10 Tips for Shooting Video in Europe

Posted by Rebekah Toth Burns on 03 13, 2014 & filed

under Technical.
9 3 16

Crews Control has been managing video productions in

Europe for 20 years. Over that time we have gained a lot of
video production experience and have collected some funny
stories along the way. We worked with our Crews Control
represented Directors of Photography from all over Europe
to compile our Top 10 List.
TEN: Flicker. The technical tip that was mentioned more
than any other was correct frame rates. Why is the b-roll
footage of the factory flickering? If is important to note that
European countries are PAL. You may say why does that
matter for an HD, 2K, or 4K shoot? Its all about the Hertz
baby. European countries main frequency is 50 Hz so the
native frame rates that correspond are 50 or 25 fps.
America line frequency is 60 Hz so our corresponding frame
rates are 23.98, 24, 29.97, 30, 59.94, and 60fps. Most high
definition and digital cinema cameras are capable of
shooting all the frame rates above. It is important to have a
conversation with the local crew to discuss locations and if
the frame rate needs to be changed accordingly.
Here is an extremely concise answer and solution from
Steve Mahrer, Senior Technologist from Panasonic North
America. Shooting with any camera in a "non" native
frame rate environment is not uncommon, this is especially

true of 24p "film" style shooting, or if for example a US news

crew is shooting in Europe or vice versa. As you cannot
change Video Format, to stop flicker or strobing, it is
necessary to use the camera's Synchroscan shutter (fine
shutter) to null out any strobing caused by the local lighting
power frequency.
The basic formula is simple, TV frame rate divided by the
Power frequency x 360 = required shutter angle. For
example, in the US, if a camera is being shot at 24fps, and
the lighting is 60Hz, the shutter angle is calculated as 24 /
60.00 x 360 = 144 degrees.
If a US camera (running at 1080i 29.97) is being used in
London where the power is 50Hz, the shutter is adjusted to
215.8 degrees to stop flicker.
If an EU crew is shooting 1080 25p in New York, they will
set the shutter to 25/60 x 360 = 150 degrees.
Troubles may arise if the lighting is of many different
frequencies, e.g. AC power and HMI film slights, also some of
the new LED lighting use PWM to change the brightness...
this may cause flicker! If you're in a tough position and still
see flicker, simply adjust the Synchroscan shutter SLOWLY
and look at an WFM, adjust until the flicker is minimized.
NINE: Siesta. If you are planning to pick up a hard drive or
XQD card in the European south at 3PM you probably will
not get very far. Shops are closed for siesta from 2:30PM
5:30PM during the work week. Stores tend to have
abbreviated hours on the weekend as well, they close at
3PM on Saturday and dont open again until Monday
morning.
EIGHT: Mileage. The average cost of gas in the EU is $8/
gallon. It is good to be mindful of travel distance to and from
a location as well as during the shoot to capture b-roll of
landmarks. Bloomberg has a resource that lists countries by
currency, volume, and time frame.

SEVEN: Congestion charge. Cities like London and

Stockholm have congestion taxes. This is a fee that vehicles
are charged to drive into a city to reduce overcrowding and
pollution. Unlike a toll booth the cars license plates are
recognized by cameras and the owner is sent a bill.
SIX: Meal time. I had lunch time described from a
European crew once as a one hour sit down break.
Americans tend to understand lunch as a sandwich while we
drive to the next location.
Keith Surridge shared this entertaining anecdote. Back in
the 80s I shot for a large agricultural outfit from the midwest. The client lived on a huge farm/ranch there, 100s of
acres, which for us Europeans is almost inconceivable
because here everything is much smaller. Anyway we were
shooting in a one horse town in the back end of nowhere in
Germany and it was time for lunch. As always with overseas
clients I translated the menu...German stuff like sausages,
sauerkraut, pork etc. then I told him there was spaghetti
Bolognese on the menu, he looked at me and seriously asked
what that was. He had never heard of it! I wasn't too sure if
he was having me on but he was most sincere. I know you
have a lot of Italians in the states but I guess their culture
hasn't spread to the mid-west. He went for sausages.
FIVE: Language Apps. There are many foreign language
apps available on iTunes that will help you navigate each
European country. All of our DPs speak English and often
translate for Producers on location. It is always appreciated
to put forth a little effort, know a couple key phrases in the
native language to ease the interviewee.
FOUR: Holidays arent just for Americans. It is important to
familiarize yourself with local customs that may affect your
shoot schedule. It seems like a simple tip but it is important
to discuss your chosen date and time with the shoot subject
and the crew.

Surprisingly, people forget that other nations have

different holiday schedules and traditions! Find out what
days a city is closed for national holidays or even major
sporting events. Your shoot might have nothing to do with
the event or holiday, but those events can still affect your
project. Public transportation may be unavailable and
streets and businesses could be closed. This is especially
important when you need visas or permits to shoot in public
areas. If you need three days to get the permits cleared and
your shoot is on a Thursday, then Monday might not be
enough time to file if there are national holidays. Even with
crew and gear ready to go, you wont be able to do your
shoot unless youve requested the necessary paperwork the
week prior. Says Crews Control Production Manager
Becky Holzman
THREE: Get permission. Nothing shuts down your video
production faster than the police. When shooting in and
around landmarks you will need to have permits. Depending
on the country and the landmark it may takes weeks to get
the paperwork sorted through the correct channels. Where
some European countries are hard to get the paperwork in
place is seems that Spain isnt one of them.
Although Spain is fully integrated in the European Union
and between all EU members the Schengen borderless area
applies, if it comes to shooting film or video every European
country has its own rules and customs in terms of permits
and what can be done or what not. Spain is one of the
easiest countries to shoot in the EU. We do not need any
shooting permit to shoot on public spaces with a crew under
8 people and if not using a crane, dolly or any other major
grip device. Even if permits are needed they can be
organized in less than a week and do not cost much, unless
you plan to completely shut down traffic in Madrids 5th
Ave., Calle Gran Va, which we have done for a new Toyota

TV commercial a few months ago. Says Crews Control

represented DP Peter Specht
TWO: Passport and other travel information. You will need
a valid passport to enter every country in Europe. Dont
glaze over this tip. It is also important to note that many
countries require passport validity past your stay. For
example if you are going to Demark, Finland, or Greece you
will need a valid passport 3 months after the end of your trip
to enter the countrycheck those dates! The U.S. Passport
& International Travel website also has other important
information like the number of blank pages needed to entry
each country, vaccination requirements, currency
restrictions, and tourist visa information.
ONE: Dont get stopped at customs. Visas may be required
for Producers to be able to enter into a country
and Carnets are for any equipment that the Producer is
carrying with them. Of course, we suggest that you keep
your luggage light and allow the local crew to supply all of
the gear. Sometimes Producers like to carry specific support
video production equipment or cameras with them. You
must have a carnet for that production gear.
When in Rome, right! Please share your best tips and
stories of producing or capturing footage in European
countries. Likewise, we would love to hear more from
European crews working with American clients.
- See more at: http://crewscontrol.com/index.php/blogcentral/10-tips-for-shooting-video-ineurope#When:14:30:01Z