Timothy Riese

I agree with what you are saying, in fact, I think one of the things that's important as an Apprentice/Intern is to know your place. Having spent time on quite a few sets I have a good feeling for 'settitquette'. The last thing you need is an intern who is telling you how to do your job in front of a client. I'm looking to soak up some good knowledge like a sponge while occasionally asking questions. I had a mentor in Florida before i moved to LA. Shooting mostly small stuff but it was the beginning of my career so everything was new to me. He constantly would quiz me while we were on set and would ask me why I thought he did certain things in certain ways to see if I 'got it'. A good mentor is worth more than a college degree. Although i have a bachelor's degree, I'm looking for a mentor instead of a master's degree at this point.

Oh I'm completely aware, but it doesn't hurt to put it out there, right? I posted something like this a few years ago and got the attention of a stedicam operator/DP who's since hired me to 2nd AC a feature and then the next film I Gaffed for him. Worked out pretty good so far. They were small films, ($200k-500k) but still bigger than anything I could land on my own.

After working as a DP/Operator in LA for almost 4 years I'm looking to further my study of the craft through an apprenticeship or mentor. My name is Timothy Riese. I graduated with a bachelor degree in Television with a film minor in 2004 from UCF in Orlando. I worked in the industry there for 3 years, interned at Adrenaline Films and Universal Studios Orlando, before moving to LA in 2007I've been working as a DP/Operator for around 4 years now in LA. I've shot many music videos, shorts films, commercials, and a handful of small features, in addition to tons of interviews for various broadcast television shows. You can watch my demos at www.timriese.com. I'm looking for an ASC or equivalent DP that tackles many unique and large scale productions. I can light small rooms, green screens, etc, all day. It's the larger scale lighting setups that I need to learn. I'm willing to work as an operator (I should be Union eligible) or even just a 'camera intern'. I could be as hands on or off as your willing to be with me. The simple ability to be on large scale sets could be sufficient enough for what I'm looking for although what I would love to find is a talented DP willing to help take me under his wing so to speak. If this sounds like something you would be interested in please email me at timriese@gmail.com. You can see some of my past work at www.timriese.com THANKS! Timothy Riese

Please check out my work at www.timriese.com. I own a Panasonic HPX170 w/ 35mm adapter as well as a Canon 5D. Mattebox, Nikon and Canon glass, follow focus, and SDI converter box, monitor, etc. I also have a decent amount of lighting equipment and access to sound people and gear. Thanks! Tim

Hey everyone...for those of you in LA looking for any good deals on production equipment I can offer some steals. I'm a DP in the area but also have quite a bit of indie level production equipment, 35mm adapters, HPX170, etc. All I ask is that I be on set in some fashion if you don't already have a DP, perhaps as an operator or AC. Please check out my website www.timriese.com for more information, reels, resume, and equipment list. Thanks! Timothy Riese www.timriese.com

I've used the Britek lights for low budget television. I'm not a fan of Lowel lights, but honestly I'd rather have a lowel kit (or some rifa lights for softlight) then the briteks. The main reason is they feel very cheap and lack the ability to control the light well. Whatever you choose, invest wisely. A good quality light kit will retain it's value and should last you many years. It may be wise to spend a little more now, for in the long run you'll appreciate superior heads with better construction and light control (I'm speaking of arri and mole lights here) In response to your other question with varying light bulbs the answer is yes, as long as you follow two rules, the lamps have to have the same base and you should go no higher then what the light is rates for, so a 650 Arri, for instance, uses a FRK bulb, if you could find a FRK bulb of a lower wattage it would be fine. I see this with the LTM Peppers all the time, in fact they sometimes list the bulbs available on the head.

Nice! Someone that even recognized the band...

Hey everyone, just a quick one. I'm a DP in the LA area. I have access to a variety of camera packages (DVX100a, HVX200 w/ RED rock & RED especially), at indie rates, in addition to great crew, sound, and lighting, and post. If you are looking for someone to help you deliver everything, I'm the man! Thanks! Timothy Riese www.timriese.com <--Demo & Resume

Pete, maybe on the next one man. We shot that nearly 2 years ago. I'm in LA now and the director is moving here within the month though! Also, thanks everyone for the comments about the handgun. I'd pass it around to the director/editor but since this is the 3rd version since we shot the movie I'm not sure how many re-edits he's got left in him, lol. It's premiering at the Central Florida FIlm Festival with a Q&A afterwards. We shot this movie for an incredibly low budget...I'll put it this way, the insurance was the biggest line item in the budget. With that in mind he has also created a 90 minute behind the scenes making of video that focuses on independent film-making. We are thinking of packaging it together to help sell the movie. What do you guys think? Thanks!

Tom, Thanks for the reply. I felt like I needed to add the text so people would now I have HD experience. For the next reel I'll eliminate that though since everything will be mostly in HD anyways! I'll take a look at some of the shots in the middle. When I cut this thing about 6 months ago I had just finished a feature and perhaps put too much of that one in the edit.

You are not the only one to mention the music. Everyone seems to think Celtic music is only Riverdance! That's a band called Afro Celt Sound System and somebody was playing it while we wrapped a shoot location awhile back and I really dug it. I used it primarily because it's different than your normal demo reel bg music and felt it may make people remember the reel.

Thanks for the words of advice Spencer. In regards to the opening shot I did not edit this trailer so I can speak of the shot choice. The lighting was daytime/natural (was supplemented but that was the look we were going for) We tried to avoid making the film look to noir-ish since it already was black and white.

The producers fought the director the entire time but the battle was already over by the time I came on board. Given the limited resources and the equipment available it did help some with lighting requirements. The director really wanted a feel of 16mm B&W. As far as I'm concerned it's neat having something in B&W on my reel! Thanks for the words/tips I'll check out the AFM...

We were shooting in a tight interioir so were in better shape then if we would have been outside BUT...with less than 30 amps of available power it made for a little different lighting approach than I normally would have used. You know you are in trouble and the camera is slow when you have a 1k open face arri 7 feet from your talent as a kicker and you aren't overexposing the skintones, even when shooting at a 1.4 with 6db of gain! Attached are a few photos...The one with the boy is keyed with a 250 photoflood in a frosted housing right off the edge of frame and a 1k tota as a backlight. THe father is kicked fomr the side with a 1k arri about 4 feet of frame and filled with a 650 fresnel on the nose about 7 feet away. He also had a 250 photoflood above him as a hair/background light (although it didn't do much, lol) I would have used a few additional lights to help bring out the dark background but I ran out of power! Plus the director wanted it dark so thankfully I wasn't put in an impossible position!

Hey everyone. Below is the link to a trailer of my first feature. Shot with an extremely lo/no budget. The director and producer are still looking for distribution so if you know anyone, hint hint...I'm just looking for honest reactions to the cinematography. Thanks! http://www.newphilms.com/untitled/trailer.asp

Hey everyone. I have a reel posted online. Mostly SD/HD narrative and industrial style projects. I'm a young DP/Operator and am looking for any constructive criticism. Thanks! Tim Riese Go To: www.timriese.com to Watch!

I would definitely recommend doing a test of some sort before you go out, to see if you really have enough light. I was on a shoot with a Z1U and the Lotus 35 Flip and that adapter sucked about 3 stops of light! Crazy I know, I was shocked too...had to adjust my lighting plots because I didn't have enough powerful instruments to use soft-light. We were shooting with a 50mm 1.4 Nikon too! How do you guys feel about this theory...That to make dramatic night scenes you actually need more light than normal. I say this because if you light to a 5.6 instead of a 1.4 all the extra ambience generated by your key and fill lights doesn't read as well as if you were wide open. Giving you darker blacks and the ability to paint with finer strokes. Does this make sense? Please feel free to correct me on this. Night, I find, is the hardest thing for a lot of people, including myself. Thanks! Tim

There's a real cheap shoulder stabilizer called the Spider Brace that would work great for that setup. Plus since it's such a small camera it will make your handheld work a lot steadier as well.

Thanks for the comments Brian...My current plan is to do a little bit of both. I've been DPing the small indie projects but would also like to get on the bigger sets as an AC to learn from the big kids and with the big equipment. I figure if I can do a little bit of both that will help me meet people in both circles, the indy world and the professional world...sometimes those circles mesh together and that's what I'm counting on. I agree completely with the concept of everything you said in regards to understanding what the other positions do and working in them. I believe for you to expect things from your crew you need to see things and have an understanding from their perspective as well. Hey man, you speak about your career like it's post-mortem! If you are still working in the industry you'll always have the chance to move up some day...

Thanks Bruce! I appreciate the kind words and the opportunity... :) Whether it be big time or small time I'm just looking for the chance to stay active in the film-making community...

Hence the post ;) Any and all work welcome as long as it's with a talented crew! paid or not...

Hey everyone. I've been doing television as an operator for about 5 years but my main passion is in narrative film-making. I recently moved to LA to pursue my real dreams. Although I have done some shorts and indies and have quite a bit of HD experience, I realize the pros are using 35 and will be the same people who move into more HD productions. With that being said I believe I need to get 'in' with this caliber of film-makers to really pursue a true career. Although I have quite a bit of book knowledge, I've only been on a few film shoots as a camera pa. I've read all the books on AC work and have practiced dummy loads at panavision and believe I'm ready to start ACing or at least camera 'traineeing' on real shoots. Be it for free or pay I'm just looking for the opportunity to work with great people, train under talented DPs, and make connections to propel my career forward. I know there are a lot of operators in television that would rather be making films but I'm willing to take the step down from operating to start at wherever I have to, to make it happen. Thanks for your time and patience with my long winded explanation, any suggestions, tips/tricks, comments, opportunities, or job offers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Tim Riese 310-880-4172 www.timriese.com

Hey everyone. I'm very excited about attending this years Cine Gear Expo. Even more so with the program that Kodak is running. I've never shot film before but I'll have the chance this Saturday with Kodak's "Stop By Shoot Film" program. Has anyone gone through this program? Also, what's the best way to approach this opportunity to get the most of out of it? Thanks a bunch for all your suggestions... Tim Riese

We weren't shooting on the the HVX, although I have in the past extensively already. W were shooting tape with the Sony F900/R, another camera I have worked with. Most of the gear I've used in the past, it was all the cine style lenses, pro35, etc, that was new to me. Everything worked out fine. I was kept busy though, mostly slating, lens changes assistance, and video village. Everything was kept neat and organized like a good ac should :). Job was a lot of fun! Thank you all for your posts....

Bring it on, lol. Yeah I'm going to the prep tomorrow. I'm not getting paid for this gig at all anyway so what's another day...Ah the glories of indie production.