Indie Film Hustle® Podcast Archives: Cinematography

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Today on the show we have host, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and president of Aputure Ted Sim. Ted is the host of the Indy Mogul Podcast and Youtube Channel. He took over the reins of the legendary Indy Mogul Youtube channel last year and has really created some amazing content.

Ted Sim is a Los Angeles filmmaker, originally from Baltimore, MD. Though he has been living in California since 2009, he has traveled to over 45 different countries for work and to meet with local filmmakers from all around the world. He is an alumnus of UCLA's Film Program and is passionate about education.

In 2014, Ted started working as President of Aputure USA. Aputure is a cinema technology company that designs and manufactures high-end lighting solutions and filmmaking equipment for digital creators. Ted and I talk shop, lighting, and making it in the film business. I love Aputure lights so much that I exclusively used them in the making on my last feature film On the Corner of Ego and Desire.

I had a ball talking shop with Ted. This episode is going to be fun. Enjoy!

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Award-winning director of photography Erik Messerschmidt, ASC has a natural eye for arresting and spellbinding images, thriving in a role that allows him to combine his love of art, craft and science. Recently, he lensed Devotion for director J.D. Dillard, based on the real-life story of a Black naval officer who befriends a white naval officer during the Korean War, with both becoming heroes for their selfless acts of bravery. He also is currently shooting Michael Mann’s biographical film Ferrari, starring Adam Driver, Shailene Woodley, and Penélope Cruz, and recently completed shooting David Fincher’s The Killer, starring Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton.

Previously, Messerschmidt shot Fincher’s passion project Mank, chronicling the screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz’s turbulent journey to write Citizen Kane alongside Orson Welles. Messerschmidt’s meticulous and striking black and white recreation of the period’s aesthetic earned him the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, an ASC Award for Outstanding Cinematography in a Feature Film, a BSC Award for Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Release, a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Cinematography, as well as Best Cinematography award nominations from the San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle, the Broadcast Film Critics Association Critics Choice, and the Alliance of Women Film Journalists.
In addition, Messerschmidt co-lensed several episodes of the HBO Max original series Raised by Wolves from producer Ridley Scott. He also shot the first and second seasons of Fincher’s hit thriller series Mindhunter for Netflix, earning a 2020 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (one-hour) for episode 206.

With a background in the fine arts world, Messerschmidt honed his skills while working with such renowned cinematographers such as Dariusz Wolski, ASC, Jeff Cronenweth, ASC, Phedon Papamichael, ASC, Claudio Miranda, ASC, and Greig Fraser, ASC. Messerschmidt now lives in Los Angeles and is a member of IATSE Local 600. He is represented by DDA.

Enjoy my conversation with Erik Messerschmidt.

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My guest today has done it all. He’s gone from cinematography on small-budget indie films to $200 million-plus projects which is literally goals for many in this line of business.

Director and cinematographer, Shane Hurlbut's thirty-plus experience and success as a storyteller is categorically innovative to the craft and inspiring for other filmmakers.

Shane's latest film Love Hard is set for digital release via Netflix this November. This romantic comedy is about a young woman in Los Angeles who falls for a man on a dating app and travels to his East Coast hometown to surprise him for Christmas but discovers that she's been catfished. Her crush actually does live in the same town, and the guy who duped her offers to set them up if she pretends to be his girlfriend for the holidays.

He’s an esteemed member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the American Society of Cinematographers. The ASC recognized Shane’s work very early on in his carrier from his film The Rat Pack and he was one of their youngest cinematographer nominees.

Shane Co-founded the Hurlbut Academy alongside his wife and business partner, Lydia Hurlbut. Their platform offers professional online filmmaking education and mentoring materials, curated by other filmmakers. This interactive library has collaborated with filmmakers to develop about 50 Courses, 400+ Lessons, and 700+ hours of instruction videos.

Some of the top projects he’s worked on include Drumline, We Are Marshall, Terminator Salvation, Act Of Valor, and Game Of Thrones.

The highly acclaimed HBO series, Game of Thrones was hailed for its spectacular cinematography. Outstanding, if you will. In 2012, Shane served as director of photography for their Game of Thrones: You Win or You Die - Inside the HBO Series that was an interview for major cast and crew members. Wherein, characters, families, kingdoms, and plots were explained with an in-depth look at season one. And what viewers could expect from season two.

Some of Shane’s work includes NetFlix’s Rim of The World, Holidate, There Is No Place Like Home, Fathers, and Daughters, the pilot episode for SyFy's Resident Alien, and Disney+ original film Safety.

Safety was inspired by the true story of Ray-Ray McElrathbey, the film follows a freshman football player for Clemson University who secretly raised his younger brother on campus after his home life became too unsteady.

His passion for filmmaking goes back to his childhood. Like the cool kid he still is, Shane did morning announcements at our high school and DJ for a local radio station. As you can imagine, he started doing dances, proms, and homecoming across the local upstate New York area.

He earned part of his education at a small community college where he fell in love with radio, TV production, and so forth. A scholarship to study film at Emerson College in Boston sealed the deal for Shane.

In 2002, Shane’s box office hit film, Drumline became a major splash. Nick Cannon stars as a young drummer who enters the fictional Atlanta A&T University and bumps heads with the leader of his new school's drum section. A fish-out-of-water comedy about a talented street drummer from Harlem who enrolls in a Southern university, expecting to lead its marching band's drumline to victory. He initially flounders in his new world, before realizing that it takes more than talent to reach the top.

Enjoy my entertaining conversation with Shane Hurlbut.

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Today, my guest is a prolific cinematographer, accomplished photographer, and member of the American Society of Cinematographers, Dean Cundey.

Dean rose to fame for extraordinary cinematography in the 1980s and 1990s. His early start was working on the set of Halloween. Dean is credited as director of photography on five Back To The Future films and Jurassic Park.

The Halloween slasher franchise consisted of eleven films and was initially released in 1978. The films primarily focus on Michael Myers, who was committed to a sanitarium as a child for the murder of his sister, Judith Myers. Fifteen years later, he escapes to stalk and kill the people of the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois. Michael's killings occur on the holiday of Halloween, on which all of the films primarily take place.

The second film, one of which Cundey served as director of photography, was based on Marty McFly, who had only just gotten back from the past when he is once again picked up by Dr. Emmett Brown and sent through time to the future. Marty's job in the future is to pose as his son to prevent him from being thrown in prison. Unfortunately, things get worse when the future changes the present.

The three Back To The Future films Dean worked on grossed $388.8, $336, and $243 million globally, becoming all-time hits on budgets of $19, $40, and $40 million.

Cundey is cited as being amongst some of the best directors of photography. In addition to his lighting skills, particularly in the famous hallway scene where the hidden face of Michael Myers is slowly revealed by way of a blue light next to the mask, he was among the first cinematographers to make use of a recent invention called the Steadicam, or paraglide.

Some other shows and movies he's worked on include, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Tales of the Unexpected, Romancing the Stone, Invitation To Hell, Big Trouble in Little China, etc.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit; A toon-hating detective is a cartoon rabbit’s only hoping to prove his innocence when he is accused of murder. Basically, 'Toon star Roger is worried that his wife Jessica is playing pattycake with someone else, so the studio hires detective Eddie Valiant to snoop on her. But the stakes are quickly raised when Marvin Acme is found dead, and Roger is the prime suspect. Groundbreaking interaction between the live and animated characters, and lots of references to classic animation.

Dean grew up an avid reader of the American Cinematographer magazines he would buy after school from a local camera shop close by. That was how his inspiration to pursue filmmaking came about. He shifted his focus to theater history while still taking some architectural design classes at California State University before he ultimately enrolled at the University of California Los Angeles film school.

In 1993 Jurassic Park, Dean made a minor appearance as a boat crew member (Mate) while also staffed as director of photography. The film follows a pragmatic paleontologist visiting an almost complete theme park tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose. Huge advancements in scientific technology have enabled a mogul to create an island full of living dinosaurs. A park employee attempts to steal dinosaur embryos, critical security systems are shut down, and it now becomes a race for survival with dinosaurs roaming freely over the island.

Cundey holds over one hundred and fifty cinematography & photography credits for movies, television, and short films. That is no small feat in this business. The man has stayed busy and booked since graduation from film school. That kind of consistency in Hollywood is only doable by having extreme persistence and excellence.

One of the many things he did to stay prepared and on top of his craft was investing into building himself a ‘super van’ or one couple call it a cinematographer’s heaven that contained every equipment (cameras, editings tools, etc.) required to help him get work get and do work easily.
We talk more about this in our chat.

Enjoy my conversation with Dean Cundey.

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How to Shoot 360 Video & Actually Make Money with Josh Gibson
This week on the show we have Josh Gibson from 360 Video Academy. I know just enough about 360 video to be dangerous, and not in a good way. I wanted to bring Josh on the show to really break down the myths and techniques on how to shoot 360 video. I also wanted to dive into how filmmakers could ACTUALLY MAKE MONEY shooting 360 video.
Josh goes over not only the technical aspects of shooting 360 video but he also discusses how filmmakers can make money and a living shooting this exciting format.

How to Shoot 360 Video & Actually Make Money with Josh Gibson
This week on the show we have Josh Gibson from 360 Video Academy. I know just enough about 360 video to be dangerous, and not in a good way. I wanted to bring Josh on the show to really break down the myths and techniques on how to shoot 360 video. I also wanted to dive into how filmmakers could ACTUALLY MAKE MONEY shooting 360 video.
Josh goes over not only the technical aspects of shooting 360 video but he also discusses how filmmakers can make money and a living shooting this exciting format. Check out Josh talking shop on 360 video.

The 360 Video Academy is your one place to learn how to create professional-grade 360º video content. So get your GoPro 360 Video rig out and take some notes. Enjoy my conversation with Josh Gibson from 360 Video Academy.

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Cinema Lenses MasterClass with Matthew Duclos
Today we are going deep down the cinema lenses rabbit hole. I was lucky enough to sit down and speak to the "Yoda" of cinema lenses Matthew Duclos. Matthew has been working on lenses for most of his life. Most cinematographers in Los Anges (and around the world) consider him an expert in the field.
I was hearing Duclos' name on set as far as I can remember so it was a thrill to get to speak and grill Matthew on all things lenses
Here's some info on Duclos Lenses:
Duclos Lenses is the premier destination for high-quality motion picture optics. We strive to provide quality service to the industry's professionals who own and rent top-of-the-line cinema optics. We have the test equipment and experience required to optimize and maintain all of your lenses. We're a family owned and operated business who not only appreciate and respect customers in a way only a small business could, but also thrive off of our customers satisfaction and repeat business
Enjoy my conversation with Matthew Duclos of Duclos Lenses.
Right click here to download the MP3Download on iTunes DirectWatch on IFH YouTube Channel

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Duclos Lenses
Matthew Duclos - Facebook
This is Meg

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Should You Own Your Own Film Gear?
Happy New Year IFH Tribe! We are now in 2017 and this will be ana amazing, creative and monumental year for us all. I wanted to start off the year with an "Ask Alex" episode. On this episode I answer the follow tribe member questions:

Though I plan on hiring a DP for my movies, I'd like to invest in my very own camera equipment and lights. (Was thinking about investing in that BlackMagic Cinema you keep raving about.)

However, I'm being advised NOT to buy my own camera and lights! I was told that unless I'm planning on being a DP myself, and unless I plan on keeping up with all the new models of cameras coming out (which can be expensive), that buying camera equipment makes no sense.

What say you? Shouldn't an independent filmmaker seek to have his or her own filmmaking arsenal, just in case? Shouldn't directors at least try to go out, shoot, get a feel for the camera, etc., so that they are better directors, even if they'll never be DPs?

What advice would you give someone working with non-acting actors who will be getting little to no pay?

So If I go to submit my film to contests and festivals will I have problems with people in public in background shots?

Would making the background more out of focus help?

I have scenes in stores. Do I need to blur product labels?

When is the perfect time in pre-production should you start casting?

How important do you feel it is to shoot on film if your plan is to go to the big film festivals hoping to get a distribution deal? Taking Dov Simens DVD class he stresses its important, but the content is in the age of miniDV, so technology has changed quiet a bit since those DVDs were produced. Although I know the story is really more important than digital vs film, which do you feel the major film festivals are looking for today or does it matter any more? I'm looking to shoot mostly film (~75%) and mix some shots and coverage that are shot digitally (~25%).

Let's get to answering some questions.
Right click here to download the MP3Download on iTunes Direct

Slamdance Workshop Discussed on the Show
Join Blackmagic Design, Slamdance Grand Jury Award winner Andrew McPhillips, and filmmaker and host of Indie Film Hustle Alex Ferrari on Saturday, January 21 from 2:30pm to 4:30pm at the Filmmaker Lounge in the Treasure Mountain Inn for an in-depth workshop on the tools and techniques essential to the independent filmmaker.

Andrew McPhillips will discuss lessons learned from shooting his upcoming film “The Doll,” including how to seamlessly switch from production to post. Andrew used an URSA Mini 4.6K to shoot the film, DaVinci Resolve for editing and grading, and Fusion for the VFX. Along with serving as CG Supervisor at SPINVFX, Andrew’s work includes his animated short film “Blood Will Tell” which previously premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and took home top awards at Slamdance.

Alex Ferrari will discuss how filmmakers can make the most of DaVinci Resolve as a professional editing solution. Alex recently shot, edited and graded his new film “This Is Meg” using Blackmagic Design. He will dive into the ins-and-outs of what filmmakers need to know when editing with Resolve and how it can best fit into their workflows.

A brief Q&A will follow the presentations along with raffles for prizes, including a Micro Cinema Camera, DaVinci Resolve Studio and Fusion Studio!

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What is Cinematic Virtual Reality with Jason Diamond
Is Virtual Reality the next big step in visual storytelling? Steven Spielberg said:

“I think we’re moving into a dangerous medium with virtual reality. The only reason I say it is dangerous is because it gives the viewer a lot of latitude not to take direction from the storytellers but make their own choices of where to look. I just hope it doesn’t forget the story when it starts enveloping us in a world that we can see all around us and make our own choices to look at"

I wanted to understand more about Virtual Reality and what impact it could have (or is having) on the world of cinema. This week I have Virtual Reality expert Jason Diamond from SuperSphere VR on the show.

The Diamond Brothers, Josh and Jason Diamond, own SUPERSPHERE VR a virtual reality production company based in Los Angeles. They build VR rigs for a number of clients from Fortune 500 companies to major studios and independent films. They follow the projects through from planning to shooting to post and in the past 18 months they have delivered more than 30 full VR projects.

Some of their most recent, notable projects have been for New York Fashion Week and the Minnesota Twins (See Below). Enjoy my interview with Jason Diamond.

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How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck with Steve Stockman
In this week’s episode, we have Steve Stockman. Steve is an author/writer/director/producer at Custom Productions, Inc. in Los Angeles. He’s created and Executive Produced tv series Brew Dogs for the new Esquire Network, Dogs of War for A&E, Devils Ride for Discovery Channel and $24 in 24 for Food Network; plus worked on over 200 commercials, music videos, and web series.
He also wrote and directed a film called Two Weeks starring legendary Oscar® Winning Actress Sally Field.
His book, How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck, is now in its 6th printing from Workman Publishing. It’s based on a course he’s been teaching to kids for the last 14 years, but adults understand it as well.

“Like two years of film school in 248 pages.” – Steven Pressfield, Author of The War of Art and The Legend of Bagger Vance

It’s not technical—it doesn’t matter whether you’re shooting RED or iPhone. It’s about how to shoot video that’s entertaining, effective—and that actually gets watched. Enjoy my conservation with Steve Stockman.
Right click here to download the MP3

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

BUY HIS BOOK HERE – How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck
www.stevestockman.com
Custom Productions, Inc
Two Weeks
Devils Ride
Brew Dogs
This is Meg – Feature Film

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Suki Medencevic ASC and the Art of Cinematography
I have found over the years that is one of the biggest technical issues in independent film. Someone borrows a friends RED Camera or Arri Alexa and thinks that's all you need. Cinematography is not only a mystical art but imperitive in today's gluttony of indie films in the market place.
Good cinematography can really make your independent film project rise out of the gutter of poorly produced indie films. Today on the show I interview Suki Medencevic ASC (American Society of Cinematographers).

For all the show notes goto: http://www.indiefilmhustle.com/009

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An issue I see come up again and again is indie filmmakers shooting a format that they can't handle in post production. Currently the big buzz word is "Ultra High Definition."

Technically, "Ultra High Definition" is actually a derivation of the 4K digital cinema standard. However while your local multiplex shows images in native 4096 x 2160 4K resolution, the new Ultra HD consumer format has a slightly lower resolution of 3840 X 2160.

Now while having a larger image to play with is better it does bring a ton of baggage along with it. RED Cameras started popularizing 4k with it's first camera the RED ONE. It was so far beyond anything else on the market at the time that it ignited the imagination of indie filmmakers everywhere.

Now shooting 4k in todays world is a bit different. It cost much more than you'd expect once you factor in all the things you'll be dealing with down the pipeline.

In this episode I go over a ton of info on why you shouldn't shoot 4k if you're an indie filmmaker.

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Today on the show we have Oscar® nominee Jeff Cronenweth A.S.C.

Cronenweth worked as a loader and 2nd assistant before graduating high school, and then enrolled in film school at USC where he studied cinematography. Among his classmates were John Schwartzman and Robert Brinkmann, as well as [director] Philip Joanou.

After graduation, Cronenweth resumed working with his father, joining a core camera team that included operators John Toll and Dan Lerner, and 1st assistants Bing Sokolsky and Art Schwab.

Jeff worked with father Jordan Cronenweth (cinematographer most notable for Blade Runner) as a camera loader and second assistant camera during high school, working his way up to first assistant camera and then camera operator until the mid-1990s.

Moving up to first assistant, Cronenweth began working with Toll, who was just beginning his work as a cameraman, and veteran Sven Nykvist.

"I couldn't have learned from better people than John, Sven and my father,"

Cronenweth relates.

"They were all soft-spoken, but very tenacious in achieving their goals. It was a great experience to watch them, learn set etiquette and see how they delegated responsibilities and dealt with producers and crews. I did six pictures with my father and eight pictures with Sven." [From American Cinematographer Magazine.]

The first major motion picture where he acted as a DP was on David Fincher's masterpiece Fight Club. Other notable feature films on which he worked as a DP are One Hour Photo, K-19: The Widowmaker, Down With Love, The Social Network, Hitchcock, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Gone Girl.

Enjoy my conversation with Jeff Cronenweth A.S.C.

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Oscar-Winner Russell Carpenter A.S.C. - Shooting Blockbusters, Titanic & James Cameron
I can't tell you how excited I am about today's guest. I sat down with the legendary and Oscar® Winning Cinematographer Russell Carpenter A.S.C. Russell has been shooting blockbusters for over 40 years and has shot films like Ant-Man, xXx: Return of Xander Cage, Charlie's Angels, The Negotiator, True Lies, Monster-in-Law and classic 90's action flicks like Hard Target, The Perfect Weapon, and Death Warrant.
He won the Oscar® for his cinematography on the second highest-grossing film of all time, Titanic. We go down the rabbit hole on shooting Titanic, working with James Cameron, crazy Hollywood stories, how he approaches each project and much more. This episode is a treasure chest of behind the scenes stories and cinematic techniques from the highest levels of Hollywood.
Get ready to be entertained and have your mind blown. Enjoy my epic conversation with Russell Carpenter A.S.C.

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David Klein, A.S.C. (born December 1972) is an American cinematographer known for working with director Kevin Smith on the films Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Clerks II, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Cop Out, Red State.

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Klein, a member of the American Society of Cinematographers, was the director of photography for True Blood on HBO and for Homeland on Showtime. Klein was hired for the latter position beginning with Homeland's third season, taking over cinematographer duties from Nelson Cragg who had served as the series' director of photography for two seasons.

In 2020, Klein served as the cinematographer on Season 2, Episode 6 of The Mandalorian, titled "Chapter 14: The Tragedy" which was directed by Robert Rodriguez. He will also serve as cinematographer on multiple episodes of The Book of Boba Fett.

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Film Gear in Cinematography Today with Ernesto Lomeli
Oh, the dilemma! What film gear should I use for my film? Which camera will give me the look I want for my project? What gear can I afford? Well as I've said before:

"Film gear does not make a movie, the story does. No one ever won Sundance or an Oscar® because they used the latest and great film gear. They won because of, you guessed it, story."

With that said choosing the right film gear for your film is important. You need to have the right paint brush and not nesseraly the most expensive or newest paint brush to create your opus.
I thought it would be interesting to have cinematographer Ernesto Lomeli on the show. He's one of the most technical film geeks I know. Ernesto shares a bunch of knowledge bombs with us in this interview and discusses what film gear to get and what you really need to make your project sing!

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Today on the show we have veteran cinematographer Jayson Crothers. Jayson had shot two dozen independent features before he joined the NBCUniversal hit show Chicago Fire in 2013. After serving as the 2nd unit DoP for 38 episodes during seasons 2 & 3 he was asked to helm the show. Serving as the sole DoP from seasons 4 to 6, he shot 74 episodes of the series for Dick Wolf. He also did additional photography for the backdoor pilot of Chicago Med.

In 2019 Jayson photographed three features - the World War 2 true story drama Axis Sally, directed by Michael Polish, starring Al Pacino and Mitch Pileggi, the romantic comedy The Thing About Harry, directed by Peter Paige, and the hurricane action film Force of Nature, also directed by Michael Polish, starring Mel Gibson, Emile Hirsch, and Kate Bosworth.

In between these films he also shot additional photography for the Starz series P-Valley as well as 2nd Unit for the Netflix feature Malibu Rescue - The Next Wave.

In addition to his work being seen theatrically and on television, it’s also been seen across the festival circuit at SXSW, Tribeca, and Camerimage to name a few. Jayson also served as the Technical Editor for the acclaimed book on cinematography and lighting, A Shot In The Dark.

In this episode, we discuss his career, how to get the most out of low budget cinematography, and much more.

Enjoy my conversation with Jayson Crothers.

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Today we have a very special episode of the Indie Film Hustle Podcast. My guest is coming from an undisclosed location somewhere in Los Angeles. His code name is BORIS: The Cinematographer. We changed his voice and image for his protection. Boris was my cinematographer on the film I almost directed for the mob. I met him while prepping the infamous feature film discussed in my book Shooting for the Mob.

If you want to learn more about the story of the book take a listen to this podcast. (http://indiefilmhustle.com/shooting-for-the-mob-alex-ferrari/)

I asked Boris, an industry-recognized cinematographer if he would be willing to do an interview on his experience working with Jimmy the gangster, the craziness that happened all those years ago and what it was like being in the center of that filmmaking tornado with me.

Boris jumped at the chance but he asked that we change his voice to protect his identity. He doesn't want to put himself out there at this time. Trust me you are going to love this episode.

Boris lets loose on all things Shooting for the Mob and even tells me stories I didn't know about. If you want to know what it's like trying to shot an indie feature film for a bi-polar, egomaniacal gangster then perk up those ears cause you are going to love this extremely entertaining episode.

Enjoy my EPIC conversation with BORIS - The Cinematographer.

Here's a summary on the book:

A bipolar gangster, a naive, young film director, and Batman. What could go wrong? Alex Ferrari is a first-time film director who just got hired to direct a $20 million feature film, the only problem is the film is about Jimmy, an egomaniacal gangster who wants the film to be about his life in the mob.

From the backwater towns of Louisiana to the Hollywood Hills, Alex is taken on a crazy misadventure through the world of the mafia and Hollywood. Huge movie stars, billion-dollar producers, studio heads and, of course, a few gangsters, populate this unbelievable journey down the rabbit hole of chasing your dream. Would you sell your soul to the devil to make your dream come true? Alex did. By the way, did we mention that this story is based on true events? no, seriously it is.

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Today's guest is Paul Dudbridge, author of Making Your First Blockbuster: Write It. Film It. Blow it Up! Paul Dudbridge is a British director, producer, cinematographer, and educator, making feature films, television, commercials, and music videos. Paul started producing at the age of 11 when he roped in his father to shoot his first short film.

When the resulting footage didn’t match up to what he had seen in his head, Paul decided to go behind the camera himself, and from there the whole notion of making films; directing, scripts, shots and angles started to come about.

With over 20 years of experience in the business, Paul has numerous film and television credits to his name. His first broadcast credits include producing and directing ITV’s The Christmas Storybook, featuring legendary actor Joss Ackland, as well as directing music promos for MTV. His work as a cinematographer includes the action thriller By Any Name based on the best-selling book by Katherine John.

As a producer and director, he helmed the science-fiction series Horizon, which went on to win a number of awards at international film festivals, as well as earning Paul a Best Drama Director nomination at the Royal Television Society (WoE) awards in 2016. When not filming, Paul guest lectures at various universities and colleges around the country. Most recently, he ran the Writing and Directing module for the Master's course at the University of Bristo, taught Cinematography at Falmouth Film School, and Advanced Cinematography workshops for BECTU, the UK’s media and entertainment trade union.

Enjoy my conversation with Paul Dudbridge.

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Today I welcome back returning champion award-winning cinematographer Suki Medencevic A.S.C. I brought Suki back on the show to discuss Covid-19 and what Hollywood will look like after it passes, how to approach low-budget filmmaking from the cinematography side, and his game-changing cinematography course Light and Face - The Art of Cinematography from IFH Academy.

This workshop will walk you through how to light the most important and emotional subject you could put in front of your lens, the enigmatic face on a low budget. This workshop is unique in that it will literally guide you through the entire process of making your film.

Suki attended the renowned National Film School (FAMU), Prague, Czech Republic, where he earned a Master’s Degree with Honors in cinematography. Shortly thereafter, he went to the USA looking for his big break.

Since his first feature film shoot in 1994, he has been working steadily in the film industry, making numerous features and made-for-TV films, television shows, commercials, and documentaries including American Horror Story for FX.

He was involved in several high profile documentaries for Pixar, ILM, The Hearst Corporation, and he recently completed The History of Imagineering for Disney+.

In 2010, he became a member of the American Cinematographers Society (ASC), the world’s most prestigious cinematographers’ organization.

I can't tell you how excited I am to bring this interview to you.

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Today on the show I have iPhone filmmaking master and TEDTalk Speaker Jason Van Genderen. I've wanted to have Jason on the podcast for a long time. He is a true inspiration to anyone who wants to pick up a camera and tell a story. He has made an industry out of professional shooting with iPhones for corporate clients, on commercials, music videos, and short films. Here's some more info on our guest.

No script, storyboard or crew. No exposure to focus controls. A resolution of 640 x 480 pixels and a total memory of just 160MB. That was Jason’s unexpected entry into the global filmmaking stage back in 2008.

‘Mankind is No Island’ went on to win numerous prestigious accolades at film festivals around the globe and was one of the very first exemplary films to champion a whole new emerging medium of iPhone filmmaking.

With screenings and awards from Tropfest NY, Aspen Shortsfest, Palm Springs, San Francisco Short Film Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival right through to Sundance London, Jason’s made mobile stories that matter, becoming an unexpected voice for marginalized or emerging storytellers. It’s the very reason he proudly labels himself a Filmbreaker.

An equally passionate educator, Jason’s talks have inspired audiences from TEDx Newy to the Aspen Ideas Festival; from countless televisions, how appearances to keynote addresses at film schools and festivals. His masterclass workshops continue to inspire both beginners and seasoned professionals alike. Jason Van Genderen has also consulted and collaborated with some of the world’s largest imaging brands, from Sony and Nokia to Nikon and currently Apple Australia. This year he also commenced an on-air role presenting guest segments on Channel 7’s ‘Get Arty’ children show, and has recently consulted to 7 West Media Group on broadcast applications for smartphone technology.

When your introduction to puberty is selling pet rocks and wearing a back brace, you'd have to hope that the ability to think creatively comes naturally. For Jason, his life of creative problem solving was seeded by 20 years hard labor in the advertising & design industry... before turning his hand to short films. His reputation for quick thinking under challenging circumstances saw him carve an early niche, being a four-time winner in the 24-hour in-camera film festival The Shoot Out.

Always a custodian of content over craft, in 2008 he experimented with filming on his mobile phone, making a short with no script, storyboard, actors, narration or budget. 'Mankind is no Island' went on to win Tropfest NY and numerous other accolades globally, by breaking every rule in the book. His unorthodox approach to filtering story with low-tech simplicity has seen him in demand internationally as a presenter on pocket filmmaking.

There are NO MORE EXCUSES ANYMORE. You can tell your story with what's in your pocket.

Enjoy my conversation with Jason Van Genderen!

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If you are an avid listener of this podcast you know how much I LOVE Blackmagic Design products. From giving away Davinci Resolve for free to releasing a 4K Pocket Camera with RAW, Blackmagic is truly in the corner of every filmmaker. Their motto is...

"Power to the people!"

I always wanted to know how and why they make such amazing products for filmmakers at such ridiculously affordable prices. Today's guest, Dan May - President of Blackmagic Design, would be the man to ask. I go deep into the weeds on how the company works, why they make their products so accessible to so many people and why they care so much about the little guy.

Just to clarify, no I was not paid for this interview at all. I really wanted to get into the mind of one of my favorite camera and post-production companies. We also talk a little bit about gear.

Enjoy this rare look behind the curtain at Blackmagic Design with President Dan May.

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How a Camera and Hustle Created a $30 Million Empire with Joel Holland
Get ready to be inspired. I want to bring this week's guest onto the show for a while now. Joel Holland is the founder and CEO of VideoBlocks, the first subscription-based provider of stock video and audio, with over 100,000 customers in the television and video production industry, from NBC to MTV to pro-sumers and hobbyists looking to enhance their video projects and productions. There's a lot indie filmmakers can learn from Joel.

In 2013, VideoBlocks was ranked the 32nd fastest growing technology company in the US/Canada, and the 2nd fastest growing technology company in the DC region by Deloitte for the Fast500, for achieving 7,000% revenue growth over the past 5 years.

Photo Credit: VideoBlocks.com

In 2012, VideoBlocks was named the #4 Fastest Growing Media Company by Inc. Magazine, and made the prestigious Inc. 500 list.

For his work with VideoBlocks, Joel has been named one of the "Top 25 Entrepreneurs Under 25" by BusinessWeek Magazine, "Young Entrepreneur of the Year" by the United States Small Business Administration, and "Entrepreneur of the Year" for the Greater Washington DC Region by Ernst & Young.

In 2013, Joel was recognized on the Inc. "30 Under 30" list: He is the definition of the word "Hustle." Sit back and enjoy my conversation with Joel Holland.

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Cinematic Masterclass with Philip Bloom
Today on the show we have a legend in the filmmaking blogosphere, award-winning cinematographer Philip Bloom. Philip is a world-renowned filmmaker who, for the past 10 years of his 27-year career has specialized in creating incredible cinematic images no matter what the camera. He started blogging back in the early 2000's before anyone was really doing it. I personally have been following him for years.
Here's some more info on Philip Bloom:
Some of his most iconic work was created with Canon DSLRs. As one of the biggest evangelists for their use in productions his website became the place to go to for budding filmmakers as well as experienced ones keen to embrace the new technology. His site now regularly has over 1,000,000 visitors a month.
His use of Canon DSLRs to shoot part of Lucasfilms’ last movie “Red Tails” proved a huge point to the naysayers. This technology was proved very viable in large-scale productions.
He has become very well known for his in-depth video reviews of various cameras, which have helped many people in the huge decision of buying a camera. He has worked for all the major UK broadcasters, such as the BBC, ITV, C4 and Sky, as well as countless independent production companies and many others around the world including CNN, CBS, Discovery, FOX and NBC.
Independent projects are key to Philip and he splits his time between bigger projects and small independent ones. One of his most successful independent projects was “How To Start A Revolution” which won a BAFTA in 2012 and was also awarded prizes at several film festivals including Best Documentary at the 2011 Raindance festival.
Enjoy my conversation with Philip Bloom.

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No One Gives a CRAP What You Shoot Your Film On!

OK, so before I get bombarded with hate email please hear me out. I was speaking to my filmmaker inner circle the other day and the topic of format and camera came up. I'm a huge tech head. I love gear as much as the next filmmaker.
Hell, you can't make movies without gear. Advances in filmmaking technology has liberated a generation of storytellers, filmmakers and content creators. Now does the audience give a SH*T about what camera you used to make your movie...NO!
If you want to know what it really takes to be a successful filmmaker in today's world take a listen to this short podcast.

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Vintage Lenses for Indie Filmmakers MasterClass w/ Alan Besedin
One of the main goals of Indie Film Hustle is to give real world knowledge and resources to indie filmmakers so they can make a living doing what they love. Film gear is a big part of that equation. I always am on the lookout for the best bang for the buck when it comes to film gear.
I recently began to dip my toes into the world of vintage lenses. Vintages lenses are exactly that, vintage. You may be asking

"Alex, why would I but a 50-year-old lens that has color redition issues or is soft on the corners when the lenses of today are perfect, clean and more advanced?"

The main reason I've fallen in love with vintage lenses is exactly for that reason, they are not perfect. Years ago lenses were made by hand. Each lens had its own personality. Many of them have beautiful mistakes that made them stand out.
Case in point Stanley Kubrick. If you watch A Clockwork Orange you'll notice a wide shot as the doorbell rings about 20min into the film. The crazy wide shot was filmed with a Kinoptik 9.8 F2.3. The lens is far from perfect but it has character. Kubrick was more focused in achieving an interesting shot rather than a perfect one. This coming from a legendary perfectionist.
Kubrick lenses collection was made up of most vintage lenses. He would buy 10 copies of the same lenses, test them all and pick the best of the bunch and return the rest.
Using vintages lenses can also take the "digital bite" off of modern day camera sensors. The best thing about getting into vintage glass is the cost. You can get a beautiful "nifty 50mm" for between $20-$80. They're literally thousands of lens you can choose from, each one special in its own way. Vintage lenses can truly give your film a unique look and make you stand out from the crowd.
Today's guest Alan Besedin has been running in the filmmaking trenches for years and runs my go-to resource for vintages lenses VintageLensesforVideo.com. I've watched every video and read every article on the site. It's a wealth of info.
So enjoy my conversation with Alan Besedin from VintageLensesforVideo.com.
Right click here to download the MP3Download on iTunes DirectWatch on IFH YouTube Channel

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How to Make Money Renting Your Film Gear with ShareGrid's Brent Barbano
Have you ever wanted to make a little extra cash with that film gear sitting in your closet? Have you ever wanted o rent that new Arri ALEXA but were afraid you couldn't afford it? Well, I came across the solution for both problems, it's call ShareGrid.
ShareGrid is a per to per community, think Airbnb for filmmakers, that allows list film gear for rental or rent gear directly from other filmmakers with instant insurance. I reached out to Brent Barbano, co-founder of Sharegrid to discuss how he built this community up, talk about how to be a working cinematographer and just talk shop.
Heres a couple of videos explain what ShareGrid is all about.

Enjoy my conversation with ShareGrid Co-Founder Brent Barbano.

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Today on the show we have the chairman of the legendary Cooke Optics empire. For over 100 years, Cooke has been at the center of the filmmaking business. We've been listening to the community of which we are apart. We lead by introducing new products such as /i Technology, and we remember our success is built on a simple idea - do what the filmmaker needs.

Enjoy my conversation with Les Zellan.

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Today on the show we have the Stock Footage Yoda James Forsher. James has nearly forty years of experience in producing, writing, and directing documentaries and television commercials. Forsher's productions, ranging from half-hour shows to feature-length documentaries, have aired on the Discovery Channel, The Movie Channel, Cinemax, A & E, and PBS.

Forsher's productions range from this year's hour-long show Elvis and the Girl from Vienna back to his 1977 documentary Conrad Hilton: Insight into a Giant. Forsher has also taught film and video production at the college and university level for nearly two decades directed the broadcast program at California State University, East Bay, and has taught communication courses as a Fulbright Scholar in Europe.

His new book Stock Footage + Everything Under the Sun: Using Archival Material to Make Your Good Film Great is the bible of stock footage. It is the only book that gives an overview of the use of archival footage and how it played an expanding and crucial role in documentary and TV films. Readers learn how to research images and clear the rights.

Part One is an overview of archival footage, reviewing exactly what constitutes archival material and how it fits within the broader history of film and TV production. It also introduces the areas of research and legal parameters to the reader.

Part Two examines the variety of styles of entertainment programming that use archival footage, including separate sections on network magazine formats, cable reality shows, webisodes, PBS documentaries, feature-length documentaries, and how documentaries can sway public opinion. Each Part offers interviews with experts who give a realistic idea of how they’ve used stock footage in their own work.

Part Three covers Visual Literacy 101, a short course on how to “read” a film. By looking at only a few seconds of footage, one can deduce some very important facts about the film. This part makes a detective out of any researcher or editor who is determined to find the most authentic setting and context for their film.

Part Four discusses how to use archival footage, writing a script that includes archival material, editing archival material, negotiating rights and budgeting constraints.
If you ever wanted to know how to get, use or sell stock and archival footage for your film get ready to take notes.

Enjoy my conversation with James Forsher.

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How to Shoot Super 16mm Film with Egon Stephen Jr.
So you want to be a filmmaker. You want to put the FILM back into FILMmaking. Well this episode is for you. Film is not dead. It has been quietly working in the background of the industry.
Some of the productions that shooting film these days are:

Mad Max: Fury Road
Noah
The Avengers
The Bourne Legacy
Captain America: The First Avenger
Iron Man 2
The Magnificent Seven
Westworld
The Girl on the Train
The Walking Dead

Jack Reacher
Batman vs Superman
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: Rogue One
Spectre
The Hateful Eight
Jurassic World
Wonder Woman
American Horror Story
Star Trek

The knowledge to shoot film is dying. There's nowhere online where you can take a course on how to shoot Super 16mm film. The "workshops" available are extremely expensive and don't really give you practical knowledge from someone who has actually shot in the field.
I wanted to put together an online course to preserve that knowledge for future filmmakers. Today's guest, Director of Photography Egon Stephen Jr, and I got together and shot The Definitive Super 16 mm Film Masterclass.
So in today's show Egon and I drop some knowledge bombs on shooting film. So if you ever wanted to know if shoot "real" was an option for your indie feature or short film then perk up those ears. Enjoy my conversation with Egon Stephen Jr.

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Today on the show we have the legendary and Emmy Winning cinematographer Michael Goi A.S.C.

Michael Goi has compiled over 70 narrative credits, including films for cinema and television screens such as "American Horror Story," "Glee," "Salem" and "The Town That Dreaded Sundown." He has received Emmy nominations for "Glee", "My Name Is Earl" and "American Horror Story." He was nominated for the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Outstanding Achievement Award for the telefilms "The Fixer" and "Judas" and for the pilot "The New Normal" and the mini-series "American Horror Story: Asylum". He also wrote and directed the dramatic feature film "Megan Is Missing" about the subject of internet predators, and several episodes of "American Horror Story" and other shows.

Michael Goi is a past president of the American Society of Cinematographers, serves on the Board Of Governors of the ASC, and is the editor of the 10th Edition of the ASC Manual. He was made an Honorary Member of the Indian Society Of Cinematographers (ISC) in 2010 for his efforts to increase international collaboration and communication amongst the world's cinematography organizations.

Michael has appeared as a guest speaker at the American Film Institute, the University of Southern California, Walt Disney Animation Studios (for whom he demonstrated ice and snow lighting concepts for animators working on the film "Frozen,"), CineGear, IBC, and many other international industry events. He is a member of the National Executive Board of the International Cinematographers Guild, the Directors Guild Of America, the Academy Of Television Arts And Sciences and the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences.

He regularly mentors students for various industry programs. An unrepentant movie buff, he has been known to spend all night in his home theater watching selections from the over 18,000 films in his collection.

We really get into the weeds on his process, shooting every kind of film and that insane movie collection he has.

Enjoy my conversation with Michael Goi A.S.C.

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Ah, the good ol' digital vs film debate. Well you won't get any of that in the article or podcast. With Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight coming out Dec 25, 2015, and it being shot in "Glorious 70mm," there has been a lot of chatter about film again.
With filmmakers like Christopher Nolan shooting 35mm and IMAX on his latest film and JJ Abrams shooting Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 35 mm, film seems to still be an art form that many filmmakers are not ready to let go of just yet.
What Quentin Tarantino has done with The Hateful Eight is unique. He has brought back to life the Ultra Panavision 70 technique along with anamorphic 65mm lenses that haven't been seen since the 60's.
Here are some specs:

Camera: Panavision 65 HR Camera and Panavision Panaflex System 65 Studio
Lenses: Panavision APO Panatar
Film Stock 65mm: Kodak Vision3 200T 5213, Vision3 500T 5219
Aspect Ratio: 2.75:1

Listen to the episode for the rest.

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Hollywood Directing: How to Choose the Right Lens for Your Shot
On today's episode, I wanted to give you a sneak peek of one of the best selling filmmaking courses on Udemy right now, Hollywood Film & Television Directing Masterclass with former guest and master film instructor Gil Bettman. On the show, you'll hear a lesson on how you can AMP UP your static shots by the choosing the right lenses.
Enjoy!

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Buy This is Megon iTunes
Hollywood Film & Television Directing Masterclass (EXCLUSIVE 50% OFF)
Indie Film Syndicate Membership - First Month FREE

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