB on the other hand consistently either gives me credit for something I didn't do, gives me a different credit for something I did (ie, operator instead of steadicam operator, et.) or gives somebody else credit for something I did. Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to get IMDB corrected or get it 100% right.

 

To answer the topic starter's question, it sounds like your resume line for that job should say, "Additional Camera Operator". For what it's worth, I don't think it's a bad idea to have some stuff on your resume that just says, "Operator". I've been asked, "...do you also operate a camera when it's not on a steadicam?". Though I never actually answered this way, I'd love to say, "no, absolutely not, I have not clue one about framing a camera when its not floating in front of me and that pan handle and those wheels... forget about it, wayyyy too tricky!"

 

mm.

[Jess Haas SOC]

On a similar note, how do you feel about a DP putting something on their reel that was shot by second unit? They were the DP, but they weren't necessarily very involved with shooting it.

 

I often work as an underwater director of photography and when I tell people thats what I want my credit to be I often have the DP ask, "I can still put it on my reel right?" Well, I did light it, design most of the shots and shoot it, but they were the DP of the film and had the final say on everything. I don't mind a bit as long as they call me next time they get hired for a film with some underwater shots. Might be a bit weird when we both send reels to someone with the same shot on it...

 

~Jess