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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

How RED saved my Life, My personal thank you in response to Jims last post.

That sounds awesome Adam, Id love to, but I couldn't let you pay for it!

I have a pretty bad broken ankle at the moment anyway so I'm not going anywhere for a couple months, and it's not easy getting to Sydney as it is haha, But after I can walk Id love to :)

I'll PM you later today, Thanks :)
 
Inspiring story Jesse and great images! Thanks for sharing. Adam has a great idea but make your own way parallel to what the industry guys teach you as well.
 
Shane Betts said:
Inspiring story Jesse and great images! Thanks for sharing. Adam has a great idea but make your own way parallel to what the industry guys teach you as well.
Click to expand...

Thanks :) Wasnt meant to be inspiring but thanks! And You can be sure Ill make my own way as much as posible!

I already have a couple finished plans for little shorts,
And a bunch of longer based ideas that I have in mind.

Just need the gear and ill be all good! :)
 
Jesse Crowley said:
Thanks :) Wasnt meant to be inspiring but thanks! And You can be sure Ill make my own way as much as posible!

I already have a couple finished plans for little shorts,
And a bunch of longer based ideas that I have in mind.

Just need the gear and ill be all good! :)
Click to expand...

What a story. Jesse, dreams are what keep us alive!
If by any chance, you travel up north to Sarawak, Borneo Island, do drop by and I bring you around like I always did to people in need.

http://dextravel.blogspot.com/

cheers.
 
Jesse - I'm a New Zealand film maker, and my advice to you is this - take peoples offer of assistance while you are young, because if you are genuine and they are genuine then the chances of it leading to great things are much higher than if you try and make your way alone.

I'm lucky, I come from an ok middle class background without many troubles - getting into film making from such a background is still really hard, when you are competing against people who have grown up with parents who have worked in the industry or have connections etc. Your dad has done the best by you by getting you a camera, and your photos show talent, and your stories show you have determination - but you'll need mentors to succeed and if people are offering to help you out now take them up on it - don't be too proud, or too insular, or too afraid, or too humble - collaboration is the key to success - let people help you and then work damned hard to pay them back with good work of your own.

It's also this - as you get older, things only get harder. I've just had my first son, I have responsibilities now, and the opportunities I may have missed by being too humble or too insular when I was younger, too determined to go my own way or not connected enough to get all the help I could have - despite all my good fortune they are things I regret. And I had it relatively easy.

Take people up on their offers of help, and then use it to help yourself succeed and pay it forward. Not everything will pan out, not every offer you get will lead to new opportunities or success, but every person you meet, everyone who helps you, will be a worthwhile experience for both parties if you and they act genuinely.

By the sounds of it you have had to endure so much responsibility for someone so young and have had to do so much on your own that you do not know how rewarding it will be for the person who helps you - you may think you are just adding to their troubles. Don't make that mistake - take up some offers of help, and take on some challenges that come along with it.

In this industry there are plenty of opportunities to slave away for free, to do things for the passion and the love of it - so many that we all eventually get a bit cynical and tired of it from time to time. And then someone like you pops up and reminds us of the power what we do really has, how fortunate a position we are in, and how fulfilled we really are because of it - and it's something I think that we're all grateful that you remind us of.

If there is one bit of advice I can give you it is this - reach out and take the hands of support that are offered to you. Even if you want to pay it back later, that's fine - but you will never succeed in these industries without collaborating - and when you are starting out, the best people to collaborate with are those who have the experience to help you succeed.

On the other side of the equation there is a saying - you can't stay young forever, but working with young people seems to help. The people who want to help you aren't just being altruistic, they also want to stay relevant themselves in this crazy ever changing world. And it's by supporting people like you that they can do so.

Take all the help you can get - because I can tell you, as you get older the number of opportunities get further and further apart and your other commitments make them harder and harder to accept.
 
I'm astonished. What a story. All I can say really is that I am certain that the rest of your life will be so wonderful that it will more than make up for your past.

I am not sure if you have any interest in metaphysical things, but it seems to me that it was not a coincidence that your mum started to improve around the time that you discovered RED. Misery attracts misery, but passion attracts passion and dreams attract dreams and creativity attracts more creativity. Eventually you'll be cursing that you don't have all the time you need to complete all of your projects.

BTW you are pretty close to mastering photography. Cinematography is not far away! I wish that my progress in both fields could have been that aggressive. :-)
 
Craig Parkes said:
Jesse - I'm a New Zealand film maker, and my advice to you is this - take peoples offer of assistance while you are young, because if you are genuine and they are genuine then the chances of it leading to great things are much higher than if you try and make your way alone.

I'm lucky, I come from an ok middle class background without many troubles - getting into film making from such a background is still really hard, when you are competing against people who have grown up with parents who have worked in the industry or have connections etc. Your dad has done the best by you by getting you a camera, and your photos show talent, and your stories show you have determination - but you'll need mentors to succeed and if people are offering to help you out now take them up on it - don't be too proud, or too insular, or too afraid, or too humble - collaboration is the key to success - let people help you and then work damned hard to pay them back with good work of your own.

It's also this - as you get older, things only get harder. I've just had my first son, I have responsibilities now, and the opportunities I may have missed by being too humble or too insular when I was younger, too determined to go my own way or not connected enough to get all the help I could have - despite all my good fortune they are things I regret. And I had it relatively easy.

Take people up on their offers of help, and then use it to help yourself succeed and pay it forward. Not everything will pan out, not every offer you get will lead to new opportunities or success, but every person you meet, everyone who helps you, will be a worthwhile experience for both parties if you and they act genuinely.

By the sounds of it you have had to endure so much responsibility for someone so young and have had to do so much on your own that you do not know how rewarding it will be for the person who helps you - you may think you are just adding to their troubles. Don't make that mistake - take up some offers of help, and take on some challenges that come along with it.

In this industry there are plenty of opportunities to slave away for free, to do things for the passion and the love of it - so many that we all eventually get a bit cynical and tired of it from time to time. And then someone like you pops up and reminds us of the power what we do really has, how fortunate a position we are in, and how fulfilled we really are because of it - and it's something I think that we're all grateful that you remind us of.

If there is one bit of advice I can give you it is this - reach out and take the hands of support that are offered to you. Even if you want to pay it back later, that's fine - but you will never succeed in these industries without collaborating - and when you are starting out, the best people to collaborate with are those who have the experience to help you succeed.

On the other side of the equation there is a saying - you can't stay young forever, but working with young people seems to help. The people who want to help you aren't just being altruistic, they also want to stay relevant themselves in this crazy ever changing world. And it's by supporting people like you that they can do so.

Take all the help you can get - because I can tell you, as you get older the number of opportunities get further and further apart and your other commitments make them harder and harder to accept.
Click to expand...

Thank you for you words :)
 
Craig Parkes said:
Jesse - I'm a New Zealand film maker, and my advice to you is this - take peoples offer of assistance while you are young, because if you are genuine and they are genuine then the chances of it leading to great things are much higher than if you try and make your way alone.

I'm lucky, I come from an ok middle class background without many troubles - getting into film making from such a background is still really hard, when you are competing against people who have grown up with parents who have worked in the industry or have connections etc. Your dad has done the best by you by getting you a camera, and your photos show talent, and your stories show you have determination - but you'll need mentors to succeed and if people are offering to help you out now take them up on it - don't be too proud, or too insular, or too afraid, or too humble - collaboration is the key to success - let people help you and then work damned hard to pay them back with good work of your own.

It's also this - as you get older, things only get harder. I've just had my first son, I have responsibilities now, and the opportunities I may have missed by being too humble or too insular when I was younger, too determined to go my own way or not connected enough to get all the help I could have - despite all my good fortune they are things I regret. And I had it relatively easy.

Take people up on their offers of help, and then use it to help yourself succeed and pay it forward. Not everything will pan out, not every offer you get will lead to new opportunities or success, but every person you meet, everyone who helps you, will be a worthwhile experience for both parties if you and they act genuinely.

By the sounds of it you have had to endure so much responsibility for someone so young and have had to do so much on your own that you do not know how rewarding it will be for the person who helps you - you may think you are just adding to their troubles. Don't make that mistake - take up some offers of help, and take on some challenges that come along with it.

In this industry there are plenty of opportunities to slave away for free, to do things for the passion and the love of it - so many that we all eventually get a bit cynical and tired of it from time to time. And then someone like you pops up and reminds us of the power what we do really has, how fortunate a position we are in, and how fulfilled we really are because of it - and it's something I think that we're all grateful that you remind us of.

If there is one bit of advice I can give you it is this - reach out and take the hands of support that are offered to you. Even if you want to pay it back later, that's fine - but you will never succeed in these industries without collaborating - and when you are starting out, the best people to collaborate with are those who have the experience to help you succeed.

On the other side of the equation there is a saying - you can't stay young forever, but working with young people seems to help. The people who want to help you aren't just being altruistic, they also want to stay relevant themselves in this crazy ever changing world. And it's by supporting people like you that they can do so.

Take all the help you can get - because I can tell you, as you get older the number of opportunities get further and further apart and your other commitments make them harder and harder to accept.
Click to expand...

Wise words indeed!

Jesse, its your turn now to recieve some love :) I really like your images. Th:)mmes
 
Jesse, thank you for sharing your story with us. Very inspiring. Hope you are able to realize your dreams and have many bright days ahead.

I'm also reminded how great this community can be by the offers of support. Very classy! Some people just need a start, and like Jesse have had challenging circumstances that may make it difficult to get things going, but through generosity of people in the industry (like people in this thread) anything is possible.
 
I would just like to say thank you very much for all your kind words.

I never intended to make an inspiring story or anything, I really just wanted to say thanks to Jim and everyone at red and let them know how far they reach.

Thank you so much to everyone who has said they would help me if I was near and offers of future help.
It really means a lot, I cant tell you how It feels to know there are such amazingly nice people in the world.

As for the people who said they would back a kickstarter for me that is just mindblowing!
I have been writing a couple short film scripts in the last few months, though they are just scripts, Iv been thinking of hiring some kind or camera or something, or even making a kickstarter.
But I never thought people would back me so just the fact you said you would, means a great deal to me.
I dont need a red obviously, Im not going to say no if someone at red wants to send me A scarlet, I have a lens or two already :P but id be happy with anything, hell even an iphone camera haha
I just want to shoot so many things so badly,I frame everything in my head, I cant wait, Im going insane, sometimes I find myself following friends around shops and other places as if an over sholder steadicam shot! ahaha


Thank you to everyone who complimented my photos, I have such respect for you guys and you saying nice things like this make me want to stay strong,
I have never had anyone of any real skill compliment my photos so it means the world, Theres some more stuff here if you want a look :) http://500px.com/JesseCrowley

Lastly If anyone at RED or close to Jim sees this, It would mean a lot if you at least showed him,
As I said, I didn't make this to get sympathy, or an opportunity or anything like that, that's why I don't tell this story to anyone,
It takes a lot out of me and I'm a changed person for it, I'm very shy and reclusive, so this took a lot to tell.
But as I said I wanted to know that everyone who has worked hard at red don't just affect rich guys, but a nobody like me too.
 
I'd be happy to put you in touch with a few action sports guys in manly that run a cool lifestyle blog, they shoot a lot of skate, bmx and ski stuff as well as interviews with athletes....they have gear and are always happy to give a new guy a shot. its nothing too major but if thats something that might interest you it could be a nice way in, helped me with a few gigs in the past as well.
 
Dominik Muench said:
I'd be happy to put you in touch with a few action sports guys in manly that run a cool lifestyle blog, they shoot a lot of skate, bmx and ski stuff as well as interviews with athletes....they have gear and are always happy to give a new guy a shot. its nothing too major but if thats something that might interest you it could be a nice way in, helped me with a few gigs in the past as well.
Click to expand...

Oh wow cool, that sounds awesome, cant hurt to get in touch, thanks :)
 
This is so true. Filmmaking is a collaborative process.

I believe in the saying that "if you plan for a year then sow rice, if you plan for a decade then grow trees. If you plan for a lifetime, then educate people".

Donating a camera may be an easy way out for us. However, it needs far greater commitment when people will take out the time to help someone learn.

So Jesse, before you jump into thinking of having a camera and shooting a film, just meet up with the guys in Australia. See how they shoot. You will learn a ton. And for people who have the knowledge, watching established pros will give them the confidence that what you know is right.

Read this about Robert Wise: http://www.thefilmjournal.com/issue13/wise.html

You will know that he moved up from a guy who used to take up reels to the projection room. The good thing for him was that he was in a studio and could move between jobs and the won oscars for directing and was nominated for oscars for editing. Be associated with the posters who have offered help. May be you will discover that you want to be a director more than a DP or editor more than DP. It is all about realising your potential. Go and learn from all these folks. The world is yours.

I am really happy reading the views, experiences and advice of various people. Normally we see people talking about gears. Now we see all the warmth and caring part of people coming out into open. This makes the forum come alive.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

Craig Parkes said:
Jesse - I'm a New Zealand film maker, and my advice to you is this - take peoples offer of assistance while you are young, because if you are genuine and they are genuine then the chances of it leading to great things are much higher than if you try and make your way alone.

I'm lucky, I come from an ok middle class background without many troubles - getting into film making from such a background is still really hard, when you are competing against people who have grown up with parents who have worked in the industry or have connections etc. Your dad has done the best by you by getting you a camera, and your photos show talent, and your stories show you have determination - but you'll need mentors to succeed and if people are offering to help you out now take them up on it - don't be too proud, or too insular, or too afraid, or too humble - collaboration is the key to success - let people help you and then work damned hard to pay them back with good work of your own.

It's also this - as you get older, things only get harder. I've just had my first son, I have responsibilities now, and the opportunities I may have missed by being too humble or too insular when I was younger, too determined to go my own way or not connected enough to get all the help I could have - despite all my good fortune they are things I regret. And I had it relatively easy.

Take people up on their offers of help, and then use it to help yourself succeed and pay it forward. Not everything will pan out, not every offer you get will lead to new opportunities or success, but every person you meet, everyone who helps you, will be a worthwhile experience for both parties if you and they act genuinely.

By the sounds of it you have had to endure so much responsibility for someone so young and have had to do so much on your own that you do not know how rewarding it will be for the person who helps you - you may think you are just adding to their troubles. Don't make that mistake - take up some offers of help, and take on some challenges that come along with it.

In this industry there are plenty of opportunities to slave away for free, to do things for the passion and the love of it - so many that we all eventually get a bit cynical and tired of it from time to time. And then someone like you pops up and reminds us of the power what we do really has, how fortunate a position we are in, and how fulfilled we really are because of it - and it's something I think that we're all grateful that you remind us of.

If there is one bit of advice I can give you it is this - reach out and take the hands of support that are offered to you. Even if you want to pay it back later, that's fine - but you will never succeed in these industries without collaborating - and when you are starting out, the best people to collaborate with are those who have the experience to help you succeed.

On the other side of the equation there is a saying - you can't stay young forever, but working with young people seems to help. The people who want to help you aren't just being altruistic, they also want to stay relevant themselves in this crazy ever changing world. And it's by supporting people like you that they can do so.

Take all the help you can get - because I can tell you, as you get older the number of opportunities get further and further apart and your other commitments make them harder and harder to accept.
Click to expand...
 
Sabyasachi Patra said:
This is so true. Filmmaking is a collaborative process.

I believe in the saying that "if you plan for a year then sow rice, if you plan for a decade then grow trees. If you plan for a lifetime, then educate people".

Donating a camera may be an easy way out for us. However, it needs far greater commitment when people will take out the time to help someone learn.

So Jesse, before you jump into thinking of having a camera and shooting a film, just meet up with the guys in Australia. See how they shoot. You will learn a ton. And for people who have the knowledge, watching established pros will give them the confidence that what you know is right.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Click to expand...


Thank you for your words :)

I know I have more or less no experience, but know that I have a high level of knowledge and understanding, I spend all day reading, watching, and listening to people. I know Iv never shot anything but I know exactly how to shoot everything I want to.
I have even for the last 2 years or so been making my own trailers for my favorite movies, I love editing and telling a story with shots :)

Don't get me wrong! I'm overwhelmed by the amazing level of caring by these people, And to anyone offering me anything Be sure I will scramble and grab at all of these experiences and learn everything I can.

And as for "donating" a camera, I was completely kidding at that Idea, (though I wouldn't turn it down :P) why should someone spend any money on me with no proof, thats why I havnt made a kickstarter type thing.
Im just hoping to be able to hire a camera or something this year or next some time and do a couple quick little shorts so I can further myself.

Thanks again to everyone :)

Again I hope people at RED see this, especially now with all these wonderful people!
 
Jesse! Thank you for sharing!
Your story has just begun, you will achieve great things. Your images are very good with allot of feeling and you defiantly have a good eye!

I have an old REDone I gladly would let you use if you want. But you seem very stoked on Epic and Dragon ;) I don't blame you, the offer stands tho..
It's REDone 318 that also changed my life allot. Thanks to that camera I'm having a great life doing what I love. RED is magic, go doubt. I have the camera on my desk to remind me every day.

Stay true, keep your dreams alive!

-Andreas
 
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