Taking my Cinematography career to the next step

[Mike McMillin]

I love Cinematography and it is my passion. I have been shooting full time for about ten years now in LA I started shooting skate videos as a kid and it all just evolved. Some of the more recent gigs and rates have been getting me a little burned out. I've been in this rap video rut and I've had to just call it quits. I really hate rap videos with a passion, especially how every time they promise to bring cash and never do. No more Im done... I shoot music videos small commercials web videos full time and the occasional feature. Im having trouble trying to figure out what it is I need to do to stop working crappy gigs, I have cut most of my bad clients off and just taken the jobs for the more creative directors I like. Maybe my reel sucks? I did shoot a Buckcherry video, maybe that threw me off the map? haha. I understand the freelance DP life is a roller coaster of ups and downs but I have spent the last year trying to get some better gigs I don't hate with a passion. I need some advice on taking some steps to get local 600 gigs. I know I just need better connections, I need to get to the next step! Im just having a hard time finding them, Maybe a new website design? If you guys want to see any of my stuff my site is here www.mikemcmillinfilms.com

 

[Marc Wielage]

If you're in LA: find a way to get into the union (IA 600), work your way up to better gigs, network yourself to more people who will give you a break, spread the word around, and potentially get an agent specializing in cinematographers and related crafts. It might also help to get in contact with experienced DPs with long careers who can mentor you and point you in the right direction. Nowadays, any kid out of college who gets a degree and a Red camera thinks he or she is a cinematographer, when the reality is that it takes thousands and thousands of hours to even get in the ballpark of being remotely good. The competition is very fierce out there.