AJ Young

I love this channel! If we're talking YouTube channels, I'd also recommend: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnw2-4hXY26-W2w9Ja9GBvw - Matt Workman uses a virtual environment to light and his program Cine Tracer tries to replicate actual lighting tools for pre-vis work Rocket Jump Film School - Tons of filmmaking tutorials that, in my opinion, eclipses the educational quality of Film Riot. Plus, Lauren Haroutunian's videos about cinematography are the best you can watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZStU4RRGYY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3yppt_h6bI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HTBOhXswC4 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6P24bhhCmMPOcujA9PKPTA - Film Riot has a lot of excellent DIY approaches to lighting and filmmaking; they've been at it for over a decade now and are pumping out some killer shorts https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ya9gBlwOhRwtloTn1hvbA - Cooke's Channel; mostly theory https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtdsiPRhmJoOrhvnFOyVxeQ - Arri's Channel; mostly theory Books wise, I'd recommend: Matters of Light and Depth by Ross Lowell Motion Picture and Video Lighting by Blaine Brown Masters of Light by Dennis Schaefer and Larry Salvato

UPDATE: In California, people are starting to receive the additional $600/week on top of their regular UI benefits, as stated through the EDD website (LINK). (I personally have started to receive this on my unemployment) For those who are self-employed, 1099, etc, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program will launch on 4/28/2020 in California: https://www.edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019/pandemic-unemployment-assistance.htm Additionally, the $1,200 stimulus checks are slowly starting to arrive via direct deposit to americans. However, some who are eligible have yet to receive the money, and finding answers via the IRS.gov website has been frustrating to most: https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/15/21222749/irs-coronavirus-get-my-payment-portal-payment-status-not-available-stimulus-explanation.

From what I know, the agent only gets paid from the jobs the agent gets you.

Excellent! Whichever works. ?

Great idea for a dissertation! Vox did an excellent video about the Shirley card that I think you should check out:

@Mike Maliwanag Great advice! Here are my thoughts on networking: Forcing it won't work, just like dating Build your own client management system This means creating an excel (or similar) spreadsheet of your "clients" or contacts. This sheet helps you organize who you know. (From what I've heard, humans can only keep track of about 100 people in their life; how can you manage to keep track of industry people on top of family/friends?!) Your sheet should include: Name When you met them How you met them What you last talked about When you last talked It's tedious to maintain, but it'll help you stay in touch with people you meet and work with in the film industry. Talk less about work and more about life. I've connected better with people discussing cooking salmon rather than the latest movie we did Networking takes time, so take a deep breath and relax Look up unknown filmmakers via small film festivals, watch their work, and find their contact info. Connect with other DP's! Be active on social platforms online (this one included!) Hope this helps!

Honestly, it's personal preference. I shot this on the Alexa Mini with Atlas lenses and added the grain after desqueezing: In theory, if you shot on film, then the grain would be stretched. But, does it have to be?

The final product only needed a 2K delivery; it was shot for direct-to-video. Most of the revenue of Jesus, Bro! was made through DVD sales. Yes, DVD sales from 2016-today. ? Their streaming option was limited to vimeo and the director/producer, Ryan Mitchelle, didn't feel he needed a 4K version of the film because he knew his audience wouldn't care. I shot a second feature for Ryan, http://www.ajyoungdp.com/acsm, on the Red Dragon. Final product was still 2K for the same reasons. ?

I'm doing a total re-work of my website!

Batteries, smallHD DP4, nikkor lenses with M4/3 focal reducer, and media. I'm meaning a Mini, Weapon, etc. It's wild. There are a few misconceptions of having an agent, the biggest is that they have a mountain of work available for DP's. Most of my friends who have agents tell me that their agent can get a DP at most 20% of their yearly work, the other 80% is up to the DP. Also, it's good to have an agent because clients are more likely to pick someone who has representation over someone who doesn't. (it's a weird industry thing) One thing to keep in mind: landing an agent is a bit of chicken vs egg problem. If you're at the point where agents are asking to represent you, then you most likely don't need an agent. However, you should get an agent if they are offering. Yup! That's exactly what I do. The birthday section of Facebook helps a lot too. ? Pro tip I heard from podcast: When trying to stay in contact with people, it's best to congratulate them on something they've recently done like a film release, production wrap, etc. You're not asking for anything in return and they'll appreciate that you've noticed something about them.

Ha! I wouldn't call my GH4 "camera package" a real package. Sure, it can do the job and definitely punches above its weight, but I wouldn't consider it the in real sense. I'm always tempted to upgrade, of course, but I've really never had the need to upgrade yet. I've been able to get by borrowing fellow DP's slightly better but just as cheap "camera packages" for when I don't believe my camera is enough for the project. More and more projects that I shoot have rental budgets, so I've personally never needed anything beyond a GH4. However, if I didn't own a GH4 and was in the market to get my own camera, I'd definitely look at the ones you've mentioned! However, I honestly wouldn't spend too much because I know the camera won't be a good investment. Buying a camera on your own solely depends on what you can afford. How much can you afford to spend? How much can you afford to take a job for? Some people can manage bringing their fully kitted out Alexa package for $300/day. I'm not one of them. ? Oh, it's tedious and at some point this is a job that your agent is supposed to do with clients you get through the agency. However, majority of my work has been through networking in all forms; the one I explained is just one way of doing it. Social media is definitely a way to network; in fact this list is just an easy way to remember who I haven't talked to in a while! ?

Good point, thank you! Thank you, Mike! I rated the whole film at 5000 ISO. I think the nosiest scene was the night warehouse one not because of exposure, but color temp. We couldn't source a strong enough light beyond ETC Source 4, but gelling them blue would cut too much light for the slow motion parts of the scene. However, the LT can go to 2000k color temp, so we set the camera to that. The downside was that we were practically starving all of the other channels of any information and the image became incredibly noisy. Our colorist, Nicole Kizer, denoised these shots in the grade thankfully. I will say, the incredibly high native ISO made it possible to work with a small GE package. ?

An update on the CARES act being implemented at a state level, particularly in California: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/unemployed-californians-to-get-extra-600-in-weekly-benefits-starting-sunday-amid-coronavirus-crisis/?fbclid=IwAR368Mc40iRu1rIIG86QBWQyhr7Pbzn96YwQoald_xfNMfmmMZ4AdRoPgQY Key note: It's becoming clear that implementing the CARES act in regards to unemployment and small business loans is easier said than done.

I'm afraid of someone on the cast or crew getting hurt on set. poop happens on even the tamest of jobs. Outside of safety, I'm afraid of poor digital archival. I'll be the first to admit that printing to film for archival is still the most secure way.

Here are some more updates about CA Unemployment and the federal stimulus: https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-04-07/california-workers-newly-eligible-unemployment-benefits-delays Key notes from the LA Times Article: Updates about the federal stimulus and CA Unemployment will be shared on the EDD Website: https://www.edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019.htm According to the EDD: A facebook group was created, not by the state, for Californians to help each other with the unemployment process: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3296311573733137/ I'm in this group and some of the info is helpful, particularly the FAQ that is updated regularly.

That's good to know, thank you!

I'd say the Asteras are as close to the Quasars in terms of output. They obviously blow them out of the water in terms of RGB haha I know with Asteras, the maximum output is dependent on the battery life setting you choose. The longer you want the light to run on battery, the lower the maximum output.

I think we strung together 8 of them for a litemat 1? It was, oh man, almost five years ago now. ?

California! For those filing for unemployment in, those already receiving unemployment, and those who are no longer unemployed (yay!): Remember that any money you received from unemployment insurance is considered as income and you will have to pay taxes on that when you file in 2021 (for 2020). What has worked for me is to save 30% of what you've received. Of course, times are hard so you can save that 30% LATER, but just remember how much you need to save for when taxes are due. The tax form you will receive is called a 1099G and it will have the total amount you've received. You can elect to have the taxes taken out ahead of time when signing up, but a lot of people (myself included) miss this step.

I've found, on the low budget side, that lighting the environment and minimally lighting the coverage works great. For example, we set the look of the scene in the wide shot: street light through a window and practical lamps. On the coverage or close ups, we basically change just the key light by either making it softer, different position, etc. It's always case by case, but in general the key light is moving.

Block batteries are going to be your best bet for consistency, build quality, and connectivity. I've used a string of AA batteries to power a Litemat, but it wouldn't last too long.

Great question! I created a news topic in this section that addresses what the US Government (federal and state level) are doing for non-union members: In the comments of the aforementioned thread are questions and answers regarding unemployment in the US for freelancers. Additionally, for mutual aid efforts, resource, etc, here are a few: https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1uP49OQGhosfBN4BOYQvyy_Mu3mpCSOYzip13LksC-S8/mobilebasic?mc_cid=009585bee3&mc_eid=a9df1595df#h.ep6ylhlannkh https://creative-capital.org/2020/03/13/list-of-arts-resources-during-the-covid-19-outbreak/?mc_cid=009585bee3&mc_eid=a9df1595df https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1Rcan4C_e6OBFBI5bUn7MtYK74Ab-WarxyJmDvZUI_YA/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR0VHJvbOANXp4E9nyYWsq6DowjHkLkhA9QqHIc4dquUjbP2k_3J9qQly5U&mc_cid=009585bee3&mc_eid=a9df1595df

Glad I could help! We're all in this together and information changes by the day. I'll keep sharing what I find out when it comes to financial support people in the film industry. ?

Max, given your budget, a used GH5 will do you wonders! Here's a feature I shot it on: http://www.ajyoungdp.com/mandao And a short I shot it on: http://www.ajyoungdp.com/aftermath It's also incredibly affordable! I recommend making sure you get one that has vLog enabled so you can start to mess around with shooting in logarithmic profiles.

Here is the actual press release from the IRS: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-day-now-july-15-treasury-irs-extend-filing-deadline-and-federal-tax-payments-regardless-of-amount-owed In regards to Unemployment Insurance, what qualifies as losing employment is defined in the law (LINK) The three bolded items directly apply to nearly everyone in the film industry. In terms of your short that you lost (sorry, by the way), you at least have the text message that the project has been canceled. Though nothing was agreed on payment, you can reference your historical wages for similar gigs via prior invoices, tax returns, etc. Regardless of how much you would've been paid, the federal government will give you $600 a week so long as you can continue to show that you are unemployed and actively looking for work. In my prior experience with California Unemployment, you actually receive a call from the Employment Development Department to discuss your eligibility; this is where I've been able to explain my situation and how the film industry operates when it comes to hiring and turnover. If you have an employer who hasn't paid through their payroll because it isn't operational, then you should contact the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and explain that your employer is not paying you on the regularly scheduled paydays. Failure to pay you within the California Labor Code is a misdemeanor. If a company hasn't fulfilled an invoice to you, then I recommend keeping in as much contact with them as possible, particularly the accounting department and project manager you've been working with. The Freelancers Union has an excellent resource for client nonpayment. If this issue still can not be resolved, then you may have to go through small claims court, but at this point you may need to get a lawyer involved. In terms of a rental business, showing historical data isn't too difficult if you've already got a paper trail with your insurance company. However, if your rental business isn't established as a company and does not file taxes as a company, then it is considered part of your individual income and won't increase your amount of unemployment from the federal government (it's max $600/week). If you do have a legally formed business and are seeking funds to fulfill payroll, pay bills, etc, then I recommend visiting the US Chamber of Commerce's Coronavirus Small Business Guide. A landlord has no legal jurisdiction over the government checks. Landlords are legally owed rent payments and banning evictions for a short period of time doesn't mean rents for those months are no longer owed; banning the evictions gives renters time to gather funds to meet their financial obligations to pay rent while they wait for the unemployment and stimulus checks. Eviction laws vary by state and unpaid rent is the biggest grounds for eviction. However, it's becoming clear (in CA) that late payment during the COVID-19 economic crisis will not qualify for eviction so long as the rent is paid eventually in a reasonable amount of time. Only law enforcement can enforce evictions and, in California, Governor Gavin Newsom has banned evictions and the enforcement thereof. LINK I hope these links and resources help you during this tough time! We're all in this together.