Where do I start?

SaraLou · January 31, 2004

My name is Sara Lewis and I'm sixteen years old, currently studying in Singapore (though I'm originally from New Zealand). I am very interested in Cinematography and am currently looking into taking it at University level but have no idea where to start in terms of qualifications beforehand.

I'm about to take IB (International Baccelaureate) and was wondering what the general course requirements are to get into Cinematography/Film & TV courses, i.e. are there any subjects I should be taking at IB level to help me get into universities? The school I'm attending does not have any Film Studies courses.

I am not experienced in any way, it's merely something that I've tried once and would love to learn more about. Are there any books anyone can recommend to me for getting started? Equipment? All I want really is some opinions on a good starting point for someone who is looking into Cinematography for the future.

Replies would be greatly appreciated, thanks alot :)

- Sara.

David Mullen ASC · January 31, 2004

I don't know if there is any classes at the high school level to help your chances of getting into film school, other than any basic photography course.

Your best bet at this point is to teach yourself by reading books, watching and studying movies, and going out and making your own amateur projects.

The bookstore section of this website lists books that we all recommended over the years.

John Pytlak RIP · February 2, 2004

The Kodak Student Filmmakers website has lots of information:

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/students...ml?id=0.1&lc=en

Dan Salzmann · February 4, 2004

I'd like to agree with David Mullen and underline that a cinematographer is at the core a photographer. You should be taking still photos (not with an automatic camera) and trying to keep a little logbook about each image (lens data, film, lighting conditions, exposure, etc.).

Look at photos, paintings, comic books and MOVIES, MOVIES, MOVIES!!!!!!!!!!

Read everything you can get your hands on. EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Make little movies on super8, 16, dv, whatever and look at your results objectively.

Get a summer job in a camera or lighting rental company - even if it's just sweeping the floors, you'll have low pressure hands-on experience and will be meeting people.

Cheers,

Dan

Bill DiPietra · February 6, 2004

I'd like to agree with David Mullen and underline that a cinematographer is at the core a photographer. You should be taking still photos (not with an automatic camera) and trying to keep a little logbook about each image (lens data, film, lighting conditions, exposure, etc.).
Look at photos, paintings, comic books and MOVIES, MOVIES, MOVIES!!!!!!!!!!

Read everything you can get your hands on. EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Make little movies on super8, 16, dv, whatever and look at your results objectively.

Get a summer job in a camera or lighting rental company - even if it's just sweeping the floors, you'll have low pressure hands-on experience and will be meeting people.

Cheers,

Dan

This is all pretty good advice. Get yourself a basic camcorder or still camera and make short movies or take photos. I would highlight the still photography angle. You learn a lot of fundamentals if you start there, rather than learning along the way with motion picture photography. Get your compositions and lighting down first. Then move into motion photography.

Good luck.

February 28, 2004

If you shoot B&W still 35mm film with colored filters and a fully manual camera your learning price will be lower for only the first rolls. Otherwise get a R8mm camera like a Bolex H8 and shoot some movie film. That way you don't need a 35mm still camera and all that extra expense. Bracket your first shots, keep records of everything and only use one film type and processor labratory till you get perfect results. Look for web sites as there are a ton of them. Some teach more than others. Use a hand held light meter. If you want to see my old teaching webs made with new film making learning in mind I could send you a copy; see my current web on learning 16mm shooting with cheap cameras and Black & White film:

http://www.16mmoviemaking.com

March 3, 2004

My advice to the aspiring film student:

You need to like art -- as many art forms as possible. Film is a combination of many art forms.

You need to listen to and like all kinds of music. If you could learn to play some instrument and even compose music, it's even better. Sing.

You need to be able to direct actors. Learn acting first. Learn the method.

You need to understand people. Learn psychology. You need to like people. If you don't, try to see the good things in everyone first. You need to be a leader and it would help to be a good speaker. Take classes in these areas if you need to.

Learn writing. Write movie treatments and screenplays, if you can.

You need to learn photography. You need a still camera that has manual functions, including depth-of-the-field preview. Old used 35 mm SLR camera will do, but get one with thru-the-lens full aperture metering. Don't get anything older than that. Get an incident light meter. Get lighting setup with several lights, even cheap ones. And you should have a bunch of lenses, from extreme wide angle to extreme telephoto. Fish-eye and macro would be helpful too. Get a set of Cokin filters. Get polarizing filter(s). Experiment. Shoot B/W too.

Get some books. One of the first books I ever read was Creative Filmmaking. It was excellent. Get books on photography, filmmaking, and on digital cinema.

Get a camcorder. If you can afford it, get Panasonic DVX 100A. If you can't get any video camera, preferably digital (DV, Digital 8). The camera should preferably have as many manual controls as possible.

Get video editing program, just a basic one that will do simple transicions like dissolves. And you need some program that will do slow motion. It means that it will simulate slow motion. If nothing else, then at least 2x slower than normal speed. If you can afford it, get P+S Mini 35 or similar adopter that will create more artistic images. I think that at most one year fom now we will see some inexpensive competing models.

The 2x slow motion has a significance because if you shoot to a side of a moving vehicle, on film the car appears to be moving at double speed (simplified explanation).

If you can, get also a good used Super 8 mm camera with slow motion and shoot a little bit with it. Nizo 560 and 800 are good inexpensive cameras to learn with. Do basic cuts and project the film with carefully selected music playing from a cassette onto which you mixed the music.

Get a shotgun microphone. Azden is good to start with.

Any camera you get, get a wide angle adapter for it.

Get a good tripod with fluid head, or at least one that simulates fluid head action (is extremely smooth especially on pans). Get a wheelchair for moving shots.

How do you get $ for all that? Shoot wedding videos on the weekend. You'll practice and it will pay.

See art movies. In industrialized ountries these are shown in all bigger cities. See all the Italan classics. See work by Bertolluci, Felini, Visconti, Antonioni, etc. See works by Ingmar Bergman (Sweedish). See a little bit of the French avantgard cinema. See Polish art film. See Russian art film. Learn relationship of music and picture. See Eisenstein's work. See Czech art film (Forman, Menzl). See all the art film that you can. I'm sure you've seen plenty of American film and will see a lot more. That is important too. In American directors you should see works by Copola, Scorcasee, etc. See Hitchcok (British). Even some of the films from Iran, China, and Germany are good. See Kurosawa's works (Japanese). See comedies. The Farley Brothers (There Is Something About Marry) are excellent commedy screenwriters.

Some movies that come to mind that you should see are:

Cries and Whispers

One Flew Over The Cookoo's Nest

Rosemary's Baby

The Pianist

Last Year in Marienbad

Streets of Fire

xXx

8-1/2

Fireman's Ball

My Sweet Little Village

The Godfather

Bourn Identity

The Incredible Adventures of Soldier Chonkin

Blow Up

Before Revolution

Last Tango In Paris

The Conformist

The Bicycle Thief (by Victorio De Sica)

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Birds of a Feather

Harold And Maude

If you enjoy this type of movies, you have a potential of becoming a great filmmaker. First time(s) you see the film, enjoy it. Next time(s) you see the film, try to understand the techniques used. Don't see it on DVD, see it in the theater. When you see it in the theater, find the best place where you are close to the action. If the sound gets too loud, complain once or twice until they lower the volume down sufficiently. Some theaters have poor sound systems and it ruins some pictures. Avoid them.

If you see it on a DVD, the sound system should be good. You don't need surround sound but stereo sound and good bass are a must. And the set should be preferably HDTV. Sit close enough to it but not as close as to see the TV lines, etc..

Try some of the European film schools. The Schools that Forman and Polanski came from put just as much emphasis on directing talent as on filmmaking. Or study both theater directing and film directing.

Forman and Menzl came from FAMU, probably www.famu.cz I just learned that they teach there in English too. This school has probably the highest percentage of succesful film professionals than any school, anywhere in the world, but may probably also the hardest to get into.

I'm sure that there are excellent film schools in Russia too and I'm sure that a good bribe there may help you get in. But you'll probably have to learn Russian first. They may not have the latest HD gear, but who cares. You need to learn the theory and technique of film. That is most important.

To get into film school in Europe or America you need a finished seconadary education (high school, gymnasium). You need a high school diploma or maturity examination certificate. And to get into the good ones in Europe and America you need a proof of creative abilities. You need an essay and a superb short film that you've made, presented on a VHS cassete or a DVD.

Be yourself and be creative.

Be healthy mentally. Eat healty, exercise; don't eat any sweets. No drugs and limit alcohol to one drink a day as the absolute maximum. Take good multiple vitamins from a health food store plus extra vitamin C.

Like yourself. Dress well.

Networking is important. Make as many friends in the industry as you can.

In school hang around art people.

Write and make as many films as possible.

Jo Laurits Aksdal · March 3, 2004

Learn Adobe Photoshop! Here you can tweak your still photos in endless ways. It's great for training your visual taste.

March 3, 2004

Sorry, in my previous post I made recommendations regarding film director studies. For cinematography you can skip the unrelated stuff. The writer, the director, and the DP (director of photography) are most important in creating a picture. Then comes the editor and producer, in my opinion.

Nate Downes · March 13, 2004

If you shoot B&W still 35mm film with colored filters and a fully manual camera your learning price will be lower for only the first rolls. Otherwise get a R8mm camera like a Bolex H8 and shoot some movie film. That way you don't need a 35mm still camera and all that extra expense. Bracket your first shots, keep records of everything and only use one film type and processor labratory till you get perfect results. Look for web sites as there are a ton of them. Some teach more than others. Use a hand held light meter. If you want to see my old teaching webs made with new film making learning in mind I could send you a copy; see my current web on learning 16mm shooting with cheap cameras and Black & White film:
http://www.16mmoviemaking.com

Doesn't even have to be an H8. A B8 or an L8 will help.

Shoot, even go for Super8 cameras, they can be found at flea markets for under $10. (That's how I got started) I've done more than a little work on my $5 Vivitar Super8. Or on my $20 Bolex L8.