jake powell

Ok firstly trainee isn't an 'intern' here in the UK trainee is just the lowest paid rank , we are training but on the job and getting paid (fairly well by starter salary standards ) . That said discussion into internships isn't null and void I admit as undoubtedly they do exist and get exploited . I just happen to have had the luck of only ever doing a grand total of about 10 days work experience before people started paying me. Freya reading it back maybe I came across as slightly harsh then , I wasn't really criticising the feedback , I just thought I would let it be known that it isn't my personal experience , balance the books as it were as I would hate to think people would give up or be put off if positive feedback didn't have an online Pavan - I'm not sure where I sit on this one , because I certainly am middle class but I don't think my class has much to do with me getting ahead . And in addition to this I've met a hell of a lot of very respected working class people in my brief time in the industry so far , if anything I would say my class has been a disadvantage as some sparks find it a bit off putting when they think you're a right **(obscenity removed)** toff and have been to private school etc . (I haven't at all ) . Miguel - no in fact perhaps you already know this but the people who have been helping me get my work and that I'm working with again on this one were very much involved in a good few of those titles . Regardless all I wanted to do by following this up is to bring some balance and show other young hopefuls that however hard it is possible . And yes I know my work may dry up at some point but so far Ive had quite the roll .

Far from wanting this to turn into a topic of me blowing my own trumpet I just want to say , for all those out there that may be in my situation 2 years ago , if I had listened to some of the negative comments when I opened the thread I would have made one of the biggest mistakes of my life . since April this year I have been in almost constant employment as a trainee , working on two feature films and a major TV series (which I just last week wrapped on ) I'm on a plane to Poland to have a bit of an Xmas holiday and relax , but in January I start on Star Wars episode 8 as the trainee on the main unit . So to all those who say this industry is hopeless impossible , etc I say quite frankly , you are misinformed , find the right contacts , do some work experience for them work hard for them , and it would appear this industry is far from hopeless . (Yes I'm a massive Star Wars fan ) I hope everyone has as much success as me .

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Leeds northern film school is getting good ratings I think and offer a cinematography specialisation route , London film school also good , goldsmiths and met are worth a look too.

Miguel , thanks for a long and considered post , thought I would give you all an update / recognition thanks for responding . I am currently working on a feature with some of the very crews you mention , Sherlock , gladiator , Harry Potter etc . I should mention also paid not an internship Im taking full trainee wage ... Which is not bad pay ! By my standards anyway , being a 23 ur old single graduate I feel in a good position to tackle this route ! They are a lovely bunch of people and although very serious about the work I do feel very looked after , though not mollycoddled in any way, they expect hard work and quick learning , but it's allways rewarded with a great feeling of gratitude , being told your doing good work is the best thing , despite having loads to learn and being very green . physically the work is tough , there are certain aspects I need to work on to improve , my organisation and neatness for example , Im quite a creative , and have all the cliché attributes that accompany that . But I am so gratefull to have the opportunity to work with them , I just hope it may continue after this project ...

I just said I got taken on a paid job , how did this turn into an in depth critique of uk film crews....

That's completely fair Phil . I'm not really opposing your veiw about the status quo , Im sure you know what your talking about . But I am being paid . It's fairly a list and seeing Leavesden studios so buzzing as last week while I tried out , I guess I just don't see it yet . Maybe I will in the future , until then , let me enjoy the small successes yeah ?

Phil , let me have my moment in the sun would you ? I'm under no delusions of how precarious my position is . But it's a step in the right direction and I wanted to give some hope to those who may currently be in the position I was at this time last year . Why the unwavering negativity ?

Hey guys , just checking back in , to let you all know that my story has a happy ending . I got in . I am now a camera trainee with lots to learn . But with decent employment , working in film in London . And in proper high end cinema too . No it wasn't easy , yes I am propably lucky . But to anyone out there thinking it's too difficult , I say , screw that , it's not . Have a lovely day guys thanks to everyone who offered kind words and advice.

Hmmm cheers guys , looks like I will recompose my shot ideas and see if I can create a similar sense in a tighter composition , maybe much closer on the silhouettes with only the sea in the shot and no horizon/sky and play on the sense of panic from the girls ... Anyway glad to have your experienced words of warning , I have been making some general grade tests in full day for night to capture some hard moonlight effects - compositionally and content wise they are not relevant as such but a study of the lighting and post work involved - would be grateful for any critique / ways to improve.

sorry i edited once and now i can't re edit ... slightly different version review this one i guess ...

one more same deal - advise wanted please :)

okay so my first test of early dusk for night , can anyone give me some pointers to improve upon this? It was shot overcast at about 5:45 in portugal (I'm on holiday) i feel its lacking the harder splashes of moonlight to give contrast (i am with bare minimal equipment out here till next week , looks like i need some grad nd's for that sky which atm is just keyed and exposure brought down ... and a hmi to bring in some contrast ... anything else i am missing as a newbie? cheers guys

Very useful info Guy , really really appreciated!

Mark those frame grabs are fantastic ! Thank you very helpful . Time for some tests!

thanks for the responses guys , the still is from true grit Albion yeah, (i think deakins used like 56 hmi's from a km away or something ridiculous like that.... - not something i can do ahahaa) r.e. A7S - i am shooting with a black magic pocket cam RAW im not crazy about the a7s aesthetic , it's impressive in low light for sure but i don't really love the image .... so while i respect that its a great idea for this shot its not for me. Day for night - i have no experience doing time to make some tests as this may be the sensible way - however something about it grates me the wrong way , it seems wrong call me stupid but i have a hard time believing that unnatural way of doing it would give me the sense of authenticity that i feel is very important to come through with this shot... be that as it may i will begin tests to see if i can prove myself wrong... appreciate the sensible suggestion. do you guys think the pocket cam raw pushed to 3200 with some post neat video could hold up with a 1.8k hmi on the hill? oh im shooting it on Superspeeds BTW so T1.3 ... I guess its time to scout the location take measurements and do some proper calculations - thanks stuart! keep the advise coming guys ! its appreciated.

I have a project on the go at the moment and am just planning tests for a certain shot within it. i am not super experienced and was looking for advice from people with a little more of it to guide me right. the rest of the peice is shot with campfires and at dusk but this scene is a shot on a nigh time exterior of a beach. a group have previously mucked around burying their friend up to his neck in sand at dusk before several members of the group go off and return later to find the rest of the group - two girls up to their waists in the now high tide and their poor friends fate sealed below it. the shot is from their vantage point on from a path at the top of a hill that you walk over before descending onto the beach proper, the cliffs are to their left off camera and the girls are below them silhouetted black against the moonlight sea. moonlight is the only motivated light source. My budget is limited so please no helium balloons or condor suggestions. i envisage the shot to look something like this but from a higher vantage point looking down with a little more reflectance from the sea. I may be able to get a nice point on the cliffs to the left that jutt out further into the sea than where the girls are to set up my lights and a jenny... what do you all think? I presume an M18 HMI on the cliffs blasting down on them from there may be the go to? how low a HMI do you think you would get away with however as budget is limited. 1.2kw going to be not enough gun for this fight? Any other options you guys see ? - a bunch of ctb gelled source four par's with a few honda eu20i jennys and pick out bits of the vista selectively? welcome your thoughts on this one... cheers jake

looking for some carl zeiss super speeds either mark ii or iii in PL mount. clean glass only, don't mind if cosmetically they're a bit battle used. located in the uk willing to pay international postage but would like to avoid getting stung by customs on such pricey items. hit me up with reasonable offers cheers jake.

Hi guys , first let me apologise for my first few posts probably to want to take more away from this wonderful community than i can give. I really would appreciate some help with understanding a few things about how and who i approach to get into this industry. I am a Final year Fine Art student at Central St Martins Art College , London. I have enjoyed my degree in art don't get me wrong its been helpful and I have learned a lot, but I also have discovered along the way that what really gets me going is Cinema, films and really more than anything Cinematography , the lighting the movement the creation of an atmosphere and mood, this amazing world i cannot describe how desperately i want to be part of that. My conundrum, How do i become part of it? I have no direct contacts into the film industry as CSM doesn't run any film course. I also dont have a relevant degree (film ba or whatever its fine art). I have worked in the course making photographs which later developed into this passion and i know work almost exclusively with motion picture work shooting editing lighting and colouring myself , as i have tried to read watch absorb and learn as much as i can on my own. and now i want to try to take the first step up into the industry i see i have two options so far both of which im going to try and see how it works out. Option 1 : try to get onto a Cinematography Masters at NFTS etc but honestly i don't know if i am anywhere near good enough yet having no training other than my own attempts to self teach. Option 2: try and become a camera trainee ... im really comfortable with being at the bottom of the pile doing whatever those above me ask me to do , menial tasks , whatever i dont care i get its part of the process and honestly i would sell a kidney just to get there because what i honestly want is to learn from people who know what their doing to slog my guts out to absorb every minute bit of knowledge and begin this journey learning this amazing craft... but how??? who do i approach to get a role as this? do you need formal training before that i essentially lack ? do you approach production companys ? or do you approach crews? where do you find these crews? any feedback from people who are in the industry especially those who have worked their way up the ranks and can shed light on the process would be appreciated so much by me. also just so im not winging for advice and not contributing anything heres a few shots from my art films . thanks so much

therein lies the issue as to why i wanted to source a proper film materials supplier ... thanks for the info though :) (this might sound dumb but what is that tarpaulins film double? cheers

that sounds promising il check it out, cheers . oh cool meet sounds good. and whats up with the lack of it in the uk?! what do you guys do when you need stuff? (do u ship it from overseas? )