Shooting during demonstrations or riots

[Stefan Immler]

Originally Posted by Claude Mangold

... mattebox and followfocus, tripod ...

You know what a riot is, right? How do you expect to set up a tripod and use the followfocus during "moderate or heavy rioting"? ;-)

[Mugurel Dragusin]

Could this be used to shoot such a riot?

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/canon-eos...ter-video.html

Just an idea :) Sit comfy in some lodge nearby and fly the damn thing remotely. Possible?

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Stuart Campbell

I'm afraid I disagree with you there Brian. I only work with very experienced sound recordists and I'm yet to work with one who'd suggest it was OK because he was 'experienced'. No matter how much experience you and your sound recordist have, or how good your ability to stay together, you will invariably get some berk who insists on going between you, or forces their way between you, not having seen the umbilical. Should you be in a situation where fighting is occurring people could end up pushed, shoved or even felled in between you. When the camera operator has his back to the sound man it's a pretty hard job to stop these such people ending up between you, especially when the experienced sound recordist has one hand holding a boom pole or mic!

It was done in the days of shooting high band U matic with the sound recordist carrying a heavy 3/4" VTR. Using a mixer with single system film sound or Betacam is a lot easier.

I wouldn't be too concerned about people being pushed or shoved around you, that's to be expected, it's when they start pulling knives on you that I tend to get worried.