An Insiders Perspective On The Creative World of Filmmaking
With hundreds of careers and opportunities, the filmmaking industry can be a unique experience for a filmmaker. Options include pitching an idea, or a commission through screenwriting, casting, shooting, editing, and screening your project. Filmtools decided to take a deeper look into the world of a Filmmaker. This week, we had the opportunity to speak to Alex Orchilles about his work. This is what he said:
What Inspires You, Alex?
I’m inspired by the “Jaw Drop.” The “Jaw Drop” is the moment that you show one of your shots to your audience and they are flabbergasted. They literally drop their jaw in awe and that feeling that enters your body as this happens is incredible. The Jaw drop followed by the “You Shot That?” is probably the thing that inspires me the most. Emmanuel Lubezki and Guy Ritchie are also a few of the professionals that inspire me. Lubezki’s cinematography is remarkable; from the natural lighting and long takes in “The Revenant” and “Children of Men” to the beautiful shots in “Gravity.” There is a lot to Lubezki when it comes to cinematography. Ritchie, on the other hand, is a director who I look up to because his films are so engaging.
Why did you choose this field?
As lame as this sounds, this is the truth…
I chose this field because I once filmed and edited a video of a friend in a street fight. I used a Sony point & shoot and edited on Windows Movie Maker. My friend dodged a couple of punches that I cut into slow motion and then as he delivered a counter uppercut I speed it back up to a 100% speed. This regular street fight ended up looking like a professional boxing match due to the editing…
This is what sparked my interest in filmmaking and photography.
How does Filmtools help you?
Filmtools helps me by reminding me to GO OUT AND SHOOT. Every time I see Filmtools photos on their Instagram I feel the need to go out and practice. You guys, help me stay motivated to reach those 10,000 hours that each individual needs in their trade to really stand out.
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on before?
The coolest project I’ve worked on is a music video for a song called “Nice To Meet You” by RK EI Artista from Colombia. It was a reggaeton music video which I was flown out to Medellin, Colombia to direct and shoot. It consisted of two days of pre-production and two days of production in a beautiful house in “El Poblado” and at a nightclub nearby.
Do you have any projects that we can help promote?
I’m currently working on a few projects for a handful of clients but as far as promotion goes, a promotion for my video production and photography company, in general, would be awesome. The name of the company is Aon Prestige Media and we are located in South Florida.
Aon Prestige Media 2017 Demo Reel
Do you have a piece of essential gear that you don’t leave without?
The one piece of gear that NEVER leaves my camera bag is the Sony 28mm f2. Since I am such a fan of wide shots and I shoot on the Sony a7RII , which can be used as full frame or Super 35mm, this lens ends up being on my camera body about 40% of the time. That’s saying a lot since I normally take about 4 – 5 lenses to each production or photo shoot that I have.
Another few pieces of gear that I love to use are the DJI Ronin-M & the DJI Mavic Pro. Aerials and steady moving shots are now inexpensive and available to everyone in the industry!
What’s the first thing you do when you’re on a job, or on set?
If I have already done a scout in preproduction, the first thing I do when arriving on set is greet the client and begin setting up the first shot. Straight to it. If we have not done much preproduction and I am not familiar with the location, the first thing I do when on set is scope out the area to see what kind of lighting we’re working with and what type of shots we can get within the space given.
What’s in your bag, when you’re on a shoot?
What’s in my bag when I’m on a shoot? Depending on the shoot, I can have either full video production gear (camera, lenses, lights, tripod, shoulder rig, stabilizer, drone, audio gear, etc.), photography gear (camera, lenses, flashes, lights), or a mix of both. My current go to setup is the Sony a7RII with the set of Rokinon Cine lenses. I’ve also been using the Ronin-M a lot with this setup because it’s so lightweight and dynamic for production.
Where can people follow you on social?
Instagram: @AlexTheCinematographer & @AonPrestige
Facebook: Alejandro Orchilles & Aon Prestige
Website: AonPrestige.com
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