The Wrong Thing…
Ok I’m writing this because I have come to the realization of something. That realization is the fact that a lot of people are making decisions based on the wrong thing. This is something that is very near and dear to my heart and is basically something that my life revolves around, which is Film. Anyways, I have been working in the entertainment/marketing industry for about a year or two before I came to Full Sail, and since I have came to Full Sail I have fell in love with Lighting (which is in my opinion a key thing in the Film industry, and I’m sure most filmmakers will agree), being a Director of Photography. One thing that I have learned from my experience in the industry prior to Full Sail and during was something that I feel that some filmmakers will disagree with is the fact that as far as a being a DP goes, it doesn’t matter what it was shot on or if it was lit with three lights. I feel that a lot of filmmakers are getting caught up in the “camera race” which is basically who has (or who has access to) the best camera, lens, or light kit on the market. I have been on a few famous DP’s websites and I know for a fact one of the DPs posted a blog on how to put together a low budget light kit from home depot! Honestly I have learned a lot since I have been at Full Sail and in all honesty I know I (and I’m sure quite a few other filmmakers) could make a beautiful film with a T3i or iPhone and a DIY light kit that we built from home depot. I think has turned into who has the “best” gear and the “most” resolution. I myself have a $3,500 Sony Camera (which is roughly about the price of a 5d Mark III or alittle over the soon to come Black Magic Camera) which shoots AVCHD format (Full HD Quality) but nobody wants to use it because “its either to hard to get Depth of Field”, “It won’t match up to the DSLR’s we are shooting with,” or “we can’t change to a different lens”. Well here is what I have to say about that, 1st: If you have a good enough Camera Operator and/or DP(unless a green Cam Op or DP) will know how to get shallow depth of field with any camera he lays his hands on PERIOD! 2nd Goes right back to the Cam Op and/or DP to make sure that all cameras look as close as possible (sometimes to the human eye) to each other and also I know this is bad to say but color correction can match the two cameras up. Finally to the third excuse why nobody wants to use my camera, which is the fact that they can’t change lenses, here is what I have to say about that, I HAVE A 29 TO 590mm LENS ON MY SONY!!!!!!! Which means unless you want a shot wider than 29mm(which honestly is going to make your talent look like they have a face that is stretched and distorted or it will look fisheye) or you want to shoot a safari for Nat Geo then by all means use a DSLR but honestly my sony camera can get the exact same thing that a DSLR can unless you want to one of the options I just mentioned above. The point that I’m trying to get across is the fact that a lot of people are concentrated on THE WRONG THING!
In the filmmaking world to many of the new filmmakers (from what I have seen in film school atleast) want to hire people with the best top of the line gear(who probably don’t know how to operate it cause either it just came out or they are too scared to play and experiment or research it) and then they hire that person just because of what gear they own and not because that filmmaker has an beautiful demo reel and knows how to take something that will be shot on a T3i(which anybody can buy from Walmart by the way) or whatever is will be shot on and communicate with his cam ops and director about what he is thinking of or looking for. GRANTED!!! I do understand that the film industry is all about money, and even filmmakers have to pay bills. FILMMAKERS!!!!!!! READ THIS AND TAKE IT IN!!!! Just because someone doesn’t have top of the line gear doesn’t mean that they won’t provide you a good product and “probably” do it for cheaper than what you were going to pay the person with the top of the line gear. With that being said FILMMAKERS THAT OWN ANY KIND OF GEAR!!!!! Don’t under sell yourself!!!!!!!! If you have a great knowledge of cameras, lighting, etc and you have the demo reel and the call sheets to back up you and your knowledge of whatever it is DON’T UNDERSELL YOURSELF!!! Honestly I have done A LOT of free projects and that is only because it was my first project in that particular position, I really liked the project and they had little to no budget, or it was for a friend. By all means if they are your really good friends and they hook you up with jobs no matter if the pay is 50 a day or 500 a day, hook them up too!! Basically you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours. Whether its giving 200% at being a PA, and buying your friend lunch or whatever. Repay the favor, because in the film industry its not so much what you know (although it does play a big roll if you don’t know anybody) it’s WHO you know. I just hate seeing the industry that I love and spend every single breath that I have working at it being driven to the ground because people want the top of the line gear. WELL I have to say it but gear changes, with a new camera coming out every few weeks the only thing that doesn’t change is knowledge, which honestly in the film industry you should never ever stop learning. I myself learn something new every single time I shoot something even if its just photography. I guess what it boils down to is filmmakers need to focus more on the STORY and the art of filmmaking instead of what new piece of gear is coming out.
