My DIT Cart: Aljoscha Kirschner

This time on the blog, we’re sitting down with Aljoscha Kirschner, a DIT based in Japan. Unlike many other markets, it’s common here for DITs to also handle VTR duties alongside their usual responsibilities. That means Aljoscha’s setup has to be flexible enough to cover everything from data management to playback. Let’s take a close look at what’s in Aljoscha’s kit and how Reeltime has helped him streamline his multi-faceted workflow even more. Off to Japan! 

Welcome to the Pomfort Blog! Where are we catching you right now? 

Aljoscha: „Thanks for having me on! I’m currently based in Tokyo, Japan, although I started working in film in Germany. I’m Taiwanese, so returning to Asia has been a great change of pace.“ 

Besides your personal excitement to be back in Asia, what is it about Japan that really stands out from a film production perspective?

Aljoscha: „Japan is geographically one of the most varied places in the world. It’s got some of the hottest summers, coldest winters (up north), deep jungles, and vast dry sand beaches. This provides a myriad of production challenges, as productions and DPs expect the same level of control over the image regardless of location. Add to that the fact that VTR also belongs in the DIT’s department here, so the DIT also needs to plan the entire monitoring workflow for each of these situations, too.”

How did you develop the skills to handle these additional responsibilities?

Aljoscha: „Back in Germany, I started out as an assistant editor on corporate and commercial projects. When I eventually moved to on-set work, the skills and knowledge from editorial naturally carried over into original data management and dailies operating, then eventually video operating, and then DIT.”

What kinds of projects do you mainly work on today?

Aljoscha: „In Japan, the vast majority of DITs work mostly in commercials and short-form content, as the market and budgets are spent mostly on those formats. The same applies to me, although most of us would love to work on more long-form, as far as I can tell.

In Japan, the vast majority of DITs work mostly in commercials and short-form content.

Interestingly, Japan also has crews specialized in working on international productions. This is because the ’international standard’ differs in workflow from the Japanese domestic market, where (for example) they have a lighting director instead of a gaffer, and the head of the camera team is a ’camera chief’ instead of the 1st AC. 

Often, I end up working on such international projects, where my job as a DIT extends beyond the typical responsibilities of managing the look, quality checking, and designing workflows. I also act as a liaison between the creatives/producers/clients from overseas and the local service providers and productions, in order to provide a setup that the international creatives and clients can comfortably work with.“ 

That mix of domestic and international work sounds pretty unique. Can you share a recent project where that really came together?

Aljoscha: „Recently, I was lucky enough to be hired for Asahi Beer’s commercial for their European campaign. The DP, Mauro Chiarello, had only minimal prep time before coming to Japan, so we ended up having to find the film’s look on set while traveling to about 10 locations within four days.

Luckily, by using a combination of Silverstack, DaVinci Resolve Live, and my own in-camera grading app called LookPocket, we were able to strongly define the look of the film by constantly riding the contrast and black levels. In fact, it worked out so well that the final grading basically matches our on-set grading 1:1, if I may say so myself!“

While we’re at it, let’s talk more about your gear! What matters most to you when building your setup for a project? 

Aljoscha: „I like keeping my setup very portable and easy to take apart. Most DPs I work with operate themselves, and we like to do as much as possible in-camera. Because of that, I’ve been moving as much of my work as possible onto mobile kits or small, individual pieces of equipment, like iPads. I also live grade directly in-camera, so the DP can sign off on the color as we shoot. This way, dailies can be generated without the DP and me having to go back and forth between the camera and the cart or truck.“

Sounds very modular and flexible. Can you walk us through the different bits and pieces?

Aljoscha: „I have different kits of equipment that I regularly use. Some notable ones are my 3U video and live grading rack, my 2U playback rack, a utility cart with Mac Studio for backups and transcoding, and my two iPads – one for camera control and live grading, the other for scopes (e.g., “DIT handheld monitor”). I also have a live-streaming setup with Teradek TV, Teradek Serv 4K, and Apple TV for those long-distance remote monitoring situations.

I don’t like having too many monitors on my cart or stands, since I’d sacrifice my own comfort for the director or DP to use. In those situations, I generally set up right next to the director’s or DP village and watch on the same monitors, in order to keep communication fluid and actively take part in creating the film.”

What recent additions have made the biggest difference for you?

Aljoscha: „Wi-Fi HaLow has been an absolute game changer for DIT workflows, as it did mine. Since no common HaLow devices are certified for use in Japan, I ended up having to make my own with locally certified boards.

And recently, integrating Reeltime Lite and Pro into my setups has made keeping a consistent look so much simpler as well. I carried my usual VTR setup directly over for use with Reeltime. In fact, I was able to make it simpler by not needing any hardware multi-viewers in typical situations, because Reeltime has very powerful multi-view features which can be called up with a press of a button. So A/B-ing previous setups or scenes has never been simpler, allowing my DPs and me to really keep our look to very stringent targets.

Integrating Reeltime Lite and Pro into my setups has made keeping a consistent look so much simpler […].

For example, I was recently called to travel to Korea on short notice for a three-camera multi-cam beauty commercial. Due to the flight, I was only able to fly with my 2U rack and a bag of AKS. Reeltime Pro’s 3-channel setup came in clutch; I was able to route the video inputs and outputs conveniently through only an AJA Io4K and UltraStudio Monitor 3G, allowing convenient switching between cameras and comparing shots whenever we need, on a tiny footprint, all while recording all cameras in full 1080p quality. Add on top of that, camera control and live grading in camera via Wi-Fi HaLow on an iPad or MacBook, I now feel confident to take on any job, anywhere.“

Beyond Reeltime (wink), do you have a favorite part of your setup?

Aljoscha: „My favorite component has to be my handheld setup overall. It’s a very recent addition, but it gives me high-quality scopes and customizable false colors that I designed myself, along with camera control and live grading on some cinema cameras. I can also control camera playback, so I no longer need to ask the ACs for high-speed playback. In many run-and-gun situations, I can even rely on it as the sole source of playback.

Japan is a land of paperwork, and interestingly, you’re typically allowed to shoot anywhere you want; you’re just not allowed to put any stands or carts down. This generally means we’re running the camera and focus handheld, so now I’m able to follow along in these situations and advise the team as well as color the image.“

Are there any moments that really stand out from recent projects?

Aljoscha: „Several months ago, for another job in Korea, I was called to travel there within 24 hours before shooting call. To add salt to the injury, I found out it was a four-camera job with high-speed, location shoots, a Technocrane, Steadicam, lots of VFX, and more.

Just a year ago, I most likely would’ve declined the job, believing I wouldn’t be able to service it satisfactorily. But now, armed with these small but incredibly powerful kits, and thanks to the incredible crew local to Seoul, I was able to fly to Korea at 2 AM, begin shooting at 9 AM, and develop a strong look for the music video, which carried all the way through to the final product, and did that for three days. I definitely felt quite proud when the video was released, and my touch of the look remained in it.“

What’s the most challenging part of your work as a DIT? And what’s the most rewarding? 

Aljoscha: „For me, the job of a DIT is to ultimately provide a sense of safety to the team. And to advise the production, director, DP, and crew in a way that allows them to do their best work is definitely the hardest part of the job.

Even for avid crew members, often the job of a DIT is a black box of mysteries that they do not understand. But if I’m able to give them the strong feeling of security, such that they have faith in what I say regardless of what I do, then I can sleep soundly at night.“ 

For me, the job of a DIT is to ultimately provide a sense of safety to the team. And to advise the production, director, DP, and crew in a way that allows them to do their best work is definitely the hardest part of the job.

And finally, looking ahead a bit—what’s next for you?

Aljoscha: „Since Japan is the land of broadcast, much of our on-set workflows are well worked out and solid. But the DIT often has little to no involvement with pre- and post-production.

The next project I want to work on is expanding DIT into a whole workflow design, by defining clear targets for lighting, look, and more with productions, directors, and DPs on an individual basis, so we can rock onto set with a true sense of what we are aiming for. 

This involves setting up look development spaces, comfortable viewing vans/setups for directors and clients, and more reliable methods to transmit video within the very stringent wireless regulations of Japan. I’m looking forward to this next stage of development, and to allow creatives even more control over their image, to worry less about technicalities and continue doing their best work consistently.“ 

Thanks so much for sharing these insights with us, and all the best for your next endeavors!