Safety Cables Are A MUST HAVE! | Cinematography Safety
One of the most important parts of any film set is safety, in fact, it should be everyone’s first priority. Being a Director of Photography is more than just a cool art job, you are the head of a department leading both the camera and lighting. And, as a leader, it is part of your job to keep people safe and to stand up for proper safety procedures. There are hundreds of individual opportunities for damage, danger, dismemberment, and even death on any film set. I say it over and over, but film sets are like construction sites and should be treated with just as much caution. A movie is not worth anyone’s life.
While videos are a fun way to learn about new lights that are coming out, most miss out on giving the audience additional knowledge on how to be safe using light and grip gear. Today’s topic is: the safety cable. My favorite brands of these are Impact and Matthews, definitely be aware there are 3rd party brands out there that sell thinner versions that might not be as safe. A five-pack will run you about $25 to $35, and you can find them individually through this affiliate link. They’re easily the most important part of any grip kit.
One of the most basic places that safety cables are used is in securing barn doors to lights that are going to be above people’s heads. Having the barn doors fall off and hit somebody in the head or the eye could cause serious, lifelong, or even fatal harm. To properly use the safety cable to secure barn doors, just simply thread it through the square corner of the barn door and then all the way through the yoke. And then clip it together so that it is all secure and it creates a continuous circle that connects to this point with this point. Your light might actually have a built-in connection point. If it does, use that. Never connect the barndoors around the stand itself or to a knob or handle. Those places are not secure because it can easily become undone with just even a little bit of movement. The idea is that both ends of the cable are connected in a way that there are no open points. If you’re going to be doing any sort of rigging or clamping to an overhead pipe, lighting rigs, etc. you need to be using safety cables to make sure that it’s a secure connection to a static hold. For example, if I’m going to use a pipe clamp to attach a light to an overhead pipe, I’m going to first attach the barn doors and then secure them to the lights yoke. Then I’m going to attach the pipe clamp using the baby pin. And then I’m going to secure that to the light with a safety cable. And finally, I’m going to attach the clamp to the pipe and then I’m going to secure that from the ring on the clamp to around the pipe. These three connections there have only added around 30 seconds to the entire rigging time and they can save a lot of pain and suffering. Don’t cut corners! The way I look at it is that anytime you have a new connection, you will need to use a cable to make sure that there is a backup for that connection in case it fails. This also goes for overhead mounted lighting modifiers such as a two by three silk on a grip head. If it can fall, it needs to have a safety cable. Mistakes happen and safety cables save lives.
By always using safety cables and holding your team accountable for using them as well. We can work together to make all film sets safe for everyone. And if you or someone you know feel unsafe or uncomfortable with how something has been put together, talk to your department head, the director, or the producer immediately. While we all must work together to stay safe, these are the people that are ultimately responsible for creating safe work conditions.
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AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS DISCUSSED:
- Impact Safety Cables – https://amzn.to/3bqi55G
- Affordable Softbox I Love – https://amzn.to/3wdcNUJ
- Lens Used – Rokinon Cine 35mm – https://amzn.to/3EtRFMx
- Lens Used – Sigma 18-300 – https://amzn.to/3jP5ld6
NON-AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS DISCUSSED:
Impact Safety Cable – Better Deal – https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1020057-REG/impact_sc_1815_safety_cable_1_5mm.html Matthews Safety Cables – https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/634747-REG/Matthews_6348_1_100_Safety_Cable.html
Affordable Softbox I love – Better Deal – https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1342034-REG/godox_sb_nbm_octa95_sb_nbm_octa_95cm_softbox.html
***Please be careful of sub-par safety cables sold in cheap packs. I have only linked Matthews and Impact because that is what I have used and find to be safe. Always read reviews and check technical specs before purchasing or using safety equipment! It is unfortunate that not all manufacturers or sellers have integrity with their safety products.***