Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1505029
Fall 2023 – LOCAL695.COM 29 whomever needed it. While it could be a large workload, most of the time you knew what you were signing up for. COVID- 19 completely changed our jobs as we knew them. The need for social distancing and new safety measures caused an acceleration of remote technology that has had a massive impact on Video Assist Operators. Due to distancing restrictions imposed by COVID, the remainder of the crew can't hover around video village like the old days. Instead, everyone else who needs a video feed gets an iPad setup. People working remotely and talent who need video in their trailers are usually given Apple TV's. New people come and go all the time and they need to be streaming right along with everyone else. There are a lot more plates spinning in the air on any given day. The rest of the day is spent alternating between recordist, customer service, playback, emotional support person, creative consultant, and Apple Genius/IT specialist. Everyone on your set is watching and listening to the QTAKE feed, ready to get the day started and ended, and create Hollywood's movie magic in-between. All of this requires that the Video Assist Operator be a lot more involved in the minute-to-minute decision making than Yisel, Julian, Ben, and Yohannes in the days before COVID. I've found myself on a first name basis with directors, showrunners, and executive producers a lot more than I did before the pandemic. By coordinating playback and communications among the top brass, I have had the wild privilege to be a fly on the wall and to be involved problem solving with these giants. We look over shots, sequences, and script changes for some of the best TV series and films in the business. Often the director or VFX team needs a quick mock-up and rendering to make sure that what we've been shooting is working. This means that the most- effective operators require multiple skill sets. Can you cut a few clips together? Can you do some on-the-spot VFX in a pinch? Can you figure out why one producer's iPad just won't seem to work? Great! Now can you do all of that while you're also doing your regular recording, cataloging, playback, and streaming? In a worst-case scenario, the cameras and crew may be on the move while you are required to stay behind and review footage with the director/producer/showrunner/etc. Once you are no longer needed, there's a mad dash to get your three carts moved to the next location so production isn't waiting on you! This is one example of why having a Y-7 Video Assist Utility