In the bedroom

I got into cinematography for the purpose of eventually shooting feature films. Though as time went on, one realized that the likelihood of having the opportunity to do this was slim. Doing the features you want to do was even further away. You reside to the notion that you were lucky to get an agent and shoot music videos and at most, shoot commercials. So for years I have debated the ‘commercial’, I didn’t get into it to sell washing powder, cars and fast food. There are good commercials to be done, they’re just few and very far between. So now is the lesser of two evils. A friend said I should take the money and do something I want to do with it because if you don’t do it, they’ll just get someone else and you’ll be out of pocket. Moby once allowed the use of his track for a car commercial only to put the money he made to an organisation that fought car emissions. Another friends said, ‘what are you going to say if your agent offers you a commercial?’. Good question.

I am on the verge now of collating my work as it’s a decent standard now and after years of not feeling quite right and ready, I am now. I am tired of straddling the tracks of low/no paid jobs for over 4 years. I want to travel, I want to do things but I can't without the funds. It is somewhat a means to an end. But I haven’t gotten pass the hurdle of getting an agent yet let alone face the jobs aspect. Doing it ‘non professionally’ is all and well. You can’t fuck up anyway but at least when an agent and large production company is hiring you, you really can’t. Which is why I have taken the time to ‘get out there’. In the words of Edward Norton's charactor is Fight Club, 'I am a 30 year old boy'. The last 5 months of work has provided a good standard to present myself with. This is my work, I would like some representation… One can think of it as such: a hobby turned into a profession. But I didn't think that one day I could do it without that I was figuring it out on set all the time which has become less of the case the more jobs one does.

Doing The Concretes video was a very good step. I worked with David for 2 years when he was a student until this ‘break’ for us both came. And you know, when you do it, it’s not as big a deal as it once was, just a continuation. It wasn’t a leap into the unknown, just a continuation of what you do. Confidence comes from doing. I saw the other videos of The Concretes when they were signed to EMI and they had £50k budgets and I felt a little intimidated. We had next to nothing. Me and David put a token amount for the camera equipment to JDC and the film stock was mine. I pulled favours from my crew. We made it happen and everyone including the band love the video.

2 of the previous The Concretes videos were done by Daniel Levi and he saw me and David’s video for Lucky Soul and he said, ‘WHO shot that?’. Joe dunton and their crew at JDC have seen it and like it. Joe Dunton saw Escaping Ornsay and like it. If the president of the British Society of Cinematographer’s is on your side, one shouldn’t feel that bad. Even still, getting an agent is very, very difficult. But, in May, when my reel is done and dusted, I will sally forth. We can only go forward. And agent or no agent, one still must, sally forth.

I come from a ‘Michael Gondry’ school. It’s a bedroom mentality that we do this anyway. The fact that someone is willing to give us money to present and act our talent’s is great. It is but not, different from shooting something in your bedroom. On that note, The Concretes video was edited and composited from David’s bedroom and some of WAS shot in his kitchen.





- J