i need to go to bed
my free self propelled film school education continues.
I wish I hadn't been so lazy in college and learned more about camera gear and video tech stuff and been more serious about learning the conventions. I had this naive idea that working in video means you don't have to learn the conventions. Knowing the conventions of cinematography is so, so good because then you can knowledgeable use and abuse them. Especially now that I'm thinnking of VJing in a narrative way.
I have a lot of groundwork to cover. I've been drilling into my brain concepts of depth of field and f stop, very very basic and formal shit that's incredible that I don't know.
I'm also realizing that I'm in a bit over my head on the AC job. I should be 2nd AC, not 1st. I don't know shit about focus, apparently. Oops. I think I've got it figured out, working enough knowledge, but as far as precision and not having to look to focus - thank god this film's being shot in HD and we'll have a monitor that I can use to pull the focus. Otherwise this week would be getting pretty embarassing.
No more 1st AC jobs until I get more experience focusing. Unless I kick ass at this job.
And I need to start building my reel. And buy a $40 textbook. In college I'd always drop so much cash on textbooks each semester (the first couple of years before my classes were mostly studios, anyway) without thinking twice. Well, sort of. I did not purchase a few textbooks for some classes and just floated my way through on class notes and classmates so I wouldn't have to buy the books. At any rate, the point I'm making is that now that I'm supporting myself completely, and on an inconsistent income system, dropping 40 clams on a textbook is a whole set value judgements and life economics. Any how, I'm feeling very focused and determined and like I'm headed toward something distinct right now in both my job and my art. And that I've actually found a job that I can be truly passionate and excited about. I am totally stoked on cinematography, and it totally suits me to eat sleep and breathe the camera. I'm also realizing that I don't really have a love for editing and post production like I thought I did.
Watched INgmar Bergman's Persona today to study the cinematography. Good thing that was my focus because it didn't have English subtitles. Gorgeous film. Too bad films dying fast. These HD cameras with 35mm adapter lenses can't stack up to that warmth.
The main reason I logged into lj was to say:
After watching the Someone Great video (LCD Soundsystem) that I'm so obssessed with for maybe the 50th time, I realized a couple of things.
When it gets closer to winter, I should send my production resume to Doug Aitken's studio and see if he has any productions scheduled that I could AC on. Then go to LA and AC a Doug Aitken project (yes pleeeeease).
And also - most of the video was shot in my hood!!!! I mean I knew the beginning looked a lot like the lofts over by the Morgan L. And I knew the end with the rooftop had to be a north Brooklyn rooftop - Wburg or Bushwick. But the train shots are definitely on the J train, and then the grocery store shots are in the fucking grocery store I frequent, our Food Bazaar. She's walking through the damn Food Bazaar, on the aisles where I buy yogurt and exciting hispanic food products. The funny things about this are: after watching this video initially, I thought - someday I should shoot video in the Food Bazaar because that place is such a visual feast. And also, the fact that I'm so obsessed with this video and feel this deep connection to it is so self absorbed - because it looks like my life. Or, probably more accurately, it looks like how I hope my life looks and feels. I still think it's incredible aside from that. But it also explains why all of my roommates are also super excited by it, too. It's as exciting as realizing the Common video was shot on our block. Life in Bushwick. I got all existential tonight dragging my laundry down the block, the streets were empty and the trash was blowing around everywhere, there was a Puerto Rican family giving a kid's birthday party on the sidewalk across the street from our house - we could hear them singing Happy Birthday while we watched Persona in the kitchen. My life is funny and surreal here. When I don't like it, I really hate it. When I like it, I'm madly in love with it.
I wish I hadn't been so lazy in college and learned more about camera gear and video tech stuff and been more serious about learning the conventions. I had this naive idea that working in video means you don't have to learn the conventions. Knowing the conventions of cinematography is so, so good because then you can knowledgeable use and abuse them. Especially now that I'm thinnking of VJing in a narrative way.
I have a lot of groundwork to cover. I've been drilling into my brain concepts of depth of field and f stop, very very basic and formal shit that's incredible that I don't know.
I'm also realizing that I'm in a bit over my head on the AC job. I should be 2nd AC, not 1st. I don't know shit about focus, apparently. Oops. I think I've got it figured out, working enough knowledge, but as far as precision and not having to look to focus - thank god this film's being shot in HD and we'll have a monitor that I can use to pull the focus. Otherwise this week would be getting pretty embarassing.
No more 1st AC jobs until I get more experience focusing. Unless I kick ass at this job.
And I need to start building my reel. And buy a $40 textbook. In college I'd always drop so much cash on textbooks each semester (the first couple of years before my classes were mostly studios, anyway) without thinking twice. Well, sort of. I did not purchase a few textbooks for some classes and just floated my way through on class notes and classmates so I wouldn't have to buy the books. At any rate, the point I'm making is that now that I'm supporting myself completely, and on an inconsistent income system, dropping 40 clams on a textbook is a whole set value judgements and life economics. Any how, I'm feeling very focused and determined and like I'm headed toward something distinct right now in both my job and my art. And that I've actually found a job that I can be truly passionate and excited about. I am totally stoked on cinematography, and it totally suits me to eat sleep and breathe the camera. I'm also realizing that I don't really have a love for editing and post production like I thought I did.
Watched INgmar Bergman's Persona today to study the cinematography. Good thing that was my focus because it didn't have English subtitles. Gorgeous film. Too bad films dying fast. These HD cameras with 35mm adapter lenses can't stack up to that warmth.
The main reason I logged into lj was to say:
After watching the Someone Great video (LCD Soundsystem) that I'm so obssessed with for maybe the 50th time, I realized a couple of things.
When it gets closer to winter, I should send my production resume to Doug Aitken's studio and see if he has any productions scheduled that I could AC on. Then go to LA and AC a Doug Aitken project (yes pleeeeease).
And also - most of the video was shot in my hood!!!! I mean I knew the beginning looked a lot like the lofts over by the Morgan L. And I knew the end with the rooftop had to be a north Brooklyn rooftop - Wburg or Bushwick. But the train shots are definitely on the J train, and then the grocery store shots are in the fucking grocery store I frequent, our Food Bazaar. She's walking through the damn Food Bazaar, on the aisles where I buy yogurt and exciting hispanic food products. The funny things about this are: after watching this video initially, I thought - someday I should shoot video in the Food Bazaar because that place is such a visual feast. And also, the fact that I'm so obsessed with this video and feel this deep connection to it is so self absorbed - because it looks like my life. Or, probably more accurately, it looks like how I hope my life looks and feels. I still think it's incredible aside from that. But it also explains why all of my roommates are also super excited by it, too. It's as exciting as realizing the Common video was shot on our block. Life in Bushwick. I got all existential tonight dragging my laundry down the block, the streets were empty and the trash was blowing around everywhere, there was a Puerto Rican family giving a kid's birthday party on the sidewalk across the street from our house - we could hear them singing Happy Birthday while we watched Persona in the kitchen. My life is funny and surreal here. When I don't like it, I really hate it. When I like it, I'm madly in love with it.