Tips For a 15 Year Old Cinematographer

[Ethan Harris]

Hi, I'm a 15 year old just starting out and learning fast. Film runs in my family, and with the DSLR revolution, I've been given more creativity than ever before. I've got a T2i and a 7D, along with a L-series 24-105 and a few others. I'm curious to see what the real world thinks of my work, so linked below is my reel, tell me what you think! My reel isn't quite updated, so if you're interested, watch my other videos on Vimeo as well (I'd really appreciate it). Only constructive criticism and advice please.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2013 by Ethan Harris

[David Mullen ASC]

Very impressive, especially the camera movements. Eventually you'll need more interior scenes that require moody, dramatic lighting on your reel, especially some nice close-ups.

[Ethan Harris]

 

Edited May 5, 2013 by Ethan Harris

[Ethan Harris]

Very impressive, especially the camera movements. Eventually you'll need more interior scenes that require moody, dramatic lighting on your reel, especially some nice close-ups.

 

Thanks for you comment, and I would agree. Some of the troubles I've had with interior lighting is a lack of detail and too much noise, but I get the feeling I'll improve over time. Thanks for the complement on camera movements, although I think I need to work on operating my Glidecam a bit. I have a Blackmagic Production Camera 4K coming, so that ought to help working in low light, too. By the way, I'm really enjoying the filming in Smash, I like the steadycam work.

 

 

 

[Benny Tan]

Impressive! I definitely second David - dramatic lighting will work wonders. Some shots appear a little flat and dull.

 

You seem to have a good grasp of the fundamentals from depth of field to composition - and I'll be honest and say this tops many things I see from Film school students & graduates!

 

All the best with the BlackMagic. I'm waiting on one myself too!

[Paul Bartok]

Possibly invest in a fluid head tripod, to get smoother pans and tilts

[Ethan Harris]

Yeah, I'm looking to get a Manfrotto MVH502A Fluid Head w/ MVT502AM, or a Shatler Ace tripod in the near future. Being my age, budget is always a problem...

[Matthew Kane]

Don't sweat the gear too much, but you won't regret getting quality gear--tripods and fluid heads have a much longer useful life than any camera you'll own.

 

If you're interested in getting into artificial lighting, check out Shane Hurlbut's blog

 

http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/category/lighting-2/lighting-equipment/

 

Lots of inexpensive DIY lights that can produce high quality results. He's also a great resource for getting the most out of DSLRs.