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Cranes On Set: The Student Film Producer

11 July 2016

Veronica Leon

Film producers are a relatively well-paid lot of professionals. That's a great incentive for not dropping out of film school. Meanwhile, you need to ace your exams in order to increase your chances of success as a future film producer.

You've probably brushed up your knowledge on the somewhat difficult areas of film production (e.g. film budgeting, film analysis and film theory). Would you be lost for answers if you were asked why every film set needs a mobile crane? Don't despair, read ahead.

The Crane Shot

The crane shot is somewhat infamous among film production specialists. True to its name, it refers to a shot or scene that's using a camera mounted on a crane. The crane shot is often used to capture an expansive area or landscape. For example, many films begin with an overhead view of the city in which the film is set or a view of an large landscape (e.g. a battlefield).  Such shots are often captured using mobile cranes.

Camera cranes can be remote-controlled or they may have a work platform that can accommodate both the camera and the camera operator. As would be expected, film production specialists often receive a more expensive quote for a remote-controlled mobile crane than what they would receive for its manual-style equivalent.

Cranes offer an economical way to capture such scenes as compared to other methods that could be used to achieve the same effect (e.g. recording the scene from an aircraft).

The Green Screen Effect

A green screen is a type of background used in nearly all film sets. Scenes in the film are recorded in front of this background for editing purposes. After the post-shooting exercise, film editors use a technique known as chroma-keying to transform the green background into the spectacular location that takes your breath away as you watch the film.

Green screens are often quite large and they often need to be used for hours on end during a single scene. Mobile cranes are used to hold green screen in position throughout the shoot.

Stunts And More Stunts

Mobile cranes are commonly used as a prop for stunts performed on set.

For example, an actor jumping from a tall building might have (in reality) jumped off of a mobile crane raised above a green screen. Mobile cranes are often doubled up as stunt-making props in low-budget films.

With all bases covered, you can comfortably sit and wait for the dreaded exams.

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