The Kellyton Shot

          E:60’s story on Justin Tuck tells of his attachment to his hometown, rural Kellyton, Ala., even as he captains the defense for the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.  Kellyton has a few more than 200 residents and many are relatives of Tuck.

          Producer Frank Saraceno wanted to show Kellyton in a way that explained its hold on Tuck.  In August Saraceno shot scenics, along with reporter Jeffri Chadiha, and with Barry Dycus on the camera and Ray Sullivan on audio, near the railroad tracks.  Saraceno mentioned that he hoped to find a “local” to go on camera and describe the town.

          A pickup truck pulled up nearby.  Neil Moseley, who grew up in Kellyton, and whose father lives near the tracks, greeted the crew.  Moseley, a friendly sort, chatted with Sullivan before he went over to his father’s driveway.

          “There’s your man, right there,” Sullivan told Saraceno.

          “What do you mean?”

          “Talk to him and I think he’ll give you everything you need.”

          Saraceno went up the driveway and introduced himself to Moseley.  They chatted.  Then he asked Moseley if he would describe Kellyton on camera.  

          “Yes siree.  Ah can do that.”

          Soon enough, Moseley and Chadiha were at the railroad tracks, next to Moseley’s pickup.  Saraceno suggested to Moseley that he “speak to what you know”. 

          Dycus shot with a wide lens, to accentuate the town Moseley described in the background.

          “I had no idea he was going to describe the different locations in town, but he just kind of naturally did it,” Saraceno said.

          “By framing it the way we did it’s a memorable shot, because now Kellyton is a character.  If we framed it tighter it would be another sound bite, but by framing it wide you not only see what he’s describing but you get a sense of the town as a character.

          “It was perfect.”

          Saraceno had two takeaways from the shoot. 

          “One, listen to the people you work with,” he said. “We work with camera crews that in a lot of cases have more experience than we do - it’s imperative that you pay attention to their instincts as well as yours.”

          “Two, be aware and nimble.  Always go in with a plan but understand that something could pop up that makes your plan better.

          “This was one shot in an 11-minute piece, but it’s the shot people will remember.  That’s what you want.”

posted by Steve Marantz, November 1, 2012