Justin Hayward

I think the overall point is if you want to deal with the big people green lighting scripts, as a screenwriter, you have to be where the heads of studios are, and that's only, exclusively, and solely, in LA.

That's true, but from what I've read, working screenwriters are expected to be in the room of studios when pitching, and getting notes, and everything else. I've even read of "hot" screenwriters being flown into the studio by helicopter to avoid traffic. To reiterate, this is only based on things I've read, not personal experience.

It's funny, based on all the books I've read, I was going to say this a long time ago. But, since I live in Chicago I felt unqualified to voice it. I recently read an article about a fairly successful screenwriter whose career went south due to a flop. He lost all his money and became homeless, but instead of moving out of LA to his home town where his family was, he moved into his car so he could make all his pitch meetings.

Point is, if he writes.. EXT. MOUNT RUSHMORE - DAY "A hapless New York advertising executive scales the faces of the famous mountain... " Then Joshua Gallegos goes and PA's on some production and realizes how hard it would be to shoot a scene on Mount Rushmore... maybe he would be intimidated to write what he feels and change his mind. Would his learning the protocol of production be more helpful to him, or more helpful to all the people making the movie?

I ask this question to all the production folks engaged in this conversation... Because Joshua Gallegos really wants to be a screenwriter, do you all think on-the-day production work would benefit him?

I believe that. It's where the studio meetings take place. I think there are two conversations going on. We have a massive sound stage here in Chicago, but no New Line studio execs. I doubt being a PA is ever going to get you a writing job, so I'm not sure moving where there's lots of film production is going to help unless you would rather make money being a PA while you write rather than working in a gas station while you write. I say, write, pack your bags, write, move to LA, write, get a job, write... write... write... and do whatever it takes to get your scripts in front of producers and readers. It goes without saying the odds of success are very, very, slim, but you can't succeed without trying. This guy gives a lot of helpful advice to new screenwriters... http://www.scriptsecrets.net

If you had to pick one specific job in the filmmaking business you want to retire doing, what would it be?

100% agree. It just pops more. Imagine if the walls around a movie theater screen were painted white.

I've forwarded this to a handful of my filmmaker friends. Great post, David, as usual.

Photographers are a different breed. They're used to it only being them and an assistant and the assistant often has many responsibilities, from lighting to doing dishes. Lately photographers have been reading the writing on the wall and realizing table top motion is where it's at, and now that the cameras are where they are, agencies are scaling back and taking their large productions from these big table top production companies and handing them to their favorite still photographer where the budgets are far smaller. The photographers happen to be fantastic with food, but don't know anything about live action lighting, so they hire someone that does. You may think you were the DP, but the photographer probably just thought of you as an assistant whose day rate is way too high. Once they figure out live action lighting, they won't hire you anymore.

Right on, thank you.

Sheesh, if there were stand up comedy clubs for cinematographers, you would be the Louie CK of cinematographer comedians :lol: Excellent points as usual. Thanks

Yes it is. I wanted to do something a little different than a usual performance music vid. I wanted to hold on dynamic compositions and lighting for a long time in order to focus on the song and performance. I also wanted to hold on shots long enough that each edit felt purposeful, and weren't buried. Anyway, it was an experiment. Let me know what you all think. It's a great song too! Thanks (shot on an alexa with arri ultra primes)

Ugh, well, with all due respect to the director, that was his fault, not yours. I know I sound like a broken record, but I just don't understand how a professional director would make such an amateur decision on a professional job where people were expecting, at least, professional results. Like you said, five minutes. It doesn't take a tech genius to understand it will only take five minutes to pick up a camera and move it, despite the producer... ...end rant :) Of course. Do those kinds of arguments happen with you and a director very often? Never mind budget or schedule or anything like that. Only creative. I'm only asking because you work in a much higher end of production than me, and I'm curious how common this kind of thing is. Thanks again

A producer worrying about the strain on the schedule and budget are one thing, but are there often incidences where what you thought was best was also against the director's wishes? And if so, are you often proven right in the end and regret not holding out if you didn't? Thanks

The DP and gaffer did a fantastic job too in case they walk across this... ;)

Through about 15 years of trial and error, I've learned (the hard way) that my "vision" might not be as good as I think it is. Once I realized that, many creative doors opened. Of course I still have a battle plan with every job, but my execution is open to many other creative minds that I hire. I shot a job on Tuesday that was about 90 percent art direction, and the art director performed beautifully. I got the credit as the director, but she deserves the glory.

This is such a great topic, not just because it's true, but because it's totally underestimating things at the same time. I can only sit back and enjoy the responses. But, great topic... B) And thank you Miguel for your thoughtful and kind words toward directors.

Regarding trends, this is a quote from a director that had been looking for a local LA DP for a low budget feature he was directing. Warning, it's harsh, but kinda funny... :lol:

That's true, but difficult when starting out if you don't have that much material to sift through. As the work builds, building a reel of the type of things you want to shoot will be easier. Of course I don't know how much you have, so... I prefer DP reels short, like a minute, with only one or two of your best shots from each project. Get as many of the full projects as you can, (even if it's only one or two things you like. The more you shoot, the more you can add). Then build a vimeo page with your reel on top, and the other "labeled" projects below with the best shot in the piece as your thumbnail. That way people can follow up if they see something they like in the reel, and want to see more. You can pay for a website down the road, or build one yourself if you're capable, but vimeo is fine until you want to do something more. Then instead of sending people a link to your reel, you send them a link to your vimeo page with the reel on top. It's good you have your director friend lending you an objective eye. New DP's sometimes put less than stellar work on their reels, because of how difficult it was to shoot or how big the set up was. But, no matter how big the shoot was, if it doesn't look great, it shouldn't be on your reel. ;) Looking forward to seeing it!

Did I say you "liked" something?

For the record, my father is a mailman that raised five kids, so... About a year ago I was directing a commercial where the key grip recognized me. He was the same key grip on one of my first PA jobs years ago. He asked me how I was able to move into directing as if I had some trick up my sleeve. I had to think about a sec, cause I didn't really know. I told him I shot a bunch of my own crap until people took notice and eventually paid me to make their crap look like my crap, and it only took me about 15 years of working in almost every department of production and shooting loads of my own projects, all of which I was able to do through favors earned by working with many different folks. Not to mention watching trillions of movies multiple times any way possible from about the age of 5 when I recognized what a movie was, reading as many filmmaking books as I can fit in my house, just trying to absorb the craft as well as I could. But that's about it. Of course, I still often lose jobs to directors that are simply more talented than me. So I just don't like this idea that the majority of people making a living as filmmakers must have somehow cheated the system. I know a lot of those people. They weren't handed their careers on a silver platter. They are actually talented individuals that deserve what they are given.

Phil, I'm telling you, I saw his work with my own eyes, he was better. If we really want to move forward, we have to acknowledge that we aren't as good as we think we are.

I thought I just gave you an example where ability specifically and personally beat me, and I'm no where near the level of David Mullen.

Not true. I used to believe that when I was upset my directing career wasn't moving as fast as I hoped, but now that I'm a professional director (and I say professional meaning directing commercials is my only source of income), I often lose jobs to directors that are flat out more talented than me. They have almost the same background and experience, but their reels, and their ideas are simply better than mine. There is one job in particular that I was really excited about and thought I would kill if given the chance. The agency went with another guy, and when I saw what he did I immediately thought they made the right choice. I was given the same scripts, but I could not have done what he did. Talent counts. And I'm not trying to be modest or fake humble. What I'm always learning is that I have to treat every job or project as if it's my last and to give it everything I'm capable of giving.