Adrian Sierkowski

I think the answer to that question, as David mentions, is dependent upon the project and the director at hand-- it could be something like, well I know how to work with in camera effects, or I've done a ton of green screen, or my hand held is the shakiest you've ever seen!!! (if that's what they want) to things like, I'm skilled in working with multi-cam lighting set ups, I can light faster and better than most other DoPs, or I'm experienced both in x budget level AND this budget level so I know how to mitigate expenses in the grip and electric-- or something I often say especially on the lower budget shoots, though not sure if it's helpful (like this run on sentence) is a good friend of mine has a really nice 3-ton truck which we can get a better deal on as I'm shooting it; skypanel. Honestly I wouldn't sweat the interview too much-- they either liked your work and you or they didin't. Maybe that's the question that got you, maybe it isn't, doesn't really matter. If they call, great, ask them at wrap, and if not, look out for the next one. I can honestly say no two interviews I've ever had have been alike, and somehow they ALWAYS seems to throw you for a loop at least once.

It's a process. Honestly, though, I don't think there is any singular "this is the way" type thing. If memory serves, the documentary cinematographer style has some funny anecdotes ab out how other DoPs in times past got started-- such as printing a resume on sand-paper so they couldn't just ball it up and throw it away.

Well; there's a few ways. 1) you look online-- craigslist, mandy, staffmeup, such like that. There are generally VEEEERRRRRRYYYY slim pickings therein; but I have had and continue to have an auto-search marco which runs and e mails me any job with "cinematographer" or "director of photography" in it. Generally ever 15 min it runs-- and works sometimes. I rarely every get or see anything good on there; but once in awhile you may find a new-comer to LA who is looking for someone to shoot something simple with them, and if you're free and they're not an ass about it,, nothing wrong with meeting new people and maybe getting a few bucks to cover your cell phone bill for the month. 2) social media. Facebook has a huge amount of film groups on it which post jobs, and on which you can put up your availability. The rates often suck; but it's not as bad as craigslist or the like and combined with what you might get from #1 and 2 leads to: 3) Networking-- you're network, people who know you or who know of you and they call you because someone they know or know of needs someone like you. This is by far the VAST majority of gigs which seem to come. It's people you've worked with before, or people who have heard of you before from someone you've worked with. Everyone on set, from the PAs on up to the Producers are part of this, they are all on their own career paths and you never know what they may come across so really treat everyone well, with respect, on set, and try to keep up your contacts. I'm bad with it, I am terrified, honestly, of people, in real life. I hide it very very well but personally I always get skittish when it comes to interacting where there may be strangers. 4) People seeing your stuff-- either from your own website, or a google search or seeing your film somewhere. I actually booked 2 shorts this month (this weekend and end of the month) from a Husband and Wife team who happened to see a short I shot last year at some point and they sought me out. 5) Random interactions. I often go to this coffee shop where I feel "myself." I sit and I read, or I'm looking at scripts. Sometimes seating is at a premium and you wind up interacting with strangers (shudder, but I have coffee so it's typically ok) and a good deal of them, given my neighborhood, are in some way connected to film. They are almost ALL just starting out as well, young, and ballsy. You'll get into conversations with them, and often that'll turn into a job on occasion. I'm sure there are other ways, but that's basically mine. I should note, this year, according to my own spreadsheet, I've gotten: 2 jobs from Craigslist 4 from facebook and everything else was either from networking or referral (but that would take too long to count since I don't keep track of that)

I do believe they are called Chips. . . lol IT's actually insane to me that five guys is all the way over there. I recall, well I suppose it is awhile ago now, the fanfare of the first one opening up in Philadelphia when I lived there. Or even last year or the year before when it moved to LA.

The problem with LA, and well California, is that no matter what, even if your LLC makes no money, you have to pay at least 800/yr for it. But it is a very good idea to have an LLC to put the film through and run the insurance through-- and try to keep it active, as it will build up a bit of a history and having a history is very good from a company standpoint. I'd also think about putting some money aside from lighting and grip for your short-- depends on where you're filming but even 1500 set aside for other equipment/special stuff can be really nice. But like i said, 10K goes faaassst lol

I'm a bigger fan of 5 guys.

Good locations and production design as well-- depending on your project. And in LA, 10K Doesn't go that far. . .

It's been a long time since I've even thought about minature work, but I do recall you typically set your speed in relation to the scale of the model-- I believe that for a 1/4 scale model you typically would shoot at 48fps so if you had a smaller model, you'd be at a much higher frame rate than 54. According to my ASC Manual the mathmatics to figure the rough shooting speed for a miniature is as follows: Take the scale fraction, invert it (e.g. a 1/16 scale becomes 16/1) and then take the square root of that inversion (e.g. the square root of 16 is 4) and multiply that by your project frame rate (24) and get the high speed rate at which to film the miniature (96 fps in this case). If you have a 1/4 model it would be 1/4--->4/1---->sqrt(4)---->2x24----->48fps. Conversely if you have a 1/64th scale model: (sqrt(64))*24=192fps. Though note that's really just a STARTING point. There's a lot of variables depending on the shot/model, but that's a good starting point from which to make tests to figure out exactly what you need to do for your particular shot to sell it.

Saturation is tied to brightness-- if you want it more saturated (a bit) you keep it under, if you expose it at key it will read closer to "white." Simply give it a try. Meter your red light and look, then close down a stop, and it will start getting redder. Open up and it'll get oranger/pinker/whiter (depending on the red)

It is only free to the proletariat.

So wait; this is what you all spend your tax dollars on? Damn Socialism is weird!

F16 or F4 with ND both are letting in the same amount of light; hence a dark finder. E.g if you're needing a ND1.5 you're probably on faster film and dropping out so much light that even if you're at a 1.3 you might not be letting enough light in to really see through the finder. So yes it's the film speed and desired exposure which causes the problem. Imagine shooting 500T outside but wanting to be at a 2.8 or the like. You may have your iris open to 2.8 but you'll have so much ND in front of the lens that you probably won't see much ;)

I don't even think he shoots 35mm stills camera lol. But yes, he is an exception. If memory servers, from reading awhile ago, he even has a full crew.

It most likely is. (and yes, 99% sure that's a crewdson). he has an interesting Instagram to follow.

Depends on the 4K. I think a 4K final DCP would be wise, no doubt, but honestly, were I to go into almost any production, I'd want to err towards an Arri, personally, over a Red, if only to save myself a head-ache between takes (and honestly, I find an Alexa to be easier to work with-- image wise-- than a red.) Does kinda depend on what the project on the whole is stylistically, but I think anything higher resolution than HD would be the right choice.

If you just want netflix to buy the finished product as a finished product as a distributor, you should be ok on almost any camera system so long as it's a good movie. If you are expecting them to look at you and then order the pilot from you or something like that that's a whole other story (and an unlikely one). Your best bet would be to speak with netflix and a sales agent (probably in reverse order) to see what they recommend. You will probably have to pay the sales agent. Or you know, you could just get an Alexa65 and shoot everything in Arriraw.

Gregory Crewdson would be an exception to that-- minus the tracks.

You won't need NDIRs, you just need some normal ND filters. Tiffen or Schneider will be fine. Mine were Tiffen when I had them. If you want to cut 4, 5, and 6 stops you're looking at a 1.2/1.5/1.8, but honestly I have NEVER gone more than a 1.2 on a film camera because you probably won't see ANYTHING through the finder then-after. My normal ND pack when I was on my SR3 woudl've been .6/.9/1.2 If I had some special circumstance, such as 500T outside in daylight (which, hey i've been there before, with leftover stock) I'd stack a Pola in there as well for an extra stop loss.

I actually would be really tempted, as Phil mentioned, to make "gas light" maybe a mixture of full plus green or lime and some yellow-- maybe even rosco 2003

In the end, this is why we have spare hubbles on the truck. I used to, moons ago, have 20A ones, but I have no idea where to find them anymore. Me things something changed in the electrical code at one time to give us the sideways T. It doesn't always happen; but it does happen.

You'll have the same problem with M18s, often, as technically, yes, they are 15A connectors on the end of them. Same with stingers, they are also 15A as the "real" 20A plugs have that side-ways "T" on them: That's a real 20A connector-- but good luck finding a place to plug it in!

you tailor your resume for the job you want, not necessarily the job you have. I wouldn't list ANY PA stuff on my cinematography resume (not that I've actually done any PA work since my teens) just like I don't like the occasional times I go out as a gaffer for other DoPs/friends when they ask.

It never ceases to amaze me how much discontinuity you can have in your lighting so long as the audience is otherwise engaged in the scene ;)

The best book is the one you write yourself where you list all the things that went wrong and went right in your experience ;) Another thing is to watch other films and try to deconstruct how they are using light (not really what light they are using, but how they are using it) and then apply those concepts, when appropriate, to what you have at hand in terms of lighting and in terms of story.

No worries. And as for the speckles of white; just export that bit into after effects and you can clone brush away the white speck so it's not "white" for that frame, if you have to, and it'll be much less noticeable. Least that's how I did it in film school- I haven't had to handle that part of film post personally in a long time, thankfully (it's what i refer to as a "rick problem," rick being one of my very good friends and an amazing editor lol)