Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Projectionist becoming Cameraman

This is topic Projectionist becoming Cameraman in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Michael Rourke (Member # 1142) on 09-16-2003, 10:18 PM:

How easy would it be to make the jump from projection to filming motion pictures or tv shows? The similarities are apparent and I assume joining the union would be the biggest obstacle, has anyone here taken that road?

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 09-17-2003, 03:14 AM:

The only 'similarities' between projection and cinematography is that a projector and a [film] camera are mechanical, get threaded up with film, and have a lens on the front.

They are two TOTALLY different fields.

In 1985 I had 'interned' with Special Effects Unlimited and the late Larry Cavanaugh for several weeks on the set of 'Peggy Sue Got Married', and the following summer, I went on a road trip to L.A. to see if I could get into the production side of things. Once there, I had two appointments to see other people about some work in LA, one was an editor named Michael Ripps, unfortunately nothing panned out, and I went back to the projection side of things. At least there was still a lot of dailies going on locally. [Smile]

-Aaron

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 09-17-2003, 09:32 AM:

The Kodak website has lots of information for budding filmmakers:

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/students/

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/students/publications.jhtml

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/forum/onFilm/

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/train/

Lots of discussion on several forums devoted to cinematography:

http://www.cinematographer.com

http://www.cinematography.com

http://www.cinematography.net

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 09-17-2003, 12:34 PM:

When you ask about 'filming motion picture or TV shows', you must be a little more specific about your job goals. There is a very strict hierarchy involved at the professional level. Do you wish to be a Director of Photography and supervise the whole camera crew, do you want to operate the camera, load it, keep the gate clean and swap out the lenses? Those are four seprate jobs on any IATSE signatory crew. If you are going to shoot on HiDef, you also have an HD Supervisior (called a DIT) and a Video Controller. There are a ton of crew positions involved with just the camera on a professional shoot, and as was pointed out above, there are no real similarities between this and projection.

If you are all ready in the IA as a projectionist, then you are all ready in the union and would not have to pay another initiation fee. You would, however, have to start out on the bottom as a camera assistant. Fortunatly there are several ways to approach this, and education is available. The Maine Photographic Workshop is online somewhere, they have great courses in camera operations (in Maine, of course). Right in your neck of the woods, Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara has highly regarded courses in cinematography.

Another person to contact would be George Spiro Dibbe at IA Local 600 on Sunset Blvd. in LA. That's the guild that covers almost all motion picture and film/HD based TV photography on the west coast. He, or someone at the union, could probably suggest points of entry. In all honesty, I gotta tell you it's a cutthroat business, and unless you are very highly motivated and truly burn to do this kind of work, you may find youself very discourged very quickly.

Maine Photographic Workshop Camera Assist Training:
http://www.theworkshops.com/catalog/courses/index.asp?CourseID=2135&SchoolID=21

Posted by Ron Yost (Member # 1850) on 09-17-2003, 11:39 PM:

Running a projector is a learned machine operation skill. Not to minimise the work involved, nor the fact that some people get very good at it.

Good cinematography is an extremely complex creative art. One must have an 'eye' for the art of it, like all good photography. (Not even considering the overwhelming politics involved in getting anywhere in the business, as has been explained very well above.)

Ron Yost

[ 09-18-2003, 12:43 AM: Message edited by: Ron Yost ]

Posted by Warren Smyth (Member # 1838) on 09-18-2003, 08:41 AM:

You have been given excellent advice which gratifying considering that the decision you face, has the potential to change your life.

It is very rare, but it does happen, that someone who starts in exhibition, crosses over into production. The occupation of camera work and projectionist, as has been stated, is different, requiring different skills. Those practising both often however, have one thing in common - the love of the moving image and the language of film.

In the field of production whether film or television, to be successful you have to attain a very high standard of craftsmanship. To do that, you have to have a real passion for it.

For this to be so, it is certain that by now you will have shot hundreds of hours of tape and tried to achieve the standard of the professionals by studying what they do. The films you are showing may be rubbish. The script lines from the mouths of single dimensional characters, maybe aimed at the intellect of a ten year old, but one thing is for certain - the cinematography will be of a high standard.

If you do have a passion, your eyes will have been drawn years ago, to lighting, composition, and camera movement and the motivation for such in terms of mood and story. Why does the camera for example, stay on the same side of an imaginary line running between two characters on the screen in certain situations? What would happen if two shots from opposite sides of this line were cut together as a sequence? These are extremely BASIC but important issues which people in the field you hope to pursue, deal with on a daily basis. Hopefully you are starting to realise that these don't have any similarity with those skills required to project a well, evenly lit picture on the screen in focus. I'm not saying that one set of skills is more important only that both are different

Any footage that you have shot will have smooth tilts and pans, hopefully very sparingly used. Static shots will be rock steady because you will have sweated carrying a solid tripod with all the other gear around in order to get that perfect shot during the magic hour. Oh and that's another point, it's very hard work and you lose a lot of sleep at times. But don't be discouraged if you do have the passion. Creativity is a very worthwhile addiction.

There was once a projectionist who loved his job. He had started helping in a projection room at the age of eleven which was very unusual and indeed illegal, due to licensing regulations at that time.

At the age of twenty nine, he decided he didn't like the way the industry was going and decided to persue another love. He had made standard 8mm films from the age of fourteen and spent hours editing sequences together. It wasn't easy with financial commitments and a young family, but he took the plunge and trained as a film editor. The editing technology has changed since then, but he doen't regret the change. He has never seen a moment's unemployment as an editor in twenty eight years and loves showing films in his home theatrette. Yes, celuloid is still in the veins.

I have a friend who started as a projectionist and became a director in the advertising industry. If there are any other projectionists out there, who have a passion for something different, give it a go. Good luck Micheal and by the way, the story is true - I was that boy in the projection room at eleven years of age.