Interesting site with clips, demo reel, and advice at DVinfo.net

John Locke · July 2nd, 2003, 06:29 PM

http://www.artadams.net/essays/students.htm

Keith Loh · July 2nd, 2003, 08:50 PM

Good link. I make good coffee.

Rob Lohman · July 11th, 2003, 01:05 PM

I think this is my doom.... I never drank any coffee nor know how
to make it. Bad?

Dylan Couper · July 11th, 2003, 01:48 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Rob Lohman : I think this is my doom.... I never drank any coffee nor know how
to make it. Bad? -->>>

Yes. You are fired. Get the hell off my set. You'll never work in this town again! ;)

Learn how to make great coffee, and learn about different types of coffee. It will endeer you to many employers over the years.

When it comes down to layoffs, you will always be considered crucial to your boss.

If you are working as a PA, the director will always keep you close at hand.

It's a good icebreaker too, I think 90% of the working world drinks coffee. Also a good way to ask a girl out if dinner is too much, "want to go for coffee?"

Rob Lohman · July 11th, 2003, 01:54 PM

I always ask em out for tea... more original <g>

John Locke · July 11th, 2003, 05:53 PM

<<Also a good way to ask a girl out if dinner is too much, "want to go for coffee?">>

THAT's what I've been doing wrong all these years! "Want to go for a ham and cheese sandwich?" just hasn't been working. Dylan, you may have changed my life.

Brad Simmons · July 11th, 2003, 06:30 PM

"If you are an aspiring cinematographer, the best path is to write a blockbuster script, sell it to a studio, and attach yourself as cinematographer."

Hmm. Easier said than done me thinks. There's a lot of good info in that article, but that statement stuck out in my mind, since he said is was the best way to break in.

It's hard enough for full time screenwriters to get their script seen by a studio, much less produced. And how many cinematographers out there are adept at writing "blockbuster" screenplays? My guess is not too many. Someone please point me to a full fledged DP on IMDB that broke into the industry by screenwriting and I'll change my opinion.

Maybe I'm way off base here, but why would a studio let someone
shoot a film soley based on their screenplay? Obviously if it's your script you have them by the balls, but how could a studio trust someone to handle the technical aspects of cinematography on a high budget feature based on their writing ability? If you show good strengths as a DP, then surely they would be more willing to hire you because of that, not because your script.

So imagine that I write a wonderful script, it makes it past the agents, Jack Nicholson and Brad Pitt are interested so the budget skyrockets. But I wanna be the DP - I have some experience shooting in digital and maybe one or two low budget features shot on film. Would the studio really accept someone like me instead of Bob Richardson, Michael Ballhaus or Laslo Kovacks, knowing they can afford them and knowing the film will be good quality? My bet is that they wouldn't risk it and would just try to pay me off until I was satisfied.

As far as becoming the coffee bitch in order to break it into the industry, that's not something I'm really interested in. No doubt that is the path many people take, but there's got to be another way. What about going the path of Matthew Libatique? http://us.imdb.com/Name?Libatique,+Matthew
His friendship and working relationship on successful films with Darren Aronofsky is what catapulted him into the big leagues.

Dylan Couper · July 12th, 2003, 04:24 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by John Locke : <<Also a good way to ask a girl out if dinner is too much, "want to go for coffee?">>

THAT's what I've been doing wrong all these years! "Want to go for a ham and cheese sandwich?" just hasn't been working. Dylan, you may have changed my life. -->>>

That's amateur stuff though. If you want to cut the the chase, ask a girl out for lap dances. If she says yes, done deal.

Anyway, Brad, there's lots of ways into the industry. Realisticaly, starting as coffee b1tch probably has the highest ratio of success over any other method.

Rob Lohman · July 14th, 2003, 03:26 AM

That was more or less my thought as well, Brad! I highly doubt
some people start out with DP'ing through script writing. Personally
I believe if showing them good work you've done before. Always
seemed to work in my professional working life (not video/film
related).

July 2nd, 2003, 06:29 PM	#1
John Locke Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Austin, TX USA Posts: 2,882	Interesting site with clips, demo reel, and advice http://www.artadams.net/essays/students.htm __________________ John Locke SursumFilms.com

July 2nd, 2003, 08:50 PM	#2
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	Good link. I make good coffee. __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

July 11th, 2003, 01:05 PM	#3
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	I think this is my doom.... I never drank any coffee nor know how to make it. Bad? __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

July 11th, 2003, 01:48 PM	#4
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	<<<-- Originally posted by Rob Lohman : I think this is my doom.... I never drank any coffee nor know how to make it. Bad? -->>> Yes. You are fired. Get the hell off my set. You'll never work in this town again! ;) Learn how to make great coffee, and learn about different types of coffee. It will endeer you to many employers over the years. When it comes down to layoffs, you will always be considered crucial to your boss. If you are working as a PA, the director will always keep you close at hand. It's a good icebreaker too, I think 90% of the working world drinks coffee. Also a good way to ask a girl out if dinner is too much, "want to go for coffee?" __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

July 11th, 2003, 01:54 PM	#5
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	I always ask em out for tea... more original <g> __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

July 11th, 2003, 05:53 PM	#6
John Locke Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Austin, TX USA Posts: 2,882	<<Also a good way to ask a girl out if dinner is too much, "want to go for coffee?">> THAT's what I've been doing wrong all these years! "Want to go for a ham and cheese sandwich?" just hasn't been working. Dylan, you may have changed my life. __________________ John Locke SursumFilms.com

July 11th, 2003, 06:30 PM	#7
Brad Simmons Major Player Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Washington DC Posts: 304	"If you are an aspiring cinematographer, the best path is to write a blockbuster script, sell it to a studio, and attach yourself as cinematographer." Hmm. Easier said than done me thinks. There's a lot of good info in that article, but that statement stuck out in my mind, since he said is was the best way to break in. It's hard enough for full time screenwriters to get their script seen by a studio, much less produced. And how many cinematographers out there are adept at writing "blockbuster" screenplays? My guess is not too many. Someone please point me to a full fledged DP on IMDB that broke into the industry by screenwriting and I'll change my opinion. Maybe I'm way off base here, but why would a studio let someone shoot a film soley based on their screenplay? Obviously if it's your script you have them by the balls, but how could a studio trust someone to handle the technical aspects of cinematography on a high budget feature based on their writing ability? If you show good strengths as a DP, then surely they would be more willing to hire you because of that, not because your script. So imagine that I write a wonderful script, it makes it past the agents, Jack Nicholson and Brad Pitt are interested so the budget skyrockets. But I wanna be the DP - I have some experience shooting in digital and maybe one or two low budget features shot on film. Would the studio really accept someone like me instead of Bob Richardson, Michael Ballhaus or Laslo Kovacks, knowing they can afford them and knowing the film will be good quality? My bet is that they wouldn't risk it and would just try to pay me off until I was satisfied. As far as becoming the coffee bitch in order to break it into the industry, that's not something I'm really interested in. No doubt that is the path many people take, but there's got to be another way. What about going the path of Matthew Libatique? http://us.imdb.com/Name?Libatique,+Matthew His friendship and working relationship on successful films with Darren Aronofsky is what catapulted him into the big leagues.

July 12th, 2003, 04:24 AM	#8
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	<<<-- Originally posted by John Locke : <<Also a good way to ask a girl out if dinner is too much, "want to go for coffee?">> THAT's what I've been doing wrong all these years! "Want to go for a ham and cheese sandwich?" just hasn't been working. Dylan, you may have changed my life. -->>> That's amateur stuff though. If you want to cut the the chase, ask a girl out for lap dances. If she says yes, done deal. Anyway, Brad, there's lots of ways into the industry. Realisticaly, starting as coffee b1tch probably has the highest ratio of success over any other method. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

July 14th, 2003, 03:26 AM	#9
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	That was more or less my thought as well, Brad! I highly doubt some people start out with DP'ing through script writing. Personally I believe if showing them good work you've done before. Always seemed to work in my professional working life (not video/film related). __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors