Loading magazines in express speed on Brighton beach on Sunday, between 30 000 bikers, I have suddenly realized this is it, "this is really happening" (oh, Polanski!). I haven't even noticed I got my first loaders job. S16, SRII and I could do it with my eyes closed... hey wait, you are in a bag anyways so cannot see a thing.
It stunned me and with the sea behind me I have just kept going, 100% happier than before.
(and now imagine if you would have this job for a month, everyday, monday to sunday... ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT IDEA, girl. hope that this will actually happen! :)
14 wrz 2010
10 wrz 2010
Don't think twice girl, it's alright
So I am kind of in the middle of second month in London. I have been on 10 shoots (1 on film), wrote distinctive emails as job application
(Dear xx,
I can recognize XML from BNC with my closed, I will be an amazing runner!
Dear oo,
Take me because I had enough of working with DP's who does not know how to run their own personal camera)
and some times I just got lucky. I made some friends (camera assistants, DIT's, DP's, Directors..), started to listen to better music and limited the Bob Dylan's allowance, shot PANJABI VIDEO... and I know oh I know how long the turban takes to make and put on... Met some Panjabi music stars too (just came back from Heathrow mate, yeah, big show yesterday, in't?) and vistited all areas of Harrow and beyond (for some reason I have been more often on Uxbridge road during last 3 weeks than on Hackney Road, where I practically live).
I applied to work in McDonalds (and cancel, just too much against it, against the extra fat food and horrible company politics), and more posh fast foods, dozens of bars, production companies and rental houses.
Nada. Silence.
Tell me why, I am an absolute gem in terms of hard work, lack of complaining and love for cables.
I also got a job this sunday in Brighton, so I am going to the C side. Maybe I will buy some B-side if they pay me. Or I will get an A side and a job at Take 2.
I caught myself talking to god, first time since 10 years, and asking for help. I caught myself singing out loud and dancing in the rain. I found myself not asking anymore questions of if what I am shooting makes sense, if there is a purpose in shooting the videos for corporates and directors who repeat other directors constantly... if there is a sense in shooting commercials of hand bags and dancing trees. No looking back.
This is my London Life. ;)
(Dear xx,
I can recognize XML from BNC with my closed, I will be an amazing runner!
Dear oo,
Take me because I had enough of working with DP's who does not know how to run their own personal camera)
and some times I just got lucky. I made some friends (camera assistants, DIT's, DP's, Directors..), started to listen to better music and limited the Bob Dylan's allowance, shot PANJABI VIDEO... and I know oh I know how long the turban takes to make and put on... Met some Panjabi music stars too (just came back from Heathrow mate, yeah, big show yesterday, in't?) and vistited all areas of Harrow and beyond (for some reason I have been more often on Uxbridge road during last 3 weeks than on Hackney Road, where I practically live).
I applied to work in McDonalds (and cancel, just too much against it, against the extra fat food and horrible company politics), and more posh fast foods, dozens of bars, production companies and rental houses.
Nada. Silence.
Tell me why, I am an absolute gem in terms of hard work, lack of complaining and love for cables.
I also got a job this sunday in Brighton, so I am going to the C side. Maybe I will buy some B-side if they pay me. Or I will get an A side and a job at Take 2.
I caught myself talking to god, first time since 10 years, and asking for help. I caught myself singing out loud and dancing in the rain. I found myself not asking anymore questions of if what I am shooting makes sense, if there is a purpose in shooting the videos for corporates and directors who repeat other directors constantly... if there is a sense in shooting commercials of hand bags and dancing trees. No looking back.
This is my London Life. ;)
27 sie 2010
the day the cactus grew on my arm
in Polish we have this saying: "cactus grows on me if this actually happens"
today i was on set where the dp did not know how to turn on his own personal camera (Canon 5d). not even knowing how to record on it.
I think i feel the itching on my arm. Is this the cactus?
today i was on set where the dp did not know how to turn on his own personal camera (Canon 5d). not even knowing how to record on it.
I think i feel the itching on my arm. Is this the cactus?
24 sie 2010
shooting and interview
Shooting london bridge and Trafalgar Square today. The sun is beautiful.
Before that had the interview. Amazing team, and great day. Let's hope I will get this job, probably the best job I would do in my life so far in every terms - money, learning curve, team ;) and equipment amount.
cross fingers.
will keep you updated.
M
Before that had the interview. Amazing team, and great day. Let's hope I will get this job, probably the best job I would do in my life so far in every terms - money, learning curve, team ;) and equipment amount.
cross fingers.
will keep you updated.
M
21 sie 2010
breaking news
I just got news from my ex-housemates that the agency does not want to pay our deposit back. Meaning I won't see any of expected 400 quid.
That means of course that I am broke. I think if I won't get any paid job by Wednesday next week I will take any coffee shop thing or cleaning or restaurant or bar tending which will come along. Will see.
That means of course that I am broke. I think if I won't get any paid job by Wednesday next week I will take any coffee shop thing or cleaning or restaurant or bar tending which will come along. Will see.
about writing with light, cinematography inspirartion and being a young dude from London
I just got this mail on my CML (Cinematography Mailing List) address. It says it all.
"Yesterday we, members of "Cinematographer's Language and Style" discussion club went to see "Lebanon"...
When you see this film you do not think about how Giora Bejach, ACT (Israeli Association of Cinematographers) combined 16mm, DV and Red One material into a 35mm print. You care less it was RED or film, or what work flow was chosen.
You are mesmerized by power of images. Power of images that is gluing you to the seat for 90 minutes. No 3-D, no FX, no vistas, no "stars", no long tracking shots, no nothing - except a great work of DP in the best traditions of the fine cinematography.
Variety wrote: " Samuel Maoz's [director] pic, 99.9% of which is set within an Israeli tank, actually has the least to do with Lebanon per se. The story could be set in any tank, any country, any war -- a cinematic Kammerspiel that's as much a formal challenge for its creator as it is a claustrophobic experience for
audiences."99.9% was shot inside a tank and the result was CAMERIMAGE's The Golden Frog - remarkable!
What can we expect a DP to do inside a tank? Black hole! What can a DP like Giora Bejach do?
A lot...
First of all you can use light! Director of Photography is a Director of Writing by Light!
Light can write on film, on CMOS, on whatever, but write by light .....
Write - as Giora Bejach did - in harsh light with no diffusion, write in soft light with 3 layers of 215, light directly and light by bouncing... "Write" in ratio 1:3 or in ratio 1:8 ... "Write" in tungsten or with Lite panels, but
write!
Giora used all "letters" of cinematographer alphabet, he created great cinematic "words" from them, he created symbolic images-phrases, his visual phrases told visually the often difficult to watch story and he got the Prize for this!
Those kind of films and those kind of talented people give all us hope that someday even the most visually disadvantaged people would understand that cinematography is the talent of vision, talent of seeing, talent of expressing, talent of creating visual symbols.
And it would give all of us hope that great cinematography will continue to be with any mm, K's and sensor size.
Watch this film - a lot of food for thought!
Yuri Neyman, ASC
Director
of Photography
Founder of Gamma and Density Co.
www.gammadensity.com
Los Angeles, CA"
Looking at Yuri Neyamn's lanuage I start to think if any of my colleagues from the film school i finished would write about cinematography in this language. I have a feeling it would be not arrogant enough for most of them, not cool enough. It might be about the general trend to be uber chilled and cool and advertise yourself, or just because they are very young and techsavy and they mostly care about log lines and who is right about certain gammas choices.
The other possibility, the one that they just do not feel it, that they do not see the light in this way is rather not possible, since we are talking about ... cinematographers - writers with light.
"Yesterday we, members of "Cinematographer's Language and Style" discussion club went to see "Lebanon"...
When you see this film you do not think about how Giora Bejach, ACT (Israeli Association of Cinematographers) combined 16mm, DV and Red One material into a 35mm print. You care less it was RED or film, or what work flow was chosen.
You are mesmerized by power of images. Power of images that is gluing you to the seat for 90 minutes. No 3-D, no FX, no vistas, no "stars", no long tracking shots, no nothing - except a great work of DP in the best traditions of the fine cinematography.
Variety wrote: " Samuel Maoz's [director] pic, 99.9% of which is set within an Israeli tank, actually has the least to do with Lebanon per se. The story could be set in any tank, any country, any war -- a cinematic Kammerspiel that's as much a formal challenge for its creator as it is a claustrophobic experience for
audiences."99.9% was shot inside a tank and the result was CAMERIMAGE's The Golden Frog - remarkable!
What can we expect a DP to do inside a tank? Black hole! What can a DP like Giora Bejach do?
A lot...
First of all you can use light! Director of Photography is a Director of Writing by Light!
Light can write on film, on CMOS, on whatever, but write by light .....
Write - as Giora Bejach did - in harsh light with no diffusion, write in soft light with 3 layers of 215, light directly and light by bouncing... "Write" in ratio 1:3 or in ratio 1:8 ... "Write" in tungsten or with Lite panels, but
write!
Giora used all "letters" of cinematographer alphabet, he created great cinematic "words" from them, he created symbolic images-phrases, his visual phrases told visually the often difficult to watch story and he got the Prize for this!
Those kind of films and those kind of talented people give all us hope that someday even the most visually disadvantaged people would understand that cinematography is the talent of vision, talent of seeing, talent of expressing, talent of creating visual symbols.
And it would give all of us hope that great cinematography will continue to be with any mm, K's and sensor size.
Watch this film - a lot of food for thought!
Yuri Neyman, ASC
Director
of Photography
Founder of Gamma and Density Co.
www.gammadensity.com
Los Angeles, CA"
Looking at Yuri Neyamn's lanuage I start to think if any of my colleagues from the film school i finished would write about cinematography in this language. I have a feeling it would be not arrogant enough for most of them, not cool enough. It might be about the general trend to be uber chilled and cool and advertise yourself, or just because they are very young and techsavy and they mostly care about log lines and who is right about certain gammas choices.
The other possibility, the one that they just do not feel it, that they do not see the light in this way is rather not possible, since we are talking about ... cinematographers - writers with light.
21st of august, saturday, 2010
2 days ago I cam back from Berlin. We stayed at this DP's flat, and he was coming from a set every day with a smile. Shooting a crime series on film, he watched his rushes with 1 day delay and I could not help myself thinking how convenient compare to our student projects, where you need to wait from 5 days to 5 weeks to get your rushes back from soho and technicolor. Berlin was windy but still greeted us with open arms, streets full of bikes and colours, yellow bar light, inter-hamburger and Kastanienalle. I bought disposable camera for 3 euros. Probably will stick some picks later!
We had fruit breakfast on marble table, probably the fanciest i have ever had, and look they serve it till 17 afternoon! those people know how to use life :)
coming back i felt uncertain. the house still full of cardboard boxes, because we cannot find a shelf, the atmosphere of not knowing the future. but our window is amazing, with the leaves growing around, beautifully green, and hope cam down, when after entire day of applying for paid jobs i woke up yesterday because of the phone call. Hello this is "px". Interview soon. Interview for working in the best rental house in UK.
I am going to grab my electricity&grip book and memorize it again. refresh my knowledge about the phases. i really really want this job...
------- the 2nd unit stories
well since i was recently on the wedding in poland, coming back through berlin, we did not met with Se, 2nd unit director, to shoot, for 1 week. But there are already dozens of stories about us - how I decided to ride on his scooter, and closed my eyes on every turn (mileage 20-30 per hour ;). How we talked with the guys from Alperton and they posed for us and gave us cheesy tasting corn. How I woke up at 4 on the morning to come on top of Primrose hill for the sunrise shot, but trying to get a short cut to Old Street I ended up near Bethnal Green, and arrived after 2:30 minutes, just to miss the sunrise, looking at Se freezing on a bench doing time lapse of moving clouds and panorama of London, trying not to care about some drunk couple on a bench next to hours, which was more than funny with the Brazilian guy who did not speak much English and the Irish girl who spoke more than anyone I know, apart from my one Polish auntie.
Today we are on Brick Lane. Graffiti, White Chapel market and the Wimbledon's location later on. I am waiting for a phone call.
In a meantime I imagine myself going through the interview and explaining why do I enjoy working with cables so much, without looking as a psycho. :)
We had fruit breakfast on marble table, probably the fanciest i have ever had, and look they serve it till 17 afternoon! those people know how to use life :)
coming back i felt uncertain. the house still full of cardboard boxes, because we cannot find a shelf, the atmosphere of not knowing the future. but our window is amazing, with the leaves growing around, beautifully green, and hope cam down, when after entire day of applying for paid jobs i woke up yesterday because of the phone call. Hello this is "px". Interview soon. Interview for working in the best rental house in UK.
I am going to grab my electricity&grip book and memorize it again. refresh my knowledge about the phases. i really really want this job...
------- the 2nd unit stories
well since i was recently on the wedding in poland, coming back through berlin, we did not met with Se, 2nd unit director, to shoot, for 1 week. But there are already dozens of stories about us - how I decided to ride on his scooter, and closed my eyes on every turn (mileage 20-30 per hour ;). How we talked with the guys from Alperton and they posed for us and gave us cheesy tasting corn. How I woke up at 4 on the morning to come on top of Primrose hill for the sunrise shot, but trying to get a short cut to Old Street I ended up near Bethnal Green, and arrived after 2:30 minutes, just to miss the sunrise, looking at Se freezing on a bench doing time lapse of moving clouds and panorama of London, trying not to care about some drunk couple on a bench next to hours, which was more than funny with the Brazilian guy who did not speak much English and the Irish girl who spoke more than anyone I know, apart from my one Polish auntie.
Today we are on Brick Lane. Graffiti, White Chapel market and the Wimbledon's location later on. I am waiting for a phone call.
In a meantime I imagine myself going through the interview and explaining why do I enjoy working with cables so much, without looking as a psycho. :)
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