Brenda Gough

If you actually were able to get an assisting job other members of the camera crew were often unhelpful and did not want to provide training to camera trainees in order to protect their jobs which is understandable and of course there were some exceptions, people who were very helpful. I think this would have been okay if I had felt that I was learning about lighting but on most of the pro shoots I worked on the dop's did very little lighting and it seemed that the gaffer would just always come in and do a bog standard lighting set up the same as the one they did for the last TV drama they worked. It just did not seem creative at all and I felt I learnt a lot more shooting low budget or student films.

 

I just wondered how many others felt the same?

I worked as an AC on a small budget film and a fellow student worked on a larger budget film. I had a wonderful experience and she practically had a break-down. :blink:

It really depends on what a person expects to get from the experience and who you are working with. People ARE out to protect their jobs in this current climate but isn't it just doing the decent thing by passing on some knowledge. Surely they were in the same learning position at one time ;)

Hi Joe,

 

It's a pain in the arse(ass for US fellows) when you have to deal with something like this.

However, I think this exercise is great for you as it's completely replicating what you need to deal with, more often than not, outside of film school.

One of the things learned in college (in mine, anyway) is to know your role and stay within it. Sounds to me like you're a very decent person and the ego-maniac that you're having to deal with is very lucky, Joe!

Have you just considered telling the person? They'll not get it so easy in the industry ;)

Seamus McGarvey (Living)

Conrad Hall (Passed)

I've just joined up here...I'm a film student in Ireland and I have chosen Conrad Hall for my dissertation. This topic has been priceless...so thanks ;) I'm off to print out a list of dvds to buy. Shame its too late to be sent off to Santa. :rolleyes: