It‘s been great reading through here and getting your response! Love when the community comes together and helps out. Nice place to exchange thoughts and your experiences. Glad it was helpful or you could resonate, appreciate you all
Your words truly touch my heart. Recently, I stopped pursuing a career as a DP. Coming from a very run-and-gun style of filmmaking and videography, getting into a German film school felt like a big deal for me. Once I started, though, I really pushed myself to think and act like a ‘cinematographer’-I completely reworked my portfolio, promoting myself as a DP, and even downplayed a lot of my other work that didn’t fit into this ‘cinematography universe.’ I learned so many incredible things in my first year, but the pressure I put on myself to ‘make it’ as a DP eventually led to burnout. I finally came to the realization that this just wasn’t me, nor was it how I wanted to approach filmmaking. I decided to leave the degree program and return to freelance videography, and recently, I’ve even started exploring RUclips projects again. It’s so important to regularly check in with yourself and make sure you’re on the right path. I am happy that you were able to recognize your biggest passion so early. Thanks for sharing this-it’s a great reminder.
Subbed after watching. Very mature take on this. I feel people here online lust over being a cinematographer or director. I think a lot of people confuse the roles of running a team and directing a vision with the craft of actually creating and crafting an image. I believe these other roles need to be praised more and we need more people like you showing why they are just as important. Amazing work, cant wait to see what you got planned for the channel.
I wish you the best young man. Take it from me, a DP with over 20 years of experience in directing, cinematography, and over 10 feature films under my belt, you are talented. Best of luck.
Your work, cinematography, gaffing is amazing. You seem like a nice human being as well! I feel you so much. I like to do everything but lighting scenes is so special.
This video speaks to me so well. I feel like lighting will be my path into the DP world, I think to be a proper, well-informed, and efficient DP knowing lighting is the best tool you have in your pocket on the way up. I've decided that I will Gaff for as long as it takes before I am ready to DP full-time. Like you said to be the best at what you do, you must know what you want first!
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH! I didn't know what it was, I felt like I was losing my edge as a Cinematographer compared to Gaffing. You literally used all my words! But I still see myself holding the camera and gaffing. Or maybe I just love them both.
great directors too...Fincher and speaking of Fincher, we can't ignore erik messerschmidt's oscar for Mank and he was a gaffer on fincher's projects and I'm 100% sure Fincher vouched for him and handed him his shot in Mindhunter.
Spot on! Real life advices from you! I went to an audio school wanting to be a sound engineer for bands and music in general. Throughout the 2 years, I realized that sound was not only for music but cinema (I was not a filmnerd at all haha). Especially post production sound, and I was way better at it, enjoyed it more and people started to gave me work and recommended me. Overall a lot of people have been going through this but when you start you can focus too much on one thing and you don't know what you may "truly" like. I am still in the sound department but not for music.
Love what you say here my man! I think we all get too caught up I'm labels most of the time. When it comes to paid work, unfortunately tables and roles come in to play. But outside of work, you are an artist. That's how I view myself. I will always follow my curiosity and go wherever my passion takes me. I just love filming real people, filming documentaries. I think we all never stop exploring ourselves in this realm, and I'm glad you come to love working with light more directly on sets. Keep creating Jared!
It's crossed my trying gaffing on set (usually 10-30 people sets, usually DP/directing) but man the physical toll on the body, amount of gear loading/unloading, gear pickups from rental houses if you don't own a kit+van. I have so much respect for them and I always say gaff/grip/art department always have the hardest roles on set. Usually the first ones at call time and last ones to leave!!
Taking the right path for the future of you is big and hard decision, glad that you are feeling comfortable with your world r n. I always support you to become a better person from yesterday bro.. 🔥
I resonate with this message so much. Labels try to put a complex being into a box that's easier to explain. And while specializing in a defined role is important for traditional film jobs, it can limit the way you choose to express your art. Don't forget there's always a spectrum too! Some DPs focus most of their energy lighting talent, environments, and rooms. And some will just hire good gaffers they trust to create the atmosphere they are envisioning for the scene. Some DPs like operating the camera themselves, some just like staring at the frame on a dir monitor! From the outside, it seems like you are still a cinematographer. You can still be a DP and take gaffer jobs. Here for the ride regardless of what you market yourself as!
Thanks Man, I always pretend and overlook cinematography is my interest. In reality i love images, videos where lights do the magic. When dark and light do the love making then we see the spectacle 😁
I realized the same the first time I got to a big set with Departments...most of the time the DP was waiting for half an hour till the gaffers had created the Image, then He drove the camera 2-3 times along that dolly for a few minutes. Then the next half an hour the gaffers were Lighting again. They had the most creative job and the least time wasted with waiting.
Amazing bro ! Did you have the name of the book(s) to learn lighting ? And do you have any advice to find work on set with a crew (I am free-lance filmmaker since 13 years) already learn and practice lighting by myself but only alone … thank you 🙏😊
This is awesome. Specialization is important. There are a lot of novice "DPs" that actually just want to be cam ops or ACs. There is a lot of desire to get the prestige of the director of photography title, without fully understanding the roll. It was the opposite for me. As I was doing G&E work I found myself on a shoot with almost no direction from the DP due to the speed of production. As I coordinated setups with my team with only a script and no chance to communicate with the director or DP, I found myself loving the full creative process of crafting an image. Now I mostly DP with a little bit of directing, and the less I have to touch lights and cameras the better. It give me the time to fully work with my teams to craft the image and dial in that last 5% thats always missing when I work solo or without a camera department.
I have seen quite a few Gaffers who know more and are more creative than DPs. DPs have become like rock stars in recent years, 25 years ago I doubt most people could name one.
I haven’t worked in Hungary so far but great DPs don’t command their gaffer. It’s a collaboration. As already said in the video: some like to be more specific and have some preferences in diffusion or a way of lighting. Or when it’s a first time working together and some give you more creative control or hand over to you because they appreciate you and they know that you know what you’re doing. And they tell you how they would do it or if you have a better suggestion. Maybe because you know it’s easier for this location and you see problems with a setup taking longer over the other but similar result. Also depends on you as the gaffer of course. Would be interesting to hear that a whole Country has gaffers labeled as just a 'tool'. Can’t imagine. Maybe in a smaller 'league‘ where you as a DP are more experienced than let’s say the gaffer and and than notice you need to take more control of how the lighting is going to be or push more that way I could see that being a thing. Some gaffers also prefer to get told what to do though 🤷🏽♂️
@@jaredfilms maybe you are right with this opinion. Sometime i got more room to play with light, but very often dp just tell me what he want and dont ask my opinion. Maybe sometime just im in wrong place to be a creative person.
I came to the same realization recently that I don’t really want to be a DP anymore and that what I really love is just color grading and lighting. I’ve been solely doing freelance work as a colorist for three years now, and will be doing my first job in the lighting department on a short film in a few weeks. I feel like I will only continue to DP or direct if the project strongly calls to me.
I‘d say most thru recommendations, then me applying to jobs listed/posted and through my online presence (thru website or social media) I mostly do commercial work for paid work so for that not really. More like owning specialty items like your own CRLS or some modifiers you like to use but are not available in every rental. (for short term jobs too) So maybe some bluff blunce - idk depends on what you like to use a lot and what DPs you keep working with ask for. But I recently bought some grip stuff because I was doing a documentary where they were looking for owner operator since production was flying in and I also could benefit from it getting more money and using it for other projects where I can serve my friends on cool creative projects that are lower on budget but creative fulfilling and of course can use it for youtube videos so less shitty rigs haha
It‘s been great reading through here and getting your response! Love when the community comes together and helps out. Nice place to exchange thoughts and your experiences. Glad it was helpful or you could resonate, appreciate you all
Your words truly touch my heart. Recently, I stopped pursuing a career as a DP. Coming from a very run-and-gun style of filmmaking and videography, getting into a German film school felt like a big deal for me. Once I started, though, I really pushed myself to think and act like a ‘cinematographer’-I completely reworked my portfolio, promoting myself as a DP, and even downplayed a lot of my other work that didn’t fit into this ‘cinematography universe.’
I learned so many incredible things in my first year, but the pressure I put on myself to ‘make it’ as a DP eventually led to burnout. I finally came to the realization that this just wasn’t me, nor was it how I wanted to approach filmmaking. I decided to leave the degree program and return to freelance videography, and recently, I’ve even started exploring RUclips projects again. It’s so important to regularly check in with yourself and make sure you’re on the right path. I am happy that you were able to recognize your biggest passion so early. Thanks for sharing this-it’s a great reminder.
Yes! Thank you for your comment sharing your journey! Reflecting and checking in on yourself is super important. Well said. Keep going man!
It’s crazy because lightning is the backbone of cinematography
Subbed after watching. Very mature take on this. I feel people here online lust over being a cinematographer or director. I think a lot of people confuse the roles of running a team and directing a vision with the craft of actually creating and crafting an image. I believe these other roles need to be praised more and we need more people like you showing why they are just as important. Amazing work, cant wait to see what you got planned for the channel.
I wish you the best young man. Take it from me, a DP with over 20 years of experience in directing, cinematography, and over 10 feature films under my belt, you are talented. Best of luck.
Thanks a lot!
Your work, cinematography, gaffing is amazing. You seem like a nice human being as well! I feel you so much. I like to do everything but lighting scenes is so special.
Thank you so much!
This video speaks to me so well. I feel like lighting will be my path into the DP world, I think to be a proper, well-informed, and efficient DP knowing lighting is the best tool you have in your pocket on the way up. I've decided that I will Gaff for as long as it takes before I am ready to DP full-time. Like you said to be the best at what you do, you must know what you want first!
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH! I didn't know what it was, I felt like I was losing my edge as a Cinematographer compared to Gaffing. You literally used all my words! But I still see myself holding the camera and gaffing. Or maybe I just love them both.
Glad to hear you can relate!
The best DPs come from lighting
great directors too...Fincher and speaking of Fincher, we can't ignore erik messerschmidt's oscar for Mank and he was a gaffer on fincher's projects and I'm 100% sure Fincher vouched for him and handed him his shot in Mindhunter.
lowkey
Spot on! Real life advices from you! I went to an audio school wanting to be a sound engineer for bands and music in general. Throughout the 2 years, I realized that sound was not only for music but cinema (I was not a filmnerd at all haha). Especially post production sound, and I was way better at it, enjoyed it more and people started to gave me work and recommended me. Overall a lot of people have been going through this but when you start you can focus too much on one thing and you don't know what you may "truly" like. I am still in the sound department but not for music.
Love what you say here my man! I think we all get too caught up I'm labels most of the time. When it comes to paid work, unfortunately tables and roles come in to play. But outside of work, you are an artist. That's how I view myself. I will always follow my curiosity and go wherever my passion takes me. I just love filming real people, filming documentaries. I think we all never stop exploring ourselves in this realm, and I'm glad you come to love working with light more directly on sets. Keep creating Jared!
Appreciate you! Love your perspective on this, too! in the end we’re (all) artists
It's crossed my trying gaffing on set (usually 10-30 people sets, usually DP/directing) but man the physical toll on the body, amount of gear loading/unloading, gear pickups from rental houses if you don't own a kit+van. I have so much respect for them and I always say gaff/grip/art department always have the hardest roles on set. Usually the first ones at call time and last ones to leave!!
yeah it’s definitely tough. But in the end still worth it imo and I would always do it again
Taking the right path for the future of you is big and hard decision, glad that you are feeling comfortable with your world r n. I always support you to become a better person from yesterday bro.. 🔥
@@thepermen appreciate the kind words man!
@@jaredfilms
You're right, so many people want to be cinematographers, but a lot of time they just like talking about camera gears. Good luck!
I resonate with this message so much. Labels try to put a complex being into a box that's easier to explain. And while specializing in a defined role is important for traditional film jobs, it can limit the way you choose to express your art. Don't forget there's always a spectrum too! Some DPs focus most of their energy lighting talent, environments, and rooms. And some will just hire good gaffers they trust to create the atmosphere they are envisioning for the scene. Some DPs like operating the camera themselves, some just like staring at the frame on a dir monitor! From the outside, it seems like you are still a cinematographer. You can still be a DP and take gaffer jobs. Here for the ride regardless of what you market yourself as!
Keep going brother a great DP should know lighting as well i think either way you’re killing it !
Appreciate it man!
Thank you!!! I'm so glad someone finally said it. We don't' all need to be a director of photography. Great video and information!
Thanks Man, I always pretend and overlook cinematography is my interest. In reality i love images, videos where lights do the magic. When dark and light do the love making then we see the spectacle 😁
I realized the same the first time I got to a big set with Departments...most of the time the DP was waiting for half an hour till the gaffers had created the Image, then He drove the camera 2-3 times along that dolly for a few minutes. Then the next half an hour the gaffers were Lighting again. They had the most creative job and the least time wasted with waiting.
Amazing bro ! Did you have the name of the book(s) to learn lighting ? And do you have any advice to find work on set with a crew (I am free-lance filmmaker since 13 years) already learn and practice lighting by myself but only alone … thank you 🙏😊
Such a wonderful take on the subject. You’ve given me perspective and I appreciate you for it.
I’m happy to hear :)
This is awesome. Specialization is important. There are a lot of novice "DPs" that actually just want to be cam ops or ACs. There is a lot of desire to get the prestige of the director of photography title, without fully understanding the roll.
It was the opposite for me. As I was doing G&E work I found myself on a shoot with almost no direction from the DP due to the speed of production. As I coordinated setups with my team with only a script and no chance to communicate with the director or DP, I found myself loving the full creative process of crafting an image.
Now I mostly DP with a little bit of directing, and the less I have to touch lights and cameras the better. It give me the time to fully work with my teams to craft the image and dial in that last 5% thats always missing when I work solo or without a camera department.
I have seen quite a few Gaffers who know more and are more creative than DPs. DPs have become like rock stars in recent years, 25 years ago I doubt most people could name one.
Great Video as always🙌🏼
Awesome seeing your growth brother! Proud of you!
Appreciate you much, Danny!
The man himself!
Your work looks outstanding! 🔥
Thanks man!
lovely story! greetings from switzerland u inspire me❤
thank u :)
"Someone who likes to paint with light" touched me in a way I have never been touched before...
boy, do I have a book for you. "Painting with light" by John Alton
All visual art such as fine art and illustration ALL paint with light
In Hungary dp told the gaffer what light and where he want to get, so you are just a "tool" as a gaffer.
I haven’t worked in Hungary so far but great DPs don’t command their gaffer. It’s a collaboration. As already said in the video: some like to be more specific and have some preferences in diffusion or a way of lighting. Or when it’s a first time working together and some give you more creative control or hand over to you because they appreciate you and they know that you know what you’re doing. And they tell you how they would do it or if you have a better suggestion. Maybe because you know it’s easier for this location and you see problems with a setup taking longer over the other but similar result. Also depends on you as the gaffer of course. Would be interesting to hear that a whole Country has gaffers labeled as just a 'tool'. Can’t imagine. Maybe in a smaller 'league‘ where you as a DP are more experienced than let’s say the gaffer and and than notice you need to take more control of how the lighting is going to be or push more that way I could see that being a thing. Some gaffers also prefer to get told what to do though 🤷🏽♂️
@@jaredfilms maybe you are right with this opinion. Sometime i got more room to play with light, but very often dp just tell me what he want and dont ask my opinion. Maybe sometime just im in wrong place to be a creative person.
Hey Can You Suggest Some Books On Lighting?
Great Video Btw!
Painting With Light by John Alton, set lighting technician's handbook by harry c. box, Film Lighting by Kris Malkiewicz,
Hello Man.. o love yr videos
I came to the same realization recently that I don’t really want to be a DP anymore and that what I really love is just color grading and lighting. I’ve been solely doing freelance work as a colorist for three years now, and will be doing my first job in the lighting department on a short film in a few weeks. I feel like I will only continue to DP or direct if the project strongly calls to me.
I watch your channel
@ Thanks for watching!
@@TreW9808 any new gx85 coming up soon?
@ Might make one more from bts video I shot on a film set this summer
@@TreW9808 exciting
the shot at 3:09 is beautiful where is it from?
check vimeo - title is credited in the bottom left!
What I like in cinematography is directing.
Jetzt erst gefunden ❤
This is real
How did you get your jobs as a gaffer ? and do you think owning your own Lightingpackage would make sense for your kind of jobs ;)
I‘d say most thru recommendations, then me applying to jobs listed/posted and through my online presence (thru website or social media)
I mostly do commercial work for paid work so for that not really. More like owning specialty items like your own CRLS or some modifiers you like to use but are not available in every rental. (for short term jobs too) So maybe some bluff blunce - idk depends on what you like to use a lot and what DPs you keep working with ask for. But I recently bought some grip stuff because I was doing a documentary where they were looking for owner operator since production was flying in and I also could benefit from it getting more money and using it for other projects where I can serve my friends on cool creative projects that are lower on budget but creative fulfilling and of course can use it for youtube videos so less shitty rigs haha