Brian Dzyak

If Michael Bay made a "Canadian" movie, would it have Canada's flag flying in slo-mo?

My favorite: Rembrandt. Truly, one of the few artists who used "lighting" to tell a story. It sounds crazy, but what I do most of the time right now is shoot behind-the-scenes and the interviews for promotions and DVD. But I am inspired by Rembrandt in how I choose angles and light my shots/interviews... it borders on "noir" in that you hide that which you don't want to see and use light to focus attention on that which you want to draw attention to. But that's just me. :) http://lightingdpa.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/rembrandt_philosopher_in_meditation1.jpg http://triangularchristianity.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/rembrandt_christ_in_the_storm_on_the_sea_of_galilee.jpg http://www.taramtamtam.com/wallpapers/Art/R/Rembrandt/images/Rembrandt_5.jpg http://oilpainting2000.com/china/catalog/images/Rembrandt-010.jpg

Agreed, that is bat-sh** crazy like our "Tea Baggers" but your example only affects 595,000 square miles. The influence of our whack jobs not only affects almost 4 million square miles, but arguably, much of the rest of the world. Our brand of simpletons wants to make Christianity the rule of law in the USA, give guns to every human being alive, do away with all taxes (for rich people only), do away with all regulations on Corporations that would affect their profits, get rid of the EPA, make all women have their babies even if their fathers raped them, and let Fascism replace Democracy. I do understand where the Quebecois are coming from. They really wish they were France, but over there in the middle of Canada, which makes one wonder why they don't just move to France. The same question I ask of CONservatives here... since they hate government so much, why don't they just move to Somolia where there is no functional government. But for some reason, these kinds of people want to stay where they are, and fight to dissolve as much government as they can, but feel free to ask for government help (like the stadium) when it suits their own needs. I write it but it never makes sense.

While I understand where you're coming from, I have to disagree. Have you heard about the "Tea Baggers/Party" in the United States? Fox "News" PAC (political action committee)-watching Sarah Palin-drooling-over gun-nut CONservative Creationist whackjobs who think that Anarchy is what "freedom" truly means. These are the same people who advocate the economic race-to-the-bottom and are not working overtime to push that same philosophy on basic intelligence. I guess ever nation has their whacky "cousin" who they'd rather be without. In the USA, it's the CONservative "Tea Baggers." :blink:

It is? Based on what? The statistics would show that far more people who attend film school do NOT achieve their goals than those who do. If film school was a proven avenue to success, then we'd have thousands of working Directors, Producers, and Writers who earn millions a year instead of just the hundred or so who do. No?

There are no magic bullets. It just takes time. Get out and shoot and keep shooting. Over time, your name will get known and you will get jobs without ever having to pick up a phone. But it takes time and patience and perseverance....and, I can't stress this enough... keep your financial overhead low. That way, without a lot of bills that you have to pay, you are free to take low-paying jobs that can be great opportunities. If you have too many bills, that creates the need for you to take work that you'd rather not take (in the business or out of it) then you're not free to do what you want to do.

Just one opinion... While you might truly be capable of shooting everything under the sun, it might help if you specialize in just one or two types of production. If there is any "secret" to keeping busy in the film and video industry, it has to do with who you know and who knows you. Doing great work for one person who gets to know you and like you can lead to you being recommended to other people and companies who need your expertise and skill. Fair or not, there are prejudices in the "industry." So, for example, people tend to look down on anyone who shoots weddings for a living. Others look down on people who shoot corporate video or music videos or anything else that isn't a hundred million dollar feature film. So, keep that in mind as you advertise yourself and your company.

In doing the "behind the scenes" work I've been doing for the past few years, I can't tell you how many successful Producers, Directors, and Writers I hear tell their stories that begin with, "I never meant to get into this business, but..." Then the story continues with some bit of unexpected (and un-looked for) luck or opportunity that the person's previous experience allowed them to exploit into a career. It seems that the common denominator is that those who TRY to "make it big" rarely if ever do, while those who just want to make movies are the one's who propel themselves to the top through hard work and creativity. I guess the advice is to not try to be a "major player" and instead just concentrate on doing that one job that you really want to do. If you're really good at it then your likelihood of being a "major player" increases. No guarantees, of course, but if the GOAL is to be a "major player," then it probably won't happen because the goal should be to just do the best job you can. If you do that, then the "major player" part may follow.

It sounds like narrative "filmmaking" isn't your thing, which is what MOST people here on this forum trend toward. But that's ok. :) My suggestion would be to research networks and specific programs that specialize in all things "animal." In the old days when I was growing up, we had "Wild Kingdom." Today, there are a lot more choices with cable distribution and DVD. I'd suggest contacting ALL of the them directly to inquire about any opportunities they might have for someone like you. They might not have you starting out as a Cameraman, but any foot in the door is a good one, so maybe you'd have a chance to prove yourself once you're there on staff. Offer to volunteer if need be. It's all about getting out there and meeting people.

My filmschool was falling apart while I was there. We did have some film classes but at that time in the tundra of Ohio, there wasn't anyone around who really knew the industry, the jobs, or how it all worked. When I did get to Los Angeles, I leaped in without knowing any of that so I stumbled my way through the ins & outs trying to figure it all out as I went. After a few years of finally getting a grasp over it all, I decided to get it all down in book form to help others avoid the same confusion that I felt for so long. I didn't come to California completely without some type of experience. While in school at Bowling Green State University, I worked tirelessly at the local PBS affiliate, WBGU TV27. I started there as an Editor and slowly added other skills like Videographer and Producer amongst other technical jobs. The downside of that experience was that for anyone who works in a television environment, doing many jobs is the norm. But the "Hollywood" system is intensely specialized. Because I didn't know that, I did make some errors as I worked my way into the industry. But, as I added projects to my resume and did the research on the book, I finally "got it." My opinion of film schools seems to be ever changing, but at the moment, I'm not necessarily a fan. From what I know, MOST film schools (not all) cater their curriculum toward Directors and maybe Writers. Yes, some people graduate from film school and get to work in the industry and a few of them become very successful, but the vast majority do not. The percentages of success vs failure don't really support the idea of spending thousands of dollars for a degree in film. So my humble opinion is that film school is not worth the time and cost. That said, I very much DO recommend that people go to a University because there is so much more a person can learn that IS valuable that CAN improve the odds of building and maintaining a viable career in the professional film industry. For instance, an aspiring Director of course needs to know how a movie gets made, but more importantly, he/she should be studying how to tell a story. In addition to studying other movies, studying literature and history and pop culture and art should be high on the curriculum wish list. There is a great sentiment about "film" school expressed in this speech: http://realfilmcareer.com/forum/index.php?topic=1834.0 For people who wish to have below-the-line crew jobs, the typical film school won't really be that valuable. Nearly everything a crew member needs to know can be learned quicker and at less cost out in the real world. But, again, there are so many valuable things to learn at school. Communication skills are vital as networking is crucial to maintaining a career. You also will need to be able to effectively communicate your ideas and "orders" to others, so learning how to develop those communication skills (speaking, writing) will be invaluable. Also, courses in business and accounting can be very beneficial as our careers are not just about the "art" of it. All Freelancers are really "business owners" so managing finances is just as important to us as it is to any other company. And going through a four-year program will help a person learn to deal with the logistics of balancing resources and time, a skill that is absolutely necessary in the movie-making industry. The bottom line is that while a film school CAN be beneficial in some ways, I believe that hyper-focusing on film curriculum is probably not the best avenue for most people who want to have a REAL job in the professional film industry. Take film courses, but concentrate MORE on other aspects of education. And while there, make the time to get some "real world" experience by interning or volunteering to work for some working professionals in the area.

First, I suggest you read this http://realfilmcareer.com/forum/index.php?topic=1834.0 regarding "film school." That said, it's important to keep in mind what "film school" is really about. It's about the school giving YOU an education that you can't receive on your own. There is more to a higher education at a University than simply gaining nuts & bolts skills for a trade, like cinematography. You absolutely can learn all you really need to know to get started in a career from books, the internet, instructional videos, and practical experience on sets, but there is more to the job than merely knowing how to light a set and shoot scenes with a camera. For starters, a DP must have excellent communication and "people" skills. While you might already be a great person, there are interpersonal communication classes at many schools that will help you hone those talents so you are able to communicate your ideas and wishes more effectively. Many courses require intense collaboration with classmates and that is an essential skill when working in the film industry. Taking a variety of courses requires that you develop time management skills as your juggle time and other resources, like money, to complete your goals. Apart from those general benefits, you can also become a better Cameraman if you have a broad base of knowledge regarding general history and art. Studying artists like Rembrandt or Degas and the various styles throughout history can give you new perspectives on how you might choose to light a set and frame shots. Knowing the historical background that a script may present can help you choose a style that fits a specific story. Too many film students choose to hyper-focus on "film studies" which typically means MOSTLY studying other movies to the point where their own work becomes derivative of all that has come before. While the technical skills required of a Cameraman are obviously important to know (lighting, cameras), the actual CAREER requires so much more and a full University education can help you achieve it. There are of course no guarantees at all, but you can do things to improve your odds and getting a higher education is just one of those things that can help you get where you'd like to be quicker and more successfully. There's a lot more to the answer of that question than can be expressed here, so I'm going to shamelessly refer you to the Camera Department section of my book (link below) and to chapters one through five. In general, though, a viable career comes about because of A) who you know, B ) who knows you, and C) who knows you and that they know what you are capable of. The bottom line is that you need to have something to show that you can do the work before anyone agrees to pay you to do their job. And knowing what to do isn't always enough. Potential employers also respond remarkably well to people with great personalities. Production days can be quite long and full movies can last months. It is imperative that people get along with one another through those long hauls in difficult environments. Being a nice person and being easy to collaborate with will go a very long way. Are you referring to this? http://www.nxnw.net/?page_id=26&x=2 Really, ANY production experience you can get is beneficial. But don't think about it as how they can help you, even if that is what you intend. You have to approach THEM with the attitude that you're there to help them with your talent and skill. Sure, you could go to them now and tell them that you want to be a Cameraman one day and they MIGHT give you the opportunity to .... do anything BUT shoot for them. OR you could do some short films for a little while, build a reel and get real experience, AND THEN approach them with the offer to shoot their projects. Again there are no guarantees and there are multiple roads you can take, none any more sure than the rest, so the answer really depends on who you are, what you want to achieve, when you'd like to achieve it, and what your specific circumstances are. Many of the major projects are "keyed" out of Los Angeles, meaning that the Department Keys/Heads are hired from the LA pool and those Department Heads then hire the crew who will work with/under them. Living in LA to meet those people definitely helps. If you wish to begin as a DP, however (as opposed to working your way up through the ranks), then it's more important that you live wherever you have to to give you access to projects that you can shoot for your reel and resume. As you'll start on small indie or student projects, it's not imperative that you live in LA at first. After you've built up a reputation and a reel of quality work, you'll want to pitch yourself to work on more substantial projects. When that happens, getting an Agent to represent and push you toward bigger studio projects will become necessary. One of the common ways for a young DP to become "successful" seems to be hooking up with an up-and-coming Director and hoping that those films will somehow get attention. There are many talented DPs who never developed viable careers merely because they weren't lucky enough to meet and work with the right Director who was able to propel their career to new levels. Some of this is talent and skill while the undeniable truth is that some of it is just dumb luck. So, you improve your odds in the areas that you do have control over, like education, and do your best to overcome the luck thing by keeping at it. This can be achieved by keeping your financial overhead low. So much of this business is just being able to keep going, no matter how little money is coming in.

When I first moved to Los Angeles, not knowing anything about the industry, I was given some great advice by someone who had been here for a very long time. He said to keep lots of irons in the fire at all times. Some of them might not work out, but others will. This can mean that a Cameraman should have many clients. When one isn't busy, the others usually will be. It can be a bit of a juggling act as shouldn't spread yourself too thin. Have a main client or two that you spend most of your time with, but be ready to turn them down every once in a while to go do jobs for other clients who are third or fourth on your list. This "irons in the fire" advice should also not just apply to your first career choice. Other crew, like Drivers, tend to have 2nd "jobs" that can be managed with a minimal effort. Many have internet businesses or own things like tanning salons, that don't take a lot of additional oversite but can provide additional steady income. Others have stock investments that they can draw from when necessary. Everybody has ups and downs in this business and the trick to staying in it is to keep the money coming in and keeping your overhead low so that you don't HAVE TO take a full-time job doing something else just to make ends meet. If you find yourself without work, invest that time into starting some kind of low-impact internet business or something else that will bring in income that you can continue even when you do get camera work.

Define "major Hollywood player." You want to be a big time Producer or Director? Write a script that can't be ignored. Get to know existing Producers and suck up to them and be willing to literally bend-over and take it to prove your ambition. Be a shark and never take no for an answer. Get to know MAJOR financiers and do whatever it takes to get upwards of $50 million + in investment capital for you to develop scripts. That might sound facetious but it's not. Yes, you need to know what you're doing to a certain extent, but that's only part of it. You have to meet the right people and be in the right place with the right combination of assets (money, scripts, people) to make "something" happen. Some of that is going to be luck. You can "make your own luck" by putting yourself in the "right place at the right time" by learning who is who and what they want AND having the assets (money, scripts, people) at the ready. There is no absolute formula for this. If there was, 90% of people here would likely not be here talking about cameras and other BS. We'd all be in the Caribbean in our third vacation home reading scripts for the next project. It's not impossible. Improbable for most people, but because there ARE people who work "above the line" as "major players," that proves that it's not impossible. The bad news is that you have to find your own path. The good news is that it's not impossible. I suggest the following resources that MIGHT help you learn about the business as it actually works so that you can try to put yourself in the right places at the right times with the right combination of assets: www.wordplayer.com http://www.amazon.com/Film-Producer-Industry-Veteran-Hollywood/dp/0312069693/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296795414&sr=8-1 http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780823099535 http://realfilmcareer.com/

I would try Ferrofluid. Magnets BEHIND the mirror could potentially control the direction of the drops. Not sure if this can be done vertically or not so you'll have to do some testing. Good luck and please post the results AND behind-the-scenes footage so we can all enjoy the process. :)

Well, getting the most out of the opportunity really depends on what you want to do after you are finished there. Do you want to work as an AC afterwards? Or be a DP? Or do you want to continue working there? If your goal is to become an AC and work on sets, then you should be learning all you can about the gear, but mostly you should be developing relationships with the ACs and DPs and Operators who come in to the rental house. Let them know who you are and that you'd like to work with them eventually (or asap). While you're "waiting" for that opportunity to happen, spend as much time as possible learning the equipment so that when you do get on a set, the equipment thing will be old hat to you so you can concentrate on DOING the job and everything else that goes into being a great AC.

Please read through chapters one through five of "What I Really Want to Do: On Set in Hollywood" and the entire section on the GRIP Department AND the Camera and Electric Departments. I think that most of your questions will be answered there. http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780823099535

I have insurance for the gear I own AND gear I rent. I have it to provide to "official" rental houses and to friends who own gear. It's the only way to do this and protect myself and them. Nobody plans on accidents or theft. That's the point of having insurance.

...and the entire section on the Camera Department in my book, "What I Really Want to Do: On Set in Hollywood." http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780823099535 :)

Well, you're clearly in the "wild West" where rules and regulations do not apply. Because of that, there likely is no legal refuge for you. Clearly YOU and your SKILLS are worth something to them, otherwise they would've just used students. If it was me, I'd put it to them precisely that way. Tell them that you appreciate the opportunity to help them get their project up and running for a special rate, but you can't afford to continue working under that deal. Have a new number ready to go and above all, be willing to politely say "Thank you, good luck with your project" and walk away. If you illustrate to them that you're willing to work for nearly nothing, then that's eventually what they'll think of you when it comes time to do a bigger project with a budget. They won't even think of you, instead they'll want a "true professional" who costs more (thus proving that he can do bigger jobs). It's a gamble, of course, but at some point if you want them to take you seriously as a professional who has skills and talent that is worth fair pay, then you have to make that stand. Now, they might really not have the money that you want and/or need, but you still need to be able to tell them that you really can't afford to work for so little and that you have other work on hold (whether you do or not). Maybe they'll magically "find" the money and can then pay you. That happens more often than not. But even if they don't have the money, then you still need to draw the line where YOU need to draw it. There will always be other work out there whether you do their projects or not. They need you more than you need them. And they know it.

Hi, Luis! The format you shoot in is determined by what the final product will be used for. The requirements of a wedding video are vastly different from what you might want to use for a short or feature movie. If you're going to purchase equipment, this means that you are making a financial investment into the gear therefore what you buy needs to fit into the financial parameters of the jobs you'll be using the equipment for. In other words, if you purchase a camera (and everything else you NEED for those jobs), the rental price you have to charge must be commiserate with your market. Someone who wants their wedding shot (and edited) won't want to pay for a high priced rental on gear so you should be using lower quality equipment. However, a narrative movie will be shot in a higher quality format, so the equipment for that costs more than what you'd need for a wedding video. Make your equipment purchase choices based on what you'll be working on MOST of the time. If you're mostly doing wedding videos, then buy equipment that suits the budget range for that market. If most of your work is narrative "filmmaking," then you'd purchase equipment for that. If you happen to have enough money to buy gear for every need, then god bless you! :) But most people don't have those financial resources, so you'll have to choose to purchase that which you'll use the most (and will be able to add to the invoice) and then RENT equipment for those jobs that are sporadic, like narrative movies.

As my own awareness and knowledge about economics and politics continues to develop and grow, it appears that the one thing nobody comes right out to say in words is that a nation is nothing more than a business, at least in 2011. In our new Global Fascist world, the government's role, primarily, is to PROTECT, NOT develop, the rights and opportunities of "for profit" Corporations to obtain and maintain wealth. As mentioned before, a government has many various entities to think about, so it might be apt to "give away" profits on one thing (ie, film industry) in order to gain on something else (ie, other commodities), particularly when dealing with globalized international trade policies. So, perhaps Canada is willingly f'ing over the national film industry in order to gain profits from some other industry. Thus is the problem with Globalization and "free market" attitudes, particularly when the "fix is in" that ensures that one industry is set up to fail just so that something else is propped up to prosper. So, for Canadians, the question isn't so much about what Americans (the American motion-picture industry) are doing to "f***" over the Canadian film industry, so much as asking what the Canadian Government has chosen to cut deals on for other industries that results in the f*****g over of the Canadian film industry. In other words, what is Canada GETTING from the USA that makes it worth f'ing over the Canadian film industry and the crew there?

Perhaps someone has actual numbers, but circumstantial evidence suggests that more working DPs have come out of the Camera Department than either Electric or Grip. That said, many working DPs have skipped "working their way up" altogether and just jump in as DPs and work their way up to larger projects. The danger there, of course, is that you could get stuck in low-budget world forever and never earn a viable living. By the same token, by working your way up through a department, you could be working on really big projects, but stall out as an AC or Operator and never make it to the DP level. It's really a crap shoot. Certainly your skills and personality will be determining factors in how successful you ultimately are, but the sad fact is that things like "luck" and opportunities are often out of your control so there is no single "best" way to get to the top.

In my opinion, the Director shouldn't be dictating what equipment is to be used unless there is a very specific reason behind it. Wanting to shoot with a DSLR because it is small and the movie could be aided by the size, is one thing. But advocating a DSLR merely because of depth-of-field is a weak rationale, particularly as you've already stated, DOF can be handled with different techniques and equipment choices better. Does this Director also have the chutzpah to dictate what specific lights and C-stands you should use? Does he tell the Sound Mixer which recorder and mics and cables he should use? It's the Director's job to communicate the story and what he'd like to SEE on screen and it's the DP's job (along with other crew and Department heads) to take that information and, using THEIR skill and talent and expertise, use THEIR best judgement to determine what equipment (and other supplies) will best serve the requirements of the production. From your description of the situation, it sounds as if your Director friend just has a hard-on for the camera (from marketing he saw or some other "propaganda") and isn't really interested in hearing facts or arguments against it. If it was me, I'd have HIM use the camera to shoot the tests so HE can experience for himself what it would be like having to use it in a real situation. Afterall, it won't be HIM having to shoot with it and use it all day. It's YOU so if you can convince him that YOU won't do your best work with it, then you have a chance to talk him out of it.

...and you really mean to say "Visual Effects," not "Special Effects." Two different things. :)

I suppose so, but I wager that you should be having an equal fit because all that profit never finds it's way back to the Queen. ;)