Maintaining Routine Amid the Chaos

Before the racecar even pulls off the speedway, the pit crew is already poised- arranged precisely and equipped with exactly the right tools. While the pit stop looks chaotic to the viewer, every movement is closely calculated, practiced, perfected. Being able to efficiently complete the necessary maintenance and get the racecar back on the track is as crucial to success as the driver driving fast.

This is the image in my mind this morning, as the three of us stand on the dock, watching the plane taxi in from its morning flight. Trevor has the video camera rolling, John and I each hold a selection of wrenches and screwdrivers. We guide the plane to a stop, tie down the floats, and immediately begin expertly separating boxes from plane, cameras from boxes. Before Trip can collect his belongings and unfold himself from the backseat, we have the go pros down and turned off, the wing mount camera out of the box and back in its case, and the vertical DSLR box unmounted and inside.

When the pit crew propels the racecar down the runway and back onto the track, the tv cameras follow the vehicle- the star- as it continues its fight for gold. What the spectators never see is the unbroken routine the pit crew maintains off camera.

Back inside, we follow acute protocol on data organization and task distribution. Each camera is stripped of its memory card and battery. The used batteries stack on the desk, behind and to the right of the computer. The labels, taped in a row to the right of the computer, classify each card that is deliberately added to the collection. I attach the depleted batteries to their corresponding chargers, then begin the arduous task of “dumping data”. I connect a single card to the computer and preview the footage, tagging anything spectacular. The data is organized on a series of industrial harddrives, by date, camera, and event. Each folder receives a text document providing an overall description of the shoot. Using a USB 3.0 cardreader doubles the speed of the upload, but each card can still take up to 20 minutes.

When the crew has completed the pit stop routine, replaced tools, and discarded oil cans, the members seamlessly begin preparing for the next round, restocking tires, organizing spare parts, cleaning workspace. While the racecar is racing, with fresh tires and a full tank of gas, the pit crew is not lounging, but still working away, behind the scenes.

Once the footage from each card is uploaded, categorized, tagged, and noted, the card resides on the left side of the computer, joined by any other “dumped” cards, ready to be redeployed. These cards are distributed to each of the cameras, along with a fresh battery, then cleared and formatted for that camera. We then repack the equipment in pelican cases, padded bags, and waterproof housing, along with lenses, extra batteries, gps attachments, tripod mounts, lens cloths, intervelometers, silica gel.

A pit crew is made up of 6 individuals working feverishly in a space not much larger than a single-car garage, a potentially disastrous formula. Instead, like an intricate ballet routine, these practiced individuals dance around each other with skill and finesse.

Our team of five lives and works full time in a 500 square foot cabin, which mathematically offers us each a 10x10 patch of shelter. Realistically, though we personally retain less than that; the camera equipment alone demands more than its own 10x10.

As we find our routine among the chaos of an expedition, we compose our own clumsy ballet. There is constant chatter, providing the melody over the rhythm of clanging, typing, munching, scraping. “The 5D Mark 3 is reloaded and ready to go”, “I need an extra card for the C300”, “we need to load the 5D into the waterproof casing”, “I pulled the rest of the go pros out of the cockpit”, “oh man check out this footage!” With five people moving, packing, and requiring camera equipment this is the way to ensure we spend more time shooting than searching for misplaced gear.

While this must seem chaotic to an outsider, like a pit crew scrambling around a racecar, our movements are calculated and purposeful; we maintain routine amid the chaos.