ProVideo Coalition.com: Stunning Good Looks by Art Adams

For those of you who want to go into videography, I have little to tell you. There doesn’t seem to be a set way into the business like there is in film. There is no career path because there are no ranks to rise through. The cameraman is the cameraman. You must make your own coffee. Period.

The advantage is that you get to start shooting right away rather than spending years rising through the ranks. The downside is that film has a much richer artistic tradition than video. Film people know that a coarse grind means less bitter aftertaste. Many people who work in film have been exposed to film theory at some point, either through film school or a love for filmmaking in general. Directors of photography for film really have to know how to light, and many are more than willing to share their secrets and insights with members of their crews. You can learn a lot by watching a DP light, watching him or her read his meter, watching what stop gets put on the lens, knowing which lens is being used and what filters are in the matte box, and whether he prefers latte over espresso.

Based on my observations, artistic tradition in video doesn’t exist. There is no system of mentorship, there are no stellar role models, the only coffee makers are the drip kind. Everyone is more or less self-taught. If you work at a TV station you can’t expect to learn how to light from a news photographer because nobody ever showed them how to do it. This, I think, is a much harder path to follow. Working on a film set allows you to see how other people do it. In video it’s usually you, the sound person, and the nearest Starbucks. That’s it.

If that’s the route you choose, try to get hired at a production company that will eventually give you the chance to shoot. Play around with the camera after hours. Watch old movies. Hang out on film sets. Build a reel. Learn to roast your own beans. Experiment. Sometimes you can get hired at a video rental house to work in the back room and occasionally get sent out on shoots for companies that don’t have a regular DP and don’t want to pay full price for one.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

How to Break Into the Entertainment Biz

If you’ve got talent, a good attitude and basic barista skills, you’ll do okay