Sitting here minding my own business (read: doing VFX wizardry like a responsible adult), when the sky opens up and a hailstorm comes crashing down like Zeus found my search history. Colossal. Loud. Spectacular. The kind of “holy shit” weather you only ever get when you’re not ready for it.
So I do the heroic thing: I dive into the crate, get the camera out, lens it up, slap it together, hit record…
…and by the time I’m rolling, the show’s over. All that’s left is a ground full of melting ice balls and my bruised ego doing a little jig in the corner. Classic.
Which brings me to the real question: how the hell do you catch those accidental, once-in-a-blue-moon moments when they ambush you? Do you keep a camera permanently built and within arm’s reach like some kind of tactical cinematographer? Do you run a “grab-and-go” setup on standby? Do you just accept that the universe only hands you magic when your gear is zipped up and your batteries are at 12%?
What’s your personal system for not missing the unplanned spectacle when it hits?
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That depends. I love camera coffins. Simply put, they are blanket-lined totes that will fit a fully kitted camera and protect it from damage. I set my camera up the night or day before a shoot, especially if I know it's going to be an all-day shoot, then it's literally grab and go at any moment. Just turn it all on and run with it.
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The latest phones now take very nice videos/photos, why not use your phone?
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I did use my phone Minh Nguyen and and my partner with a GoPro when hell broke loose. The footage might work for Instagram, but it's useless as stock or anything deliverable. 5.6k mp4 doesn't hold a candle to 12k or 6k log.
I'm thinking of keeping a cam lensed and gimballed up, stuffed in a closet or leaning in a corner for moments like these.