For all of you Emmy nominated and award-winning show NCIS fans, its DP Jody Eldred is 2nd Unit's guest for next Wednesday's show taping in the Marina this Saturday. I realize I'm biased but I don't know of a filmmaker out there who won't benefit from this our 4rth show. The format is going to change a bit so e-mail or post your questions here and those will be the basis of show.

Jody is a 30-year veteran of documentaries and TV news. A DGA Best Director Nominee for Documentary, he received an Emmy in 2004 for his work on the ABC News "Nightline" series, "The Iraq War: Fox 2/5". He has shot and directed hundreds of documentaries and news stories around the world for ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, the BBC, and National Geographic, including programs such as 20/20, PrimeTime Live, Good Morning America, Dateline NBC, 48 Hours, Frontline, Oprah, and The Tonight Show. His work also includes high definition and video shoots for CBS' "JAG", "NCIS", and NBC's "Medium". In 2005, Harvest House Publishers printed his first book, "Changed Lives: Miracles of The Passion", based on a TV special by the same name which he created and executive produced.

Jody is a frequent speaker and lecturer at conferences, workshops, and film and journalism schools across America including USC and UCLA. Sony Electronics recently sent him to the Sundance Film Festival and NAB where he made presentations to several thousand people on the latest high definition camera systems. His work has been featured in virtually every trade magazine in the marketplace. He has just returned from a documentary shoot in Israel testing Sony's latest entry into the hi def world, and will be doing presentations across the country on his findings, time-permitting. But he's made time for 2nd Unit and that's what counts!!!

Alright as a DP, what does he do to work on a shot. Specifically, how he chooses which camera, lens, filters, lighting, etc...

How does he get all those equipments through the airports without any damage or loss of equipments? (Baggage handler - some are not the most trust worthy around the world, including the US.)

Another airport question. X-rays, truly not harmful to equipment and films or has he noticed some issues...

Who influences him or who does he admire in the same profession?

Which director would he like to work most with?

What location does he feel is the most beautiful or ugliest place he has ever shot film/video?

How does he feel about the new wave of indies being shot with cheap cameras (compared to pro systems used in the industry) What could they do to improve or have done that he sees can be used in the industry.

All great questions that we wish we had had before Saturday's interview. But none the less, we hope you like the interview anyway

I'm not Jody Eldred, but as a former assistant cameraman (a.k.a right hand man to a D.P.) for a number of years, I can answer some of your nuts and bolts questions:

How does he get all those equipments through the airports without any damage or loss of equipments? (Baggage handler - some are not the most trust worthy around the world, including the US.)

If you saw the sheer size of your average 35mm package, you'd realize that hand carrying it while traveling is not gonna work. Add to that that many episodic TV shows shot on 35mm are multiple camera affairs, you're talking about 30-60 flight cases, each weighing at least 30lbs. Total will be hundreds of pounds.

In short, camera packages often get sent air cargo. In a pinch, FedEx is used.

Another airport question. X-rays, truly not harmful to equipment and films or has he noticed some issues...


X-rays are not harmful to a camera package, but they are most definitely to motion picture film. If the film is hand carried, you tell them what it is and if they insist on inspecting it, then they have a specially trained officer to inspect the film in a changing bag.

Again, on an episodic TV show, the sheer volume of film means that the D.P. is not carrying the film himself. Couriers often get that job.

Thanks, Nate. When ya commin' down?????????????? We miss ya. BTW/ I'm convinced to get a new G5 Laptop w/ FCP just for grins. Should be fun. And finally, I really like the episode 4 w/ Jody. I think you guys will too.
J

Yeah, that's what I get for reading the post after Saturday, and not really reading the first paragraph.

I'm still eager for the clip.

Jonathan, if you do buy the laptop, maybe you can do a comparision of the apple boot for running win xp on it. The PC magazine I read said that the system, while still using an intel chip, is still slower than a pc based intel unit.

I should hope so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It really is fantastic and another step up, IMHO, on the ladder thanks to yours and others' suggestions. We hope you like parts 1 and 2.

While the comments about my work are kind and generous, there are some accidental inacuracies which do not give credit where it is due. Billy Webb was DP on JAG and is the current DP on NCIS. I shoot and sometimes DP the first and second units of video and HD elements for those two programs (JAG has been off the air for 2 years now), and though I worked 9 seasons on JAG and am beginning season 4 on NCIS, I was never the DP on either show.

I have lots of other fun credits-- but those two belong to my colleague Billy Webb.

As usual, my mistake but that shows you all the caliber of people we deal with here in an industry which is well-known for taking credit for everything that's good and sliding off everything that's bad. Bully for Jody and I'm proud to call him my friend as well as a friend of the site. Many people come and go in our lives but we here share a special common bond. Thanks Jody.