Josh Gallegos

I think without any knowledge of cinematography it's impossible to create anything at all, and I agree that I would learn a lot by watching an actual professional work on a set, but I haven't earned that right yet, I don't think a professional would want an extra burden on set or have someone watch them work when there's enough pressure on them already. This is why I'm learning what I can from the forums and applying it to the work itself. Before when I was a younger I wanted to be a writer/director, but I realized that I'd rather be on a film set as anything than to not be in one at all. I started out as a screenwriter, I've written seven spec scripts, some of which made the top list on The Black List website and that's the reason I did my short films because I wanted to see how the script translated to screen. At the time I discovered that you need to know the visual language, how the images are going to cut together and bring the story to life through the actors. And here's the thing about filmmaking, it doesn't matter how good the film looks or how well or badly written it is. If the acting is atrocious nothing will work. I 've seen films with bad scripts but when the acting is interesting you can still sit down and watch it, and to me great cinematography is something like Alice in the Cities, it's not the most pristine-looking film, but it really captures the emotion, alienation and loneliness, the best directors know how to work with actors, I think as long as the cinematography remains true to the actor, it works. My goal at the moment is to become better at the technical things, I want to know how to put pieces of film together and make them mean something. I was watching Phantom Thread and taking snap shots on my phone to see how each shot is framed how they connect, and there's always an idea behind it, I think it's an intuitive process, I think it's a process that you have to feel your way through, just the way the actors are captured, the gleam in their eyes, the way the emotions form, it's building to something. I'm already connecting with other filmmakers in Houston, I might film something in October, I'm really interested in all aspects of filmmaking, I think the greatest challenge comes with lighting, that's really an art, to paint with light, that's just something not many people can do. I think I can just work on something instead of sitting and waiting for something. If I'm not filming anything I can just sit and write a screenplay, and if I can't direct my own work I can go out and film something for someone else for free. Maybe someday someone will let me be on an actual professional set once I create something worthy of attention. But I'm just going to stick to filmmaking, I'll be lucky if I manage to get paid to work on a film set one day.

That’s great, I enjoyed your film. I just want to jump into the world of filmmaking. At the moment I just want to shoot anything, even if it’s a horrible script, I’m getting on facebook since that’s where local filmmakers in Houston network. I figure I’ll shoot anything I can and make my own projects, this way I can develop connections along the way. I feel like I’m going to go insane if I don’t do it, never felt that before.

These are remarkable. You can just tell when someone has great potential inside of them.I particularly like the silhouettes in the beach. The mirror shot also reminded me of Psycho for some reason, I’m seeing so much talent out there, on Vimeo, but I guess it’s best to simply run my own race and focus rather than look over my shoulder. I actually have a new idea for a short film, it’s going to be called “Wash Us in The Blood”, I was watching John Huston’s ‘Wise Blood’and got some ideas, but it’s nothing definitive yet.

Satsuki, it’s hard to believe the screenplay for Paris, Texas was never nominated, and it was actually shot in my hometown of Houston, TX. No one has ever captured the city on camera in such a way. It’s great to be back, I’ll be buying my equipment next month, I just have a good feeling about it. And here’s a little something from Elon Musk that keeps me motivated, and also Joel Osteen spoke life into me. I was out of hope, getting ready to die until I heard his message. I can’t believe I’m here again.I post the videos because maybe someone has struggled with hopelessness and if it helped me maybe it can help someone else.

I agree, filmmaking is a collaborative process. I’ve been watching a lot of Lena Dunham’s earlier work and it was interesting seeing her grow in visual style in all areas of filmmaking. I just have to put in the work, everyone starts from the bottom, I also saw Reed Morano’s early short films- she has come a long way. I know I’m starting late, and I don’t measure up to their talents, but like the quote from INCEPTION goes “Do you want to take a leap of faith? Or die an old man filled with regret.” I choose leap of faith, that way I can have the pleasure of knowing that I went all the way. I was thinking of getting a start by asking young student filmmakers if they want their projects shot and I’d do it for free, after the COVID lockdown ends I’m sure there will be plenty of web series/short films made and I’d be working with other people instead of doing it alone.

Id love to assemble all those people, but as someone who is virtually impoverished, I have to do it all on my own. I actually did a couple short films five years ago where I did everything myself, I actually learned a lot by doing it that way, I think I still have the link for my old Vimeo account https://vimeo.com/jthomsg , I know they’re bad but I want to be able to find what I enjoy the most from filmmaking. To me it was framing and trying to edit the pieces together, that’s where I found the most joy. Maybe I really do want to be a cinematographer I just don’t have the connections or finances to get it done, so I just create my own projects to get behind the camera. This is why I want to live in Austin, Tx because there I wouldn’t be out of place. There’s lots of other people creating and maybe there I’ll find the connections I need and maybe get on an actual set with real equipment.

Yes, I saw that interview on YouTube. You made films of silhouettes and you were just a child. Is there a way we could see those films? I saw a student film you made a long time ago it was about a prisoner trying to find redemption or something. Congratulations on your recent award wins, very well deserved.

I don't want to be an insult to the art of cinematography, I know it takes a consistent lifetime to learn the craft and those who are prestigious enough to become ASC members earned it with their life-long commitment and sacrifice. Realistically, I'm 33, and I understand that you don't start at this age to become a professional, but I want to become competent enough to shoot my own short films and hopefully a low budget feature film that may open a door. I honestly don't know where to begin, I know I have to make short films not for an audience but to work on the craft, that means filming someone making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or something to refresh my memory, it's harder than I remember, my mind just goes blank when I imagine myself on a small set. Ok, it begins with the script, but this time I won't be able to write dialogue, since I won't have any money to afford any sound, but I saw a short film by Agnes Varda that had no dialogue, it was in black and white and its basically two lovers walking around with back ground music playing and it was lovely, it was 3 minutes and I figured this is the kind of work I have to do. No sound, just moving images. This is a deviation from before as I only made short films with dialogue, I mean I have nothing better to do with my life, as far as I know this has been my life since I was 16, the only thing I ever thought about doing, I just never did it consistently. I know the odds are against me, I don't have the funds, the connections, the experience or even the talent, but something keeps telling me that I'll get to where I want to be if I continue down this path consistently. That means going hungry for a while, but I just have to find the meaning, I can't live another day feeling unfulfilled it makes me feel like a soulless animal. I can't just live for comfort, I have to try, I realized that when you try, you don't fail because you are already living the dream when you place yourself in the right path to your destiny. Sad it took this long to realize that. To make films, do you need a consistent method to start? Again, I have no connections, so it will just be me and the camera and a subject in front of me. I already decided on the Sony Alpha ii, I'm learning about the camera and its capabilities, but it feels like something's missing. To be honest I don't feel excited like before, but maybe when I start shooting something again that feeling will become alive again, maybe it's because I haven't written the right script to shoot, but I feel I shouldn't just jump back in without making a series of no budget short films to become better at the craft. When people say they are "passionate", what does that mean? Because when I say "passion" it means something I'm attached to, for instance The Passion of The Christ, the cross that he carries, that burden is because of his passion, his passion has caused suffering and sorrow, and that's what I mean by it. When I think about the task I feel overwhelmed, challenged, uncomfortable, and the feeling never goes away... But that's enough of that, I have to read the ASC manual again just to learn the basic essentials again.

Thanks Satsuki. Although I’ve been away from cinematography boards I’ve been writing a lot and even had one of my scripts read by a Hollywood producer, it was rejected, but I think my pathway is most likely not in the mainstream, maybe I was meant to make my own material. For instance I thought of a small short film last night , I titled it (Anxiety) and it’s about a young woman sitting in a park bench, black and white and I imagined a rhythm. She’s inhaling on a cigarette, exhaling while we see her worries and frustration building, it builds into a crescendo until she has an anxiety attack. I want to orchestrate the images, cinema is in the rhythm of things. And I figure I have many small ideas like this. I won’t even need audio or a crew, I can just make small films and maybe one day raise money for a bigger idea. I just want to become adept, experiment and grow. Thus far 2020 has been an odd year, the foundations of my soul have been rattled in the madness, I felt a terrible sorrow, a deep regret over the years lost in indecision and fear. Life just has a way of humbling you, it’s been a rough year, but it’s taken me back on track to my destiny.

Yes, thank you, sir. The Sony alpha a7 ii is looking like the camera to get, it’s right in my price range. I already wrote three short films last night, I’m going to make up for lost time.

Thanks. I was thinking of getting a Canon camcorder and a Sony. I found this great camera in the $200 dollar range! https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/camcorders/consumer/vixia/vixia-hf-r800 Saw a few short films made on youtube, though the audio on it might be pretty bad. But I'm definitely adding that something I might get. Thanks for the suggestion but it seems the Canon C100 is pretty expensive. I was looking at cheaper options, something small and won't draw attention, this way I can film in any location without having people ask me for permits.

Hello everyone, I'm new on the board but I have been here before many years ago. I have decided to stick with my passion until I die, and let me tell you my passion has been filled with sorrow and frustration, it is something inside me that won't go away, something that won't die. So maybe it's a calling to do something, maybe it's my destiny. I just can't sit around and die with the doubt and regret of not listening to this calling. I'm moving to Austin TX in 2021 to begin my journey and I'm looking for recommendations. I have been away from cinematography boards for a while, though I still have notes and key discussions archived in various doc files. I'm going to make no budget short films (1-5 mins long) and I want to go back to the Dogme 95 approach from Von Trier, I don't want movies to be perfect and color corrected, I want them to be intuitive, I want to capture something real, of course I'm going to break some of those rules, I just think the form is interesting and it's perfect for filmmakers who practically have very little resources to work with. I'm not going to be delusional and think that something will become of my short films, but I have the undeniable feeling to express myself, something inside me keeps telling me to make films, even though I've tried to move on I just can't stop thinking about it. I'm 33 years old now (I know), but if someone like Ridley Scott directed his first feature at 40, what's my excuse. Eventually I want to be able to shoot a gospel feature film, but that's just a dream. I will invest approximately $1,000 for a camera. I know most of these new cameras shoot 4k, but I will most likely stick to 1080p as the file sizes would be too large. I have a bit of experience shooting and editing, I did two shorts some years ago. I was also thinking of taking stills, drive around Texas and explore when I'm feeling down. I keep remembering Alice in the Cities, how Philip Winter traveled around the country taking pictures of things he will never see again, strangers who are as mysterious as the stars themselves. I don't want to think about 'success' or the pressure of achieving it, trust me, it's no fun, it diminishes you, makes you feel hopeless. I may never get to where I thought I would be in life, nevertheless, why should I keep denying this yearning to create something. I know most Dogme films were shot on a camcorder, but I want something with interchangeable lenses, I might look into Sony, but I haven't made up my mind yet. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Good to be back. I may not post in a while as I'm only 2 classes away from attaining my Associate of Arts degree, but I'll keep up and read from all you knowledgeable and passionate people. Be blessed.