Meet Dennis R. Sutton, a dp based in Colorado, United States and a member of the StudentFilmmakers Filmmakers Network. See Dennis’s Network profile to connect.
Job: DP / Director / Special FX Creator / Editor / Screenwriter Location: Colorado, United States networking.studentfilmmakers.com/profile/psyops70
Unique Challenges:
While in Residency for over a month at the National University Campus in Los Angeles, where after completing the residency requirements in my Master’s program I am now a Graduate Fellow. I have been privileged to be the Camera Operator on two productions, the Sound Mixer on another, and the AD/ Assistant Director for my own team film project.
AD, is one of the toughest jobs I have undertaken and completed on my project. My biggest challenge was to make sure everything flowed smoothly with the cast and crew of over 18 people. Coming in under budget and on time by being the “wrangler” for the cast and crew. The AD has the responsibility of making things happen on set, on time, safely and within budget; NO ONE LIKES THE AD. The AD is a Drill Sergeant that controls everyone from the vendors for food to making sure the Director moves the project along in a timely manner and stays within budget (time is money). This is a job that calls for intense direction, time evaluation, and to be able to have the ability to make sure everything and everyone works in unison to accomplish the entire project. The AD as we know is responsible for everything that can and does occur while on set. We had an entire day of filming outside, putting up with; wind, trucks, noise at every level, airplanes and police sirens for the first 3/4ths of our film titled “Nutrition” which was a 16-hour day of pure exhaustion.
Then back to campus the next morning where we converted an office facility and “made” a hospital environment for the last 1/4th of the movie. Here, we used a dolly, HMI’s, solar spots, and a variety of lighting equipment.
Our group task was to make three narrative short films in 4 weeks. Pre-production, Production and Post Production were all handled in 3 weeks. We all excelled and (on August 2) had our screening with the cast, crew and invited guests.
Challenge & Solution:
In the case of the first project, which took place in a home that we acquired for the project, the location that was chosen proved to be a challenge in size, electric power requirements, and an entire wall of windows that pumped in the sunlight where we were shooting the entire film at the midnight hour, i.e. low light, dark and moody, using our cast which needed special lighting techniques, which I knew how to do but my job was Camera Operator which meant I stayed with the Canon XLH1 HD and had to rely on my fellow crew members that were not skilled at how the lighting should be done. My challenge in this sense was that I had to keep my mouth shut and do my job, which did not entail being the lighting crew. We needed a midnight lighting look. The house was small with low ceilings. It was, however, a real nice place. Two of the projects were filmed in this locale. I was cameraman and sound mixer for the two.
First challenge was the power requirements. We had an Arri HMI 1.2K, two 650 Mole Richardson’s and a Kino flo system for lighting. We also used the sun and reflectors to supplement the HMI. The house was wired with an older electric service box and the amperage would prove to be a hassle.
Fortunately, there was a hot tub on a dedicated circuit with large amp ability and needs, therefore, we used this for our main power tie in.
Secondly, it was hot and using the lights we had just made things worse for everyone. The cast was cooking in the heat, the crew was exhausted, and for me, the Camera Operator, I was finding it hard at times to stay on top of the action. Fortunately, I had 20 years under my belt as a still photographer working under some intense and extreme conditions. Being a still photographer helped in many ways and yet provided problems in others. I was so use to shooting with large still cameras and making sure there was no movement, fast shutter speed and absolute stillness that I found myself at first reluctant to move using the camera. I broke this engrained skill of stillness with sheer determination and practice between takes. It worked and we made our movies.
Favorite Technique:
I am a lighting specialist. I perfected my skill over 20 years as a still photographer, and I made it a part of my skill to be able to get a shot under any light situation. I made sure while in undergraduate college to study physics and “know” what “light” is. Still photography for commercial use is not as forgiving as lighting for motion pictures. I totally enjoyed the freedom and creative ability to use light as, at times, a character by itself within the film. What I am referring to, is that in the approach to drama for a mystery [which was 2 out of the 4 film projects], light by itself can and does have the ability to invoke drama and mystery. So, by using light as not only part of the shaping of a character, I use light as the character in some cases to better support the scene whether it be with the actor or alone as the actor. Light can lead the audience, frighten the audience and cloke the film in mystery and drama so that it shapes the way the audience “sees” the action taking place within a scene. Therefore, one of my favorite techniques is to use the ability of “light” to sway the emotion of the audience. This is independent of perhaps what the scene may call for, it is the lighting that creates the “look”, style and mood of the scene and indeed the entire film. This is not a simple “technique” that I can explain in specific detail, however, I would think readers can use their own intelligence and understand what I am referring too when I say light is the key point within a scene.
Current Projects:
I am finishing my written thesis to accompany my thesis film. I am a fulltime Graduate Fellow in Digital Cinematography at National University, Los Angeles, CA. I soon will have my written thesis finished and submitted for final review. My thesis film is submitted and except for a few potential edits as required by my Committee is finished.
Favorite Tools/Gear:
I have been privileged to use the computer as my dark room, editing suite, animation tool, and all around design tool for multimedia projects and 3D animation, as well as for the creation of television commercial production and design. I love my cameras, Canon XL1, Nikon/Fuji digital SLR’s, Sony TRV 900, Sony HDEF Monitor’s, cinema widescreen LCD monitors for my Mac equipment and, flatbed and film scanners. Several inkjet printers by Epson, and a very high end laser color printer by Minolta, are but a few pieces of equipment I have. I as well have digital 24-track sound recording equipment, microphones, mixers, 2- keyboards for synth, and several guitars.
Awards:
28 Gold Addy awards; 2 Best of Show in design; Gold award for Computer Illustration for the Timken Corporation in Canton, Ohio; National Best of Show for a Publication in the NEOUCOM College of Medicine in Rootstown, Ohio; Alumni Achievement Award from Kent State University; ACE Award for photography in a poster, billboard, and newsprint collateral materials campaign in Ohio for B & W Photography for the Rape Awareness Task force.
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