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Film Graduate to First Paid Gig as a Cinematographer


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10 hours ago, David Peterson said:

Ouch. And do they still have to pay their agent a percentage cut from the other 80% they're not even sourcing for their DoP??

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

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No, you sign a contract and the agent gets 10% of your gross income, whether or not they found the job for you (usually even if they didn't, they negotiate the contract for you, that's why you have an agent.) I suppose it's possible that some agents agree to a contract where they only get 10% IF they find the job for you, but I can't imagine an agent agreeing to this...

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/14/2020 at 9:50 AM, AJ Young said:

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! ?

This guy is a food photographer, but the same general approach applies to aspiring cinematographers too. He mentions setting up the same spreadsheet that you do!
 

 

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I took the approach to light other DP's material for them. For free even. I collected my own lighting package and searcheed for local films offering to be their gaffer. So I served on paper as gaffer or lighting tech. But I was practicing my cinematography theory. This encourages you to have direct contact with the DP to bring the scene to life. And you get to see how they work and how they problemsolve.

This was my choice. I felt camera operation was an easily learned technical skill, while lighting was subjective and tailored to the situation. I have a great passion for light, so it was a no-brainer.

I got the idea after a FilmRiot interview with a DP who said he would gaff for other DPs on the side.

Edited by Stephen Sanchez
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