Diana Perri

Thank you.

Adrian, came back after thinking about your post - what do you think is the best way to find someone?

Okay, now I hear ya. At first, I admit I thought I was just getting beat up by people who object to any kind of unpaid work. Not sure how we would go about getting a DP willing to collaborate with us, with our small budget. I know a filmmaker who found a DP who volunteered his services, and I wasn't privy to their deal-making conversation, but I know he did it because he loved the script. I've had people react very positively to our script, but being a fairly new filmmaker-producer team with only digital experience, we thought, let's just make it easy for the DP and say, okay, all we need is a prosumer camera - we didn't want to burden anyone with the need for fancy equipment, and we know our editing setup works with that format, so... perhaps we should rethink this process. Actually, I'd love to work with a DP who collaborates and guides us according to the story's needs. But that kind of relationship just seemed beyond what I could even hope for, to tell you the truth.

You weren't the person I was quoting/responding to. I did say in my first post that we're offering credit, meals, and transportation costs.

I thought cinematography and Dir. of Photography work was more about the skill and talent of the person behind the camera, and not dependent upon equipment. Looks like I was wrong. It's always been my opinion that true artists can rise above the limitations placed on them. Sorry to have rankled you so much with my request. As I said in my previous post, no disrespect was intended. .

Honestly, we didn't expect seasoned pros to be interested. We also had no idea that this site is so exclusive that not a single soul here would have their own PD170, HVR-A1U, DVX100, or the like, and perhaps want to use it for a first DP credit. Guess I came to the wrong place. No disrespect intended. .

Sheesh, then why do I feel like next time I want to post a message, I better run my ideas by you guys first for approval? According to the two of you, I'm not approaching my project or even posting my messages the way you think I should.

I meant to write "what you can get out of it."

Why do you want to pick my post apart? I'm not a bullshitter. We have minimal equipment and want to work with what's familiar to us, too. We don't see the necessity of doing this with an expensive high-end true HD camera. We don't want to bother with changing cards every ten minutes. Shoot to a nice mini-DV or HDV tape is what we want. Capture via firewire. Simple and suitable for our needs. If you guys are obviously not interested, why keep challenging me? I don't understand your tone. This is a short film with a social conscience and very low budget. Not your thing? Okay, move on. What's the big deal? It's not for everyone, but if anyone's interested, PM me. Thanks.

In this case, the format is dictated by the editor's system and what can be captured into it. We prefer mini-DV or HDV recorded onto tape.

It is an opportunity to gain a first credit as DP. And respected people are involved. Though I understand how some may take issue with the notion of it being an opportunity, it is "a chance for advancement; a favorable circumstance or occasion" (definitions of "opportunity").

And yes, pilots are different. And no, 86 pages are not too short, but at Trigger Street, the minimum is 90 if you want to upload it there for critique.

You should know that first draft screenplays of untested, new writers are generally never sold or optioned. You need to workshop it with other writers and get feedback, then revise it at least five to ten times before you send it around. One great resource for this is triggerstreet.com.

You're still making it about what you can out of it. You could also think of it this way... when you put together a crew, you are (hopefully) building relationships with people that you'd like to work with again. The production becomes a temporary home or community of sorts, and you hope for cohesiveness and camaraderie on set. A "we're all in this together" kind of feeling. And, since the dawn of time, one of the strongest bonds in any community is sharing a meal. It connects people. If, when on a set, the crew doesn't all sit down together to break bread (though it's highly recommended to have a pre-determined time each day to break for lunch), a moment at the table grabbing a snack and joking with someone does a lot to relieve pressure, let out some steam, refortify. A film or video production, with its intensity and participation in the act of creating, is a communal experience. Even as a broke student on my very first project, I knew enough to bring food. I kept it simple: bagels, cream cheese, wrapped sandwiches I picked up at the deli, pretzels, grapes, and bottled water. Do you want to look back on the experience as just showing up and getting people to function in their assigned roles, or do you want to look back and recall the connections you made, feel the sense of community that formed? Do you really want your crew (community) to remember you as the schmuck who didn't feed them?

Hi, I thought it interesting that you say you've never paid a DP -- I didn't think it was that common a practice to have the DP position unpaid. Wouldn't expect anyone to rent equipment to work on a non-paying gig. We're hoping for someone who has their own camera, and a prosumer HDV or mini-DV is fine. Recording to tape preferred. We want our end result to have a high-quality appearance, but don't think it needs to be shot with a high-end true HD camera for that. I hope that helps to clarify what we're looking for. Asking for a reel was meant to see how the person works with light (lots of DP reels I find online are much too dark), but the reel doesn't need to be polished piece of work. I hope these are not unreasonable requests. Thanks for your feedback.