What's going to make us be in business?

[Maheshwar E Singh]

Hey,

 

I just passed out of college and joined a DP as an assistant.(In South India, the production is little disorganized with a lot of mixed work) When I joined college, it was few months after 5D Mark II was introduced and there was a great amount of Photographers and DOP's making amateur(literally, not about the quality) films and photos.

 

Now there's more competition than ever and being digital its more easier achieving good exposure and other technicalities than a film camera. In India, atleast, theaters are dying out and last year alone around 75% films had debut Directors/Dp's.

 

With these things, Apart from a Individual's style what do you think will get a DP a good run in the industry?

(I am just starting out and this is just lingering in my mind for a long time)

 

Thanks and Regards,

 

Maheshwar Singh

[Travis Gray]

Make good art.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Know how to avoid political pitfalls. Be honest, be early, work hard, network, know what you're doing, pray.

[Geoff Howell]

Networking, Networking, Networking

 

 

and when you're finished do some more Networking

[Maheshwar E Singh]

Thanks everyone :)

 

Adrian what do you mean by political pitfalls?

Edited July 27, 2012 by Maheshwar E Singh

[Adrian Sierkowski]

A lot of film making is politics-- who is talking to whom, who likes whom, a lot of it can get catty and rather grade school and honestly silly. You must learn to be as diplomatic as possible without looking like a kiss-ass, and be honest but at the same time considerate to other people's egos. When someone does a big favor for you-- you owe them a bigger favor (IMHO). Things like that. It takes a lot of time to get a good feeling of how to go about wrangling the politics of a set-- but you need to be aware of them and work within them. Things like chain of command (e.g. don't go talking right to the DoP if you're a PA, but if you do see something, tell the next person a head of you). those kind of things-- if that makes sense.

[Rex Harris]

A DP friend of mine was enjoying a rich and steady work flow shooting commercials until he made a fundamental error. During a shoot for a restaurant commercial the client complained that the food looked 'off'. This was universally agreed amongst the crew to be the fault of the food stylist who in fairness was lovely but rather inexperienced.

 

Rather than taking the issue up with the food stylist and 'keeping the client happy', he took the issue up with the agency 'go-between' who promptly fired him and he was replaced shortly after.

 

He was a damn good cinematographer who was well on his way to bigger and bigger projects but thanks to this little diplomatic oversight his work-flow has decreased and his name is tarnished.

 

If you have respect for everyone on set, you'll find it easier to progress.

[Maheshwar E Singh]

Ah! Thanks Adrian and Rex :)