no between

Peter Suchitzky, ASC said, ’Develop as many interests as you can, as you will need to fill the long gaps between movies and enrich life in general’. I know what he means. But it was an unusually full week last week. And it’s not like I am shooting any ‘movies’ at the moment or anywhere near his career stage. After the music videos last weekend, I went on to shoot a corporate for a new production company. Well, they aren’t new, but I am to them. I’ve never met them but I have now worked for them and as it seems, will continue to. I got the job forwarded to me from a friend of a friend and then finding myself in Nottingham one morning working for an invisible employer. What a job…

‘Corporates’ are basically in house videos such as training videos or promotional material for a company. One typically meets people who work in offices who work the 9-5. It’s a nice break from ‘filmmakers’ in a way. It’s really easy work in comparison to anything other shooting work and paid fairly well for what it is. I was asked to shoot another 3 this week and they let the cameramen edit the piece too which is good as we can work from home and get more days work. It financially works out very well which is great because I was starting to count my pennies. What is good about this job is that you get to do many different things, meeting different people and can make a lot of money in a short space of time to cover yourself for all the days you don’t work. Ideally, one would work enough to not just cover yourself but to save enough to do something with it.

I attended the beginning of the month Panalux drinks. Panalux is the lighting division of Panavision. We always associate Panavision with big productions and Panalux with it. But I had met the Panalux guys at Cameraimage through my Focus Puller who knew Panavision Polska. So it was good to know the organizers and not feel like someone who wasn’t invited to the party. Afterall, their goodwill towards myself at Cameraimage was enough to make me hope I could give them some business- despite not going anywhere near the prospect prior to that- because I am kinda anti corporation. And As I spoke again to Barnaby from Panalux, he was very supportive of DP’s and how we struggle with our careers. He was even supportive of shooting corporates when I told him what work I had been doing of late. He said you have to work and continue to shoot as much as possible and not be too fussy at most.

Derek and Lawrence turned up from the Cameraimage crew who I knew but the others couldn’t make it. I met someone there who turned out to be the assistant of a famous Polish DP who also organised a workshop my AC went to- who know each other! Small world.

What threatened to be a bore of a night got better and I stayed until I got the night bus home.

This week shooting in Derby and Canterbury. A shoot in London tomorrow at Seimens and also shooting fashion stills for a friend.

More later about the film adaptation of, ‘Watchmen’ and photos from shoots last week.

At the moment, I can’t wait till I have some time to spend time doing my extra interests. In the meantime, I will be in projects enriching my pocket and skill in shooting interviews.

- J