1500 Reflective Account

1500 Reflective Account

My Filmmaking journey since the end of second year has excelled twice as much, being blessed with opportunities during the summer allowing me to keep learning and push my boundaries as a young professional. Working as Camera assistant over the summer I have learned many practical lessons and also theoretical ones. Having the opportunity to work all around the country travelling with industry professionals and being able to converse and speak about their entry into the film environment was probably one of my most valuable lessons. This method of research in terms of becoming more employable I found more valuable than anything. Who else can you find out such vital information apart from the employers them selves’. It gave me an idea into what I should be focusing on in the up and coming academic year and what I should be doing to ensure I obtain the skills company’s are looking for. It became very clear in the early stages of my camera assisting how important my driving licence and car was in this industry. At times I may have been favoured over others in a couple instances just because of my capability to drive, many occasions now I have been instructed to collect the camera equipment from media city and other rental company’s around the UK. Picking up a mini a van at 6am driving to Salford and then brining it to location. It may be a very simple skill but one that has opened many of doors for me and introduced me to amazing industry professionals who have all managed to influence me some way, even in the slightest.

Allot of my influences come from life experiences, I pick up things I like from all sources of information. Weather it be a conversation with a close family member. A long drive down the motorway, watching some of my favourite shows like ‘Game of thrones’, ‘Flash’, ‘Chicago Fire’ and ‘American Dad’. I don’t have a particular director I admire or cinematographer that I stand by. I like to interpret my life experiences into my work; its what truly drives my creativity. I believe as a cinematographer 80% of the craft is in your technical abilities because operating a professional film camera isn’t a simple task knowing your camera and choosing the right one with the right lenses all comes with experience and time but for me accounts to the technical aspects of the job. The creativity steps in once you know you are all set, possessing confidence in your lighting settings and positioning now you may advance into creative comfort ability. This is why you have the camera assistants prepping the camera and moving it while you see the DP lighting and visualising the scene in his mind. I admire technical aspects in productions I watch but I learn allot through online tutorials and classes on YouTube Vimeo and other sources alike. The workshops at university allow me to develop my skills further with practice.   

One of my many difficulty’s this year I found it tough to deal with people who undervalue myself in the work environment or are incapable of showing any respect or manners on set. I really find it difficult being spoken down to when the matter of discussion is trivial or a simple task. The power struggle can hinder a production and nobody likes working in a uncomfortable environment. I have experienced this on and off professional sets (University) individuals who view him or her self as above everybody. My resolution for such problem is communication, let the individual know you are there for the team and if it’s a superior let them know yes they are in charge and u respect their decision, but also acknowledge u don’t appreciate the tone or attitude given towards you as u find it discouraging to your progress.

One of my personal challenge’s I face with my self is managing my time, when talking about professionalism timing and being punctual is on top of the list. One of the first things Sam St. John (My first DP assisting for) taught me that focus on turning up on time with a positive attitude and half of your job is dun. This stuck with me because when I was anxious and nervous about a job up ahead when ever I turned up early with a positive attitude people were always willing to talk me threw what I had to do weather it was my first time focus pulling or working a professional clapper board. This enormously simple point shortly became something to live by. My issue still is using such same mentality in my entire practise but it has had a lasting effect. Huge timetables and colanders keeping me aware and on track with ware I need to be with when and what time are small things that help. Having a good producer on your side can also benefit when it comes to organisation, I can organise my notes and so forth but it’s my timing that truly suffers at times. For my self having visual reminders and creating time for filing and managing work weather its filing footage or call sheets giving my self time to take in what is being processed always helps.

  The way I view my own work changes constantly at a fast pace. This is because of the amount of information I’m currently taking in when on set, when researching and when discussing/criticising. All this current time spent in constant thought, when I get to the end on my current process of production my opinion of the work is already at a stage where its almost all a mistake, because if learned so much within the process. Looking back I know what would improve that shot or that scene and almost immediately falls into the improvement pile. I know the next opportunity I receive to apply my knew knowledge I must demonstrate it. This is partly due to my hunger and ambition to be one of the best me and I will constantly push my self. I like to view my work in comparison to the last because immediately u can see what I have picked up recently and what I’m still trying to learn. I have become more aware my decisions making becoming more confident. This is due to practice based learning repetition is a big learning tool for me and once a process is mastered it is then when I can proceed with confidence and start to make more creative decisions and team leading decisions. Time spent on set with DOP’s when making suggestions and having them taken on board and used is a grate feeling and a confidence boost for somebody in position. Especially when you get to visualise some of the work you were part of on television (Adverts) its definitely a grate feeling. This confidence has effected my decision making enormously on and off set.

Young self-shooting director, looking for further experience and work to boost his portfolio. That’s ware I feel I am and stand, I will always create films that are visual words to what I’m studying, fighting or dealing with at that moment. I want to create substance filled visuals, films that provoke and evoke question and thought. I see my self taking my films to possibly controversial levels with my material. I believe as a filmmaker part of the creative world I and my peers have responsibility to our integrity as we share something with the world, let it be relevant to you as an artist and to the world as your audience. Having something to say is what drives me how I say it is what excites me.
To me personally the link between your practice, professionalism and employability is one that comes with one or the other. You cannot try be employable with out practice neither professional with out trying and vice versa to be employable. I have spoke to several Industry professionals about opportunities after graduation. Iv been applying to Jobs abroad and around the UK, limiting my self is something I do not want to do especially at this stage. I am very versatile and open to the opportunity’s that swing my way in the next couple of months.


My plans for my career are to learn as much as I can as a DOP and Director whilst freelancing for my own company. My plans are to create a fully stable production company with a working team employing freelancers and such alike. I will professionally run own my own company in time I just feel I still have allot to learn in the set up and looking and being as professional as possible is hugely important to me. Iv been researching into investment attending conferences in Manchester looking to help start up businesses. I have also contacted inospace at university but been disappointed with their communication, as they have failed to return emails calls and several messages. All I know is I don’t want to stop learning and progressing in my current state.