Daniel Fiorito

You can also try contacting the NYU or Columbia film school departments...students shoot many short films throughout the year and they often need ACs. Most of the work will be unpaid, although sometimes they'll have a small amount in their budget. However, you might make contacts with some working DPs by working on those crews. Usually inexperienced crews and producers so it can be frustrating but if you're brand new to the city... Local 600 is the IATSE camera local here in NYC. You can find contact info at www.cameraguild.com If you decide to join, you'll need some sort of proof that you can legally work in the U.S. (citizenship, working visa, etc). It's not exactly cheap to join (around $4,500 for a camera assistant - 1st, 2nd or loader - payable in installments), you must make your own contacts in the business, they do not find you work and you will be expected to pay dues four times a year. However, they provide many training sessions and networking events every month, the rates and benefits are better when you do work union jobs and you can still work non-union jobs in between your union jobs. Good luck and best wishes!

Thanks for the Wikipedia link Chris! Lots of formulas...it's about time my engineering degree came in handy!! :) By the way, I checked out your website and noticed you took the AC workshops in Rockport, Maine. I took the same workshop the year after you, 2007. I've heard they're tweaking the classes every year and the workshops are getting better and better. I kind of wish I could go back every year just to catch up with people and hang around all those cameras in one place! All the best, Daniel

Hi everyone, I'll be the 1st AC on a student short film starting Friday (for a week) that will be using ARRI shift & tilt lenses. I've never used these before and wanted to post on here to see if anyone had any advice or tips. I've searched the ARRI website and saw their shift & tilt system (I'm assuming we'll be using this) but also saw they have shift lenses (with no tilt). I've got a production meeting tonight so I'll learn more about what gear we're using...so some of the mystery will be solved. Related to this...they aren't willing to pay for a checkout. Should I tell them that I will not do a checkout unless I'm paid for my time or bite the bullet and do a checkout for free anyway? It really rubs me the wrong way when productions refuse to pay for a checkout because it can take a whole day, I'm a professional and deserve to be paid for my time, and it feels like they're taking advantage of me. Can some of you give me some advice on this or at least a reality check? I've definitely done checkouts before when they're not paid but I guess I feel like I'm done doing favors for a production that obviously doesn't know the right way to do business. :angry: Thanks in advance for the responses!!