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Just wondering if anyone found this beneficial. It seems packed with excellent information, but your subscription does not grant you access to past content, only current.

https://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/shanesinnercircle/

I'd like to know if Shane answers specific questions from subscribers like a real mentor would. And not only "sometimes" of course. So even if you have to pay for additional content once you are a subscriber, I think it could be worth it based on the samples I've seen.

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I paid for a month however cancelled after seeing I wasn't allowed access to past things. The videos where Shane breaks down shots he did on major motion pictures explaining his theory and how he accomplished it is unmatched.

 

Of course he's not the first DP to do this, but in a nice condensed 8 minute video where he replays and highlights what he wants you to see is the essence of convenience. He provides many hard opinions on ADVANCED visual theory which I find very hard to come across in video content.

 

There's probably a handful of DPs on this site which have a comparable level of knowledge to Shane, however either don't want to make videos, or don't know how to for the microwave generation audience that is Youtube.

 

I'd love to help anyone here with that, actually.

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Thanks Macks. I'm almost ready to sign up for the Inner Circle, even if only to get discounts on the excellent training DVDs he sells.
Do you know of any other DP who offers something similar ? I've only found "training DVDs" which cover the basics of cinematography, and a lot of these are being packaged as " DSLR Cinematography " these days <_< By the way, I think you can get access to past content on Shane's Inner Circle, you just have to pay extra for it. And it's not bundled, you pay for each of the tutorials you want.

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I honestly think you'd be better off spending the money on a few beers for whatever DoPs you know and have met around-- you should also dig up some of David Mullen's old production journals which are a major wealth of information.

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Always a good idea, but some of us live away from the big cities where all the action is happening. Here in Australia that is Sydney and Melbourne. I might relocate to either of those in the future but for now I live in one of the smaller cities where the film industry is kind of small. There are a few talented cinematographers around but not always willing to share. One of them referred me to a Steadicam Workshop in a different state when I asked him if he could share some tips with me ( I was learning Steadicam at the time ) He refused even though he was not particularly busy at the time, even though I offered to pay him for his time. He is a pretty well known Steadicam operator around here but I lost all respect for him there and then.

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Personally I think Hurlbut is the equivalent of a shopping channel, every time I come across his pearls of wisdom they remind me of someone trying to flog the latest ab buster or mixmaster but that's only my opinion.

 

If you want to get work in the film industry in Australia I don't think watching Hurlbut's videos will help you in any way, you need to get on local sets and make contacts.

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Save your money and check out Roger Deakins excellent (and free) forum, as well as Shelly Johnson's blog where he talks in depth about his work. The ASC instagram feed is also informative, although it depends on who is hosting it as to how much detail they go into.

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Shares thing is a bit of a rip. I ditched it straight away.

 

Honestly, I don't know who comes up with the contents and edits it but you're like 'wow, a tutorial on *subject*' then you watch it and it's like '... that was very underwhelming'. I feel like it really doesn't do his knowledge justice.

 

Save your cash and do a short course at AFTRS in NSW. I think there's a lighting course coming up in november.

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Six or so years ago he had lots great stuff especially as a beginner without a lot of highly experienced people to learn from. A company I worked for paid for me to go to one of his classes so I got into the inner circle when it was 7 bucks a month, the class was excellent as well. I really don't use it much any more but I will occasionally reference it and figured it was cheap enough at that price not to worry about the money.

 

As someone looking to register now, I really don't know how helpful it would be especially with older content not being provided. The overall feel has really gotten sales-y (not in a good way) and the Facebook group is primarily a bunch of novice professionals (best why I can define it) and fanboys.

 

He does do a monthly podcast which I really like. He answers questions that are emailed to him, not sure of the chances of yours being picked though. Other than that there is not any personal access to him that I have seen.

 

Overall opinion- I agree with the above posts. I feel like it's quite expensive and to product focused (companies do pay him for exposure) at times. It is nicely packaged though and would definately provide some nice resources to an aspiring DP especially in an area without many working professionals.

 

David Mullen has an incredible amount of posts on here, red user, and Roger Deakins Blog and there is quite a lot of other good free info out there if you are good at digging. Up to you wether the convenience of Shanes stuff is worth the price.

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Anyone can learn the technical aspect of filmmaking if you have the equipment available, you play long enough with this tech for a couple of days, you become adept with it. The whole gamut of cinematography or the application thereof is more philosophical, because if you approach a film absentmindedly and focus on the technicality like Shane, you end up with a film that means absolutely nothing. I find that a simple approach that is well thought out has more power, if you present a frame where the viewer can absorb what is happening and give them a chance to think, it has more depth and meaning. So, it's bullshit how someone like him is monetizing off of young aspiring cinematographers who should spend their money on a stills camera, and develop their way of seeing. To be a cinematographer you really need to have an eye, a unique way of seeing or interpreting the world, and it's a talent that not many have. In filmmaking, many are called but few are chosen.

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I would respectfully disagree there Joshua, I believe the technical side of filmmaking can sometimes take months or even years to master. A simple thing like color, is something young cinematographers get wrong all the time because they aren't skilled or knowledgeable enough in the use of matte boxes, filters, color correction software, lighting or even camera settings. There are so many different ways to move the camera, so many variables and so many different technical skills ( and knowledge ) involved in cinema, that one can easily find it overwhelming. I guess it can be similar to playing a musical instrument , you need the technical skills developed to a very high level before you start worrying about things like "mood" , "character" or "atmosphere". So a thorough technical foundation is important I believe, and this is where a page like Shane's can help. But yes, there are other alternatives as others have mentioned and I will check them out as well.

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I have to add the caveat to that that when working as a cinematographer, you can rely on the expert knowledge of your crew to fully cover you in such situations-- supposing you have a good crew. Now, of course, pretty much EVERY DoP I know understands the technical and having a basis therein is very important, the job of a cinematographer isn't really as much a technical one as a managerial/creative one.

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I would respectfully disagree there Joshua, I believe the technical side of filmmaking can sometimes take months or even years to master. A simple thing like color, is something young cinematographers get wrong all the time because they aren't skilled or knowledgeable enough in the use of matte boxes, filters, color correction software, lighting or even camera settings. There are so many different ways to move the camera, so many variables and so many different technical skills ( and knowledge ) involved in cinema, that one can easily find it overwhelming. I guess it can be similar to playing a musical instrument , you need the technical skills developed to a very high level before you start worrying about things like "mood" , "character" or "atmosphere". So a thorough technical foundation is important I believe, and this is where a page like Shane's can help. But yes, there are other alternatives as others have mentioned and I will check them out as well.

But the cinematographer has an entire team of skilled technicians to do all of that, the cinematographer should be the one with all the creative ideas, he or she doesn't need to know everything, because chances are you won't need to know how to pull off so many intricate shots, unless you're doing some huge blockbuster movie with a 200m dollar budget.

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But the cinematographer has an entire team of skilled technicians to do all of that, the cinematographer should be the one with all the creative ideas, he or she doesn't need to know everything

Just about every single experienced DP I've encountered has technical know-how though. Having an extensive technical knowledge of what you're doing garners the respect of others working around you, making the process a better oiled machine. Without said know-how; Mister Creative-Ideas may suggest something which is technically unsound or impossible.

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Not every project can afford a crew of skilled technicians these days. For a smaller project like a promo ad, a music video, or even an indy short film, there might be just the director ,the cinematographer and a couple other key people as crew. I see a lot of young directors / filmmakers with some really good ideas at this level but lacking the technical knowledge to execute them properly.
This music video presents a funny depiction of a small production crew by the way ( producer, director, cinematographer, agent? )
Well actually it's a realistic depiction in a funny scenario. :P

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