50-50: Why I Don't Always Announce We're Rolling
Yesterday I was on set with a DP I've known for twenty years, and he taught me a piece of set language I wish I'd learned six years ago.
We were shooting a lifestyle scene with five talent at a table, and the client wanted it to feel intimate, like these people had known each other their whole lives. We were shooting tandem: I'd shoot, then he'd shoot, then we'd pause for client and agency feedback.
And I noticed something during the pauses. The talent got comfortable. They got chill. They started having these really authentic interactions with each other. So I said, hey Johnny B, let's roll on this. We did, and it was some of the best footage we got all day.
After we cut the scene, he told me there's a name for that. It's called 50-50. You say it to a DP and the whole set knows to roll, without the talent ever hearing that they're being filmed.
This happens constantly on lifestyle shoots. You're in a backyard with a real family, they're acting for the shots, and the second they think the cameras are off they start doing the most adorable, authentic things. I've always just said hey, let's roll on this. But sometimes the talent hears you, and the moment's gone.
I've been directing for about six years now, and as a still photographer learning to direct motion, there's a real learning curve. Amazing DPs have taught me tricks like this the whole way. So that's my little tip. And if you're a DP or a gaffer, tell me: if I called a 50-50, would you know what I meant?