How to handle a shot that is unachievable.
I think that these days, ANY shot is achievable, no matter how insane the idea may be. It all depends what equipment, time, budget and resources are at your disposal. If I'm asked to do a shot that I don't feel is possible, within our means, I'll say so, but I'll also offer an alternative. I'll start with what, in my professional opinion, we would need to actally achieve the shot they're describing. Whether that's a specialized crane or remote head or the demolition of a wall, or a piece of exotic gear we don't have or perhaps introducing CG elements. I'll use that as a starting point for the conversation. Here's the way I think it could (and should) be done. Now since we can't do that, let's discuss what means we actually have at our disposal, and what compromises we can make to achieve the closest version of the shot requested. Or perhaps explore another shot concept that tells the story just as effectively. I try to offer these options instead of flat out stating that the shot can't be done.
The best way to do it, after you’ve explained the issues, is show, don’t tell. Demonstrate what the issues are and invite them to help you figure out the issues. The single exception is safety. In that case, make sure to explain that your re concerned that there is a safety issue and that production may have a liability issue on their hands. This generally stops things in their tracks.
