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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 :)

Work?

A

AlexJones

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Hey guys. I've had my scarlet for about a year now and I feel like I'm not doing well AT ALL with finding work. Since I got the camera, I've only gotten about 7-10 jobs. I feel like I've exhausted my Craigslist postings and I don't know where else to go. Can anyone help guide me to a place on the web or something to help find me work? I've also emailed and called more than 1,000 companies and not one gave me a chance. I have a great reel and I think i'm good lol.

Reel 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoBW6Q0DfLo
Reel 2 - https://vimeo.com/49202914
 
Beautiful reel Alex. There is a thread I believe that is a sort of register for all Natural History/Wildlife shooters on the board, maybe try there?
 
Great reel Alex. Nice stuff in there.

From a business perspective as a note (I also run a small business), I went to your website and it's a little under managed. Check your hyperlinking structure and video embeds. Some of them don't seem to work. And your referrals page is a little flimsy. Clicking on the links seems to take me to pages, but not actual content? Client's going to your site need to be impressed and see consistency. it's just as important as your visual skills.

Making video is half of running a business.

Best wishes!
 
Hey Alex,

Like Evin said, it's all about networking. I've never gotten a job by applying, ever. Work for me always comes from word of mouth, networking, or getting hired by producers from previous shoots. It's a tough industry to pick up freelance jobs and impossible if you don't have a network.

Let me ask you this, is owning a camera necessary for you to get jobs? Personally, every job I do tends to be shot on a different camera, so owning one doesn't make any sense for me. What type of genre are you trying to crack into? If it's indie narrative, low budget shoots, or corporate projects, a Scarlet more so fits the bill. Any other genre and clients usually want higher end cameras or ENG cameras that better shoot the project. A sony F5 or Canon C300 will be used far more than a Scarlet. So if that is the case a Scarlet probably isn't going to help you get any gigs. What kind of work have you amassed over your career? If it's not in the genre your trying to break into, it will be near impossible to get the job. Producers and non creatives have a hard time picturing a DP who specializes in say nature videography shooting a shoe commercial or narrative project. If you don't have experience in the genre, getting a gig will be near impossible. They wan't to be assured that the talent they are hiring can pull off the look and the job ahead of time. My advice would be to do a couple pro bono shoots so you can add them to the reel. The more rounded your work the better chance you will have. Plus, you'll continue building your network...

Sorry if that seems pessimistic, not trying to be. I wish someone would have explained this stuff to me 5 years ago at film school...But it's a hard lesson learned.
 
I'm not clear - your Vimeo post is all lit studio work (and very nice by the way) and your youtube reel is all wildlife (also awesome). Did you also shoot the Vimeo stuff? There are no credits on that video and it's not clear. You have to be extremely clear what you did in any reel - for all a busy overtired person knows watching your Vimeo post you were the colorist.
 
I just showed your reel to a producer friend and her comment was it's hard to believe that high level of work was actually yours. I'm not doubting you, just that your reel is so good it might seem too good to be true - you;re new, and your work looks like you've been at it for years. If you have any behind the scenes pics of yourself shooting on the same sets you could add that would help immensely.

And when you say "applied to companies" you're better off calling someone, and getting them on the phone - no one ever cold-sold anything by e-mail.
 
film is not plumbing, it's high school.

I was checking out a mini series made in NZ (Top of the Lake) and found out that one of the leads and the DoP are people I had worked with before on the same short film back when they were film students.

Even if you are an A-list cinematographer, what's to say you get along with the director? You want people in your 'tribe' who get the genre, the jokes, the culture - in addition to knowing their job.
 
Robert Ruffo New said:
I just showed your reel to a producer friend and her comment was it's hard to believe that high level of work was actually yours. I'm not doubting you, just that your reel is so good it might seem too good to be true - you;re new, and your work looks like you've been at it for years. If you have any behind the scenes pics of yourself shooting on the same sets you could add that would help immensely.

And when you say "applied to companies" you're better off calling someone, and getting them on the phone - no one ever cold-sold anything by e-mail.
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lol Yes I did do these. I was the operator for the vimeo reel and I was the DP/Operator/creator for the wildlife reel and shows. It doesn't matter how old or young you are. I have many pics of me on set. I think it's a little odd that you want me to prove myself to you but email me and I'll send you some pics alexjones@wildfp.com
 
hey do you have that thread? This sounds awesome!
 
And remember, it's not about the camera you own, it's about the work you do, how it is to work with you and who you know, or better, who is willing to know you...
 
AlexJones said:
lol Yes I did do these. I was the operator for the vimeo reel and I was the DP/Operator/creator for the wildlife reel and shows. It doesn't matter how old or young you are. I have many pics of me on set. I think it's a little odd that you want me to prove myself to you but email me and I'll send you some pics alexjones@wildfp.com
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No, I wasn't asking you to prove yourself to me, just to potential clients of yours. Not sure what you mean by age, I assumed you were new because you were asking a young person tyep question - I don;t care how old you are and it doesn';t matter. If you were the operator on the Vimeo reel, then you should say 'Alex Jones, Camera Op" for that one, and DP for the other. Since your DP work is specialized (and great) I would not show the opping to anyone but those who hire ops (here in Montreal, that's usually the DP)
 
AlexJones said:
lol Yes I did do these. I was the operator for the vimeo reel and I was the DP/Operator/creator for the wildlife reel and shows. It doesn't matter how old or young you are. I have many pics of me on set. I think it's a little odd that you want me to prove myself to you but email me and I'll send you some pics alexjones@wildfp.com
Click to expand...

Alex I believe what he is saying is that the quality of work (not your ability to produce that quality) but the type of shoots those are normally are shot by DP's who have been around the block a few more times than two years worth and that you need to be VERY specific with your reels as to what you did. For example, if you send that vimeo reel into some producer for a job DPing and they found out later that your vimeo reel was just an operator reel not a dp reel, you would be fired instantly.


All that to be said, you do have some great stuff but it is literally all about the network. You need to shoot some shorts and try and get a good narrative reel going. Make a list of 25 independent producers in your area that you know work often. Bother them until one of them will get coffee with you. Let them watch your reel and tell them you own a scarlet and you give a great rate on a rental if you come as the DP. Use that as leverage. Shoot a feature or two and then grow into that network. Always be talking to people in the network you want to be in. If you only work with people at your current skillset you'll never grow.
 
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