Director
Creative or operational relevance to directing
The days before principal photography when the camera department builds, checks, and calibrates their package at the rental house — flange depth, back focus, lens tests, accessories. Anything that fails here won't blindside you on shoot day.
Camera Prep is the part of preparation that takes place at the rental house: one to three days during which the camera department unpacks, assembles, and fully tests the booked equipment. It is paid as working time and is often the first thing to be cut — which is the most reliable way to lose a shooting day.
What is checked
- Flange focal distance and back focus on each lens, using a collimator or Siemens star. A zoom lens that loses focus when zooming out will be detected here and nowhere else in time.
- Lens set for consistency. Color, contrast, and image rendition should match across all focal lengths. For vintage glass, this is the actual purpose of the prep.
- Camera and accessories. Firmware version, recording to every card, monitoring, wireless systems, follow focus, matte box, filters — each item assembled and seen in operation once.
- Completeness. Against the booking list, item by item. What is missing on the prep day will not arrive on the shooting day.
At the end, there is an assembled, tested setup and a list of what the rental house still needs to deliver. Both go onto the truck along with the equipment.
From the crafts
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Producer
Importance in production planning and execution
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Test your knowledge
Quiz
1. Zu welchem Department gehört „Kamera-Prep"?
2. Wie viele verschiedene Fachperspektiven bietet dieser Eintrag?