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Sean Ryan Finnegan

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About Sean Ryan Finnegan

  • Birthday 09/11/1986

Profile Information

  • Occupation
    Cinematographer
  • Location
    Los Angeles

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  • Website URL
    http://www.seanryanfinnegan.com
  1. Hey everyone, I'd like some feedback/critique on my reel. http://vimeo.com/10315218
  2. Hey everyone, just finished cutting a new reel. Check it out and let me know what you think! And don't be easy on me just because I'm a student. :lol: http://www.seanryanfinnegan.com/Home/Reel.html
  3. Hey everyone, I'm looking to sell my Canon XH-A1, SGblade 35mm adapter, and accessories in order to save up some money to buy a Canon 7D. The XH-A1 is about two years old, and was used mostly for weddings and event videography. Every moment it wasn't in use, it was in a sealed Pelican case. It's been very, very well taken care of and the heads were cleaned bi-yearly. Canon XH-A1 HD camcorder, Canon XH-A1 Lens hood, three Canon lithium ion battery packs (two standard 4-hr, one special 7-hr), Component out cable, AC power to camera adapter, AC battery charger, tape head cleaning tape, original Canon XH-A1 manual, Rodenstock UV filter. - Purchased for $4500 new, asking $2050 - Lens in pristine condition, no marks, scratches, or dust. From the moment I bought the camera a filter went on it, and only came off for routine cleaning. Very minor signs of use on the camera body, no scratches, scuffs, or missing paint. SGblade 35mm adapter (Rotorazor 2), Nikon Mount, PL mount, 30cm carbon fibre rail support system (15mm diameter), adapter bracket, SGBlade flight case. - Purchased for $1800 new, asking $1400. - SGblade 35mm adapter is pretty much brand new. I used it once for a short film. There are literally no signs of use. The glass and housing of the adapter are scuff, scratch, mark, and knick free. The SGblade official sticker is still on the bottom of the adapter. Please send me a private message or email me at seanfinnegan(at)live(dot)com for pictures. Unfortunately, my still camera is broken so all I've got are iPhone pictures. But if you live in the Los Angeles area, you're more than welcome to come see the gear first hand. I would like to sell these items together, but will consider splitting them up if I don't get any offers. Asking prices include shipping/handling to the continental United States. Please, Paypal only. I am willing to list the items on eBay to complete the transaction if that is preferred by the buyer.
  4. This is why I don't like the Academy. Avatar had to win a lot of awards because it is the most successful movie of all time (ignoring inflation). And to be fair, it is quite an achievement of technology and for that it deserves to be commended. I think that this is the issue the Academy faced: Avatar is the most successful movie of all time, and it was a monumental achievement in technology. But it wasn't deserving of Best Picture or Best Director. To soften the blow to Cameron for not winning either, the Academy would award him pretty much every technical award in place of those two categories. Unfortunately, cinematography got lumped in with the "technical" awards. My cinematography professor is friends with Mauro Fiore. He's told me that a number of times Fiore told him that he didn't really do all that much photography - as is evidenced by the film itself. Evidently, Fiore really just consulted with visual effects people on how lighting and camera should work in the content that was being produced in the computer. So I'm sure he knows that maybe he didn't deserve the award but still, I'm sure any one of us would accept with a big smile if it were us in his place.
  5. I totally agree with your viewpoints and I share the same beliefs. There's a bunch of people out there who call themselves cameramen because they own a RED, but can't light or frame properly. But for students like myself, it's definitely a temporary solution to getting jobs until your reel can speak for itself. Obviously, the best way to make it is to do great work and get your name into the hands of the people who are hiring, but you've got to start somewhere. And for students it seems to be like owning gear is a good way to get noticed until you can get jobs on the basis of your skill alone.
  6. See, this is the problem all students run in to, at least, so I hear. And while the predominating advice is "if you want to be a cinematographer, then you should be shooting" it isn't always that simple. Many times but never consistently, the odd jobs I do in grip and electric departments and/or in camera department end up contributing to my rent. Of course, if it were my choice and I was well funded enough to always be able to DP a film then I'd do it. But, rent is due on the first of the month regardless of what jobs I'm getting, so I'll take anything that comes. Someone mentioned the need to move up in clientele if the said clientele is really only choosing you because of the gear you own. To be perfectly honest, and maybe this is because my experience in the professional field is limited, but I think that's a pretty presumptuous statement. In filmmaking, producers are always looking for ways to cut down on costs because it yields a greater profit in the end - and this goes for Hollywood, independent film, music videos or commercials, what have you. In my experience which is mostly made up of shoestring budget features and shorts, the main way to cut costs is by hiring someone who owns gear because then you don't have to rent it, boom, costs cut. Why rent an Arriflex SRIII or 416 AND a cinematographer separately, when you know a cinematographer who owns a RED? Now of course I'm exaggerating a little bit in my example - as cinematographers we could list off reason after reason why you'd go with the former, or the latter, depending on what the project is and what the budget is. But to producers, who lets be honest, rarely know the difference or can see it in the footage, it comes down to numbers. And generally, hiring someone with his own gear costs less. It's part of the reason so many students are looking at investing in RED packages when SCARLET releases - they see it as an opportunity to cast themselves into the indie industry as "RED OWNERS" which is essentially a big buzz word for producers and directors who aren't so knowledgeable on why RED is or isn't so great. All they know is that everyone seems to be shooting RED nowadays, and so they want to as well.
  7. Yeah, normally I wouldn't it's just that the first thing that I get asked when I'm interviewing for a job is what type of glass I own or prefer to rent. Since I've had full access to any number of lens sets at school (which won't be the case after I graduate in a couple of months) I've made it simpler by listing it on my website. As soon as I am no longer to have full, 100% access to the super-speeds I'll take it off, but for now I don't believe listing it does any harm - it's not like I offer rentals.
  8. Thanks for the advice on my website. I definitely understand how too many listed positions can be detrimental, so I've modified it a little bit. However, do you think that cinematographer, camera operator, and camera assistant is still too many? As I'm sure you know, newly graduated students fulfill a number of different responsibilities upon entrance into the field and I would like to be able to convey the fact that I have experience doing multiple things within the camera department to potential clients, namely other cinematographers. While first and foremost I am a cinematographer myself, with formal education, training, and experience lighting for HD and film, I have always operated the camera as well - which leads me to believe that I could, if asked, fill the responsibilities of a camera operator under another cinematographer. Similarly, I have done a lot of assistant camera work for other students whom I went to school with, and for other graduated cinematographers who I met through alumni groups and other things of the sort. So I guess my question is whether or not there's a better term to accurately convey that I feel confident in my ability to fulfill any of those three positions, as my primary background is in camera department. I think cameraman might cover it - but that's an oldschool term and for industry professionals, they might take that the wrong way.
  9. I'm on the verge of graduating film school and I've built up quite a bit of my own gear. However, I'm lacking a nice set of prime lenses since I've made use of the Zeiss super speeds we have at our school. Unfortunately, I won't be able to use them for free after graduating. Do emerging cinematographers usually have their own set of lenses, or is it customary to rent? I imagine that having your own set would be a plus for producers, since that's less money they have to spend.
  10. I'm in the market for a PL mount in good condition for the SGblade 35mm adapter. Please send me a private message or email if you've got one. Thanks a lot!
  11. I simply don't think that we've evolved the craft of cinematography to take advantage of what 3D has to offer yet. An integral part of cinematography is telling a three dimensional story on a two dimensional plane - many of the techniques, conventions, and styles revolve around orienting audiences in the space of a scene so that they aren't disoriented when the camera moves. The problem, in my opinion, is that 3D movies kind of throw all those techniques, conventions, and styles out the window. 3D demands its own set of techniques and conventions, and instead we're currently applying rules from regular filmmaking to it - and that, in a nutshell, is where all of us filmmakers are feeling this sort of weirdness with 3D. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a critique of 3D. In fact, it's more a critique of filmmakers in general who are so glued to the conventions of filmmaking that we keep trying to apply the same rules and styles to a totally different visual experience. In time, I think there will be a new generation of filmmakers who realize that 3D has entirely different limitations and when they finally push the envelope, we'll see 3D movies that are totally mind blowing and not disorienting. But....that time is not now.
  12. Hey everyone, I just want some honest feedback on my reel and website, which is located here: www.seanryanfinnegan.com A bit about me: I'm 23 years old, and I've been a cinematographer for five years. I am currently a graduate film student, but I'm careful not to say I'm a student cinematographer - by no means do I think I know everything but the "student" part of anything carries a negative connotation that implies a certain level of professionalism that doesn't quite fit my standards. Anyway, let me know what you guys think overall about the website, my reel, and anything else. Thanks so much for your feedback! It is greatly appreciated.
  13. Actually, the term "cinematography" means "writing with movement" and not "writing with light". But your statement still holds true, light is the most important aspect of cinematography. Learning to manipulate it, how to create it, and how to use its effects to help tell the story is by a long shot the first thing you should be doing. The only real way to do this is to get some lights and a camera, and do it yourself.
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