August 21, 2023 • 59 mins
Ever wonder how a skateboarding enthusiast turned into a full-time content creator? Well, James Morano, a gifted cinematographer, shares his enthralling journey from experimenting with camcorders to producing music videos and branded content with DSLRs. James takes us through his early days of crafting amateur skits, filming videos for bands, and his shift from a secure IT position to the unpredictable world of content creation. He uncovers the hurdles he faced and how he cleverly used these experiences to ignite his creativity and build his portfolio.
In the world of filmmaking, clinging on to originality is key, especially when dabbling with nostalgic trends. We dive, with James, into the challenging waters of Hollywood's trend of looking to the past for inspiration while satisfying an established, discerning audience. Remember the Sonic movie and the public outcry that led to changes? Yes, we tackle that too! Our discussion also focuses on the affordability of modern cameras, the crucial role of lenses and filters, and the distinctive edge vintage lenses can bring to films.
We wrap this insightful conversation by highlighting the importance of understanding and guiding a client's vision and fostering strong relationships that pave the way for greater opportunities. James insists on the significance of creative problem-solving, networking, and maintaining a positive attitude in the filmmaking industry. So, if you're a budding filmmaker or simply enjoy the magic of films, join us and be inspired by James's journey, his love for his craft, and his gems of advice.
IG: @Visionmakerpodcast
Youtube: @Visionmakerproductions
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, welcome to the Vision Maker podcast.
I'm happy to welcome you guyshere today, as we speak with
filmmakers and other industryprofessionals.
I am here today with JamesMorano, a cinematographer with
music videos and branded content.
Well, contacts.
Context, too, works, I guess.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I do need contacts though.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Could you?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
introduce yourself some more.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, so I've been shooting videos since I was 13.
I started with skateboarding.
We got into trying to dojackass stuff because we were
jackasses Still are.
The jackass stuff didn't workbecause we weren't that good at
it.
So we started to do skits andstuff like that and trying to do
(00:48):
early YouTube ideas and yeah, Imean the camera was always with
me Started with camcorders, gotinto DSLRs and then from there
basically turned it into what Ido now, which is music videos,
branded content, real estate,all sorts of stuff, weddings,
(01:14):
films yeah, yeah, and you'vebuilt up quite a portfolio
working with now with companieslike AT&T and with different
people Like I even saw that yourecently did like a Megan Thee
Stallion bit.
(01:35):
Yeah, that was actually an AT&Tpiece of content, nice.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Nice.
So that's all connected andthere's a whole wild story about
that.
And I would love to get into itin a bit and a bunch of great
music videos and workingalongside with a previous guest
of ours, tom Flynn, too.
Yeah, and the same caliber.
And yeah, I actually gotconnected with you through a
mutual friend.
(02:01):
You did a music video for her,yes, and so, yeah, I mean I was
just impressed seeing yourportfolio and even seeing that
music video initially, oh, thankyou.
So, as you say, you got startedwhen you were young, always with
the camera.
That's funny because thatreminds me speaking of the
(02:22):
jackass style of content.
Because I started like mybackground was in audio.
But funny enough, when I was inhigh school and we had like the
flip phones and like thecamcorder type stuff, we started
doing something called BadInfluences which was basically
our own like early YouTubejackass style stuff with me and
(02:46):
my bandmates and, because youknow, also a bunch of idiots Of
course.
Yeah, but we didn't even go asfar as we only posted like
probably an eighth of whateverwe actually did.
Yeah, I'm just trying to keepourselves with the boom of
YouTube, right, yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Feeling inspired.
It's funny we're looking backon it now.
So nowadays it's so easy tomake content and get it out
there, but like back then, wewere just like not, we had
nowhere to post it.
Yeah, there wasn't until, like,youtube came around.
But YouTube was veryrudimentary and the stuff we
(03:25):
were using was, you know, wedidn't have lighting and stuff
like that.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I barely knew any of it.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, I mean, I love lighting and as much as I use it
now, but there is somethingabout being given nothing and
making something out of it.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
And trying your hand at doing something with nothing,
without having the, withouthaving the burden of thinking
technologically.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah, I kind of love the.
It's the raw creativity,especially in those early days.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Yeah, because that's all that's.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
It's just raw creativity.
Yeah, there's no like technicallimitations in your mind yet,
yeah, of what you're trying todo.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
And it's funny now when it comes to making content.
We live in a very nostalgictime where people are looking to
the past.
They're looking at like, well,how could we shoot 6k and beat
the shit out of it?
You know what I mean?
How can we shoot really highquality content and then add a
(04:31):
whole bunch of grain and make itlook VHS and whatever?
Yeah, you know just to give itthat aesthetic, or how could we
just shoot VHS.
You know, which is somethingthat I've done?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
How do we get our hands on a super eight?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Super eight.
Yeah, you know, and I alsonoticed that, even even
contextually, a lot of Hollywoodis trying to go back to
referencing stuff from the 90sand stuff in the 80s.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
A lot of again very nostalgic.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I'm very excited for the next Jurassic Park.
Oh yeah, because there'llprobably be like five of them.
That's one thing I hate aboutthe movie world.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Everything's turning into best of curious.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Oh my God, that's one thing I hate about the movie
world is like big Hollywood kindof sucks now because you know
there's just no creativity.
They don't want to take riskson on scripts that are.
You know, maybe the generalpopulation wouldn't like or or
(05:32):
understand.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
I feel like there's been like a few that are popping
up here and there.
Yeah, the media and like themarketing world is only
attaching to the nostalgic.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Yeah, the.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Disney.
I think it comes to like a bigpart of you almost have a
guaranteed audience.
When you go to something thathas an established audience,
yeah, and it's like, but it'slike a little bit of a cop out
because you're just trying tolike feed on this thing, and if
you don't like and it's alwaysnotoriously the most difficult
(06:05):
move to make, because theslightest misuse or miss, you
know misdemeanor of, just likeportraying it again- Of course
destroys all your fan basebecause they all hate you for it
.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
It's so critical to us.
So it's like it's fine.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Oh, you must be talking about the Sonic movie,
where they made him look likesome ridiculous yeah.
And his legs were like I don'tknow what they were like they
were not.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
They had to change his whole design because of the
uproar.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Yeah Well, somebody who actually cared about Sonic
came in and were like, okay, youhave to change the legs, you
have to change this.
You know what I mean it waslike.
And then you look at the sideby side and you're like, oh,
okay.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Yeah, this guy looks like Sonic, that's.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Sonic.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
But it's so funny like small, minuscule changes
throw off how you view thecharacter.
I didn't even see that movie soI don't care.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I mean, I saw it yeah 100%.
Can you tell me a little moreabout, like, when was your
transition into the professionalworld?
I know you kind of grew up witha camera, but when is it like
it came from being a hobby,something you like to do, to
like?
Okay, I think this is going tobe my thing.
This is how.
I make money in my living.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Yeah, so well.
When I started, it was a littlebit of skateboarding, a little
bit of just having a VHS cameraaround me or a high-eat camera,
rather.
And eventually, as I got older,I transitioned from like
(07:47):
camcorders which we were usingto film some skits and do like
stupid little horror things with, like you know, with nothing.
And then I started to get intolike DSLRs, when DSLRs started
to first take video also.
And when I got a DSLR I startedto take pictures, because I
(08:11):
mainly got it for video.
But I'm like okay, it's a photocamera, so I'm going to start
taking pictures.
That was something I neverreally did and we were still,
you know, doing these stupidskits and any idea that we could
think of.
But I was approaching it in away where I was also trying to
(08:32):
learn well, how do you shoot,how do you film two people
talking?
You know what I mean, what'straditionally done, and I'm
going to do that.
So I kind of used these funnythings that we were doing to get
better.
Yeah, and then I had a buddythat wanted to shoot some
(08:54):
content for his band.
So we did one like little lyricvideo.
I'm like, okay, I think I coulddo that.
Then they wanted another video.
Then somebody else wanted avideo.
Then I had a brand approach meand I started to do brand work
and at the time I was working ITfull time and I was probably
(09:16):
like at that time I was probablyat the level that I would
probably still be at now.
You know, I got pretty high upin that and I had to kind of
make a decision becauseultimately I was Would you mind
me asking what position were you?
(09:36):
Oh well.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
In IT, I guess.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, I was working for a school district.
I was working for Lawrenceschool district.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
So I was one of three guys.
Okay, so it was a pretty decentjob and it paid pretty well,
yeah, but I was doing this videoand photo stuff and that became
a full time job in itself.
So I was working this full timejob at the school district
doing IT, and then going homeand trying to do what I had to
(10:07):
do with the content that I wasmaking.
And then eventually I keptgetting all these offers and to
do things that I would have totravel for and stuff like that,
and then I just was like kind oflike beating myself up and then
I just was like, okay, I'm justgoing to do content.
(10:29):
It was a very nerve wrackingchange and I'm like my mind was
telling me that as soon as I putmy two weeks in and I'm
officially done, I'm just goingto be living in a box.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
But that's not what happens.
Because you're about tosacrifice that security of the
paycheck that you know is thereevery week to our crazy
lifestyle.
Oh, like we're going fromproject to project and the
balancing that out andfluctuates.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yeah, so that was.
I was like, yeah, it'sironically enough, when I did
quit to travel, opportunitiesopened up and I was like, and
they were like, oh, do you thinkyou could do them?
And I'm like I can.
With all confidence I can.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Nothing but time yeah .
Speaker 2 (11:17):
And then after that, I've been doing it for almost
five years now.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
That's amazing I mean I've heard this before that
like sometimes we're tested inour results.
First we get like something wewant to do, then we're playing
with the idea and then we gettested in it.
So it's like we have to followthrough because it's like if
you're Not available then youcan't take the opportunities and
(11:45):
like these opportunities arecoming because you can imagine
those two travel kicks came up,but you have to try to figure
out if you can get time off forthem and this and that yeah, be
so bummed yeah, exactly, andit's like I even heard it.
When it comes to dating, it'slike if you're choose to stay in
a toxic relationship but youcan have the perfect girl, like
(12:06):
in the day you meet, her is likethis week, but if you for some
reason prolonged this toxicrelationship past that day, then
you and that you could justmissed out.
You know, but if it's a, ifit's not gonna be working out
and of course there's a lot ofnuances to that and broad spec,
(12:26):
you know when, when you're notwith the right person, you
should end it, because itdoesn't make sense, because that
opens you up.
Now, if you do meet the rightperson, you're actually
available.
Yes you know, and the same thingwith work and with a lot of
things.
You know, when we holdourselves to these Toxic types
of relationships or just thingsare keeping from what we want.
You know yeah, exactly, yeah soI thought kudos to you, because
(12:50):
a lot of people would Keepthemselves trapped in that, you
know.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
I know and I was very is.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
It is a good sphere.
It's a good money making sphereis secure.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
And, but also like it has ties into the content world
yeah because part of my itcareer was I did data like
animal.
Well, I did like datamanagement for cable vision for
a little bit as a contractornice so Now, like I tend to take
(13:26):
like a nerdy approach into filmmaking, Definitely works
backing up and just having youknow having my computer things
organized you got your.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
You got your filing system in place and your naming
system in place yeah yeah, yeah,me and my partner.
There was talk about that allthe time.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
You gotta keep things as organized as possible and
things had need to be labeledand like little things that
scares me is just like theunknown of like, like not cloud
backing up and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
I don't get too nerdy but yeah, that's a big.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Thing to think about backups on backups, as always,
yeah, yeah, both cloud andphysical and, of course, the
nerdy nests for me alsotranslates into cameras and the
gear that we use.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
I mean, at the end of the day, you know what's funny
it's like and we could talkabout what we'll expand on.
This was funny enough, likeyeah, we're called
cinematographers andvideographers and all these
different names, and.
But like I'm coming, I camefrom world where I was known as
an audio engineer, you know, andwhen I came to this world I
(14:45):
found so many parallels.
I'm like this is literally thesame thing, but dealing with the
visual and said of the audible.
But I'm like why?
But in one sphere I'm anengineer and another sphere I'm
not like.
I feel like in this case we'realso engineers because we are
(15:07):
One thing where you know we aremanipulating light.
You know we have to have afundamental basis knowledge of
how light shapes, colors and,and you know effects, an entire
scene.
Same thing with.
You know the different levelsof art, of course, composition,
different things like that.
But then there's so muchtechnical aspects Because of the
(15:27):
tools we have.
We're like wiring things.
We have to make sure all theminute settings in the camera,
each thing does somethingdifferent.
We're calculating, based on ourscene, what the ISO, shutter
speed, aperture, all that has tobalance out a certain way
depending on our goals and, ofcourse, all the extra equipment
(15:48):
on top that like, oh, maybe weneed a rig.
So we're trying to figure outhow do we get a stabilizer, a
gimbal and the camera to workwith this specific monitor and
get it all powered.
And then you know, and all thisto make sure that we get our
creative shot.
And do we need to manipulatethings with just a five by one,
(16:10):
or do we need to get a shot Fiveby one, or do we need to bring
in some six hundred these, or dowe want to diffuse or do we
want to grid on it like yeah?
Speaker 2 (16:19):
And then we're also still trying to create like a
story.
Yeah, it's like great.
Yeah, everything kind well,especially if I mean on a, on a
bigger, on a bigger set.
You know, there would be likethis guy here's the goal that we
anticipate, getting this guy'sgoing to do the lighting, this
guy's going to do that yeah.
(16:41):
I don't come from that world,you know.
I come from a very raw world oflike, grab the fucking camera
and go, you know, yeah, and Ikind of like that because it
helps me think off, you know,help helps me think on my feet.
But coming from like the ITworld, in a very technical world
(17:05):
, you know, I apply that tofilmmaking in that, like I'm
very particular with what I wantto do, with what lens I want to
put on or what you know, whatSetting I want to dial into the
camera.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Is there a particular tool that you think it's
invaluable or that maybe peopledon't use enough, that it should
be?
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, I mean false colors, definitely a good one,
because that basically justPaints a picture of how the
lights going to look on somebody.
So, like you would say, okay,this is where my level is.
Do I need to increase?
Do I need to go down?
You know that, like using atool like false color it, it
(17:54):
puts you right in the range ofwhen you need to be and, you
know, by doing something likethat you could really make any
camera look good.
You know me and my Me and mybuddy Anthony have been shooting
films on the iPhone and I gotinvolved with him.
He was like 40% done with hisfirst film and it was all iPhone
(18:18):
and I came in.
I was supposed to be just doingdrone but I ended up shooting.
And then just be sticking by hisside for the rest of the film
and obviously, in editing andand that films been out, it's
got 12 awards, amazing.
Now we're on to the second oneand we're sticking with the
(18:38):
tradition of just using aniPhone.
And you know we use an appcalled filmic pro on the iPhone
and that and false color rightin there.
And now we're going with thisnext one we're going with a
darker look.
So more stuff shot at night.
So now I'm really testing thelow light, yeah, and that's a
(19:00):
big thing, like the iPhonesensor is so small, it needs a
lot of light, so we're pushingthose we're pushing the lights,
but it's cool to see.
And Well, I also built like amount now where you can, where
you can put vintage lenses onthe iPhone, which is cool.
So we're doing a lot of the midshots with like old Canon
(19:22):
lenses.
Oh, so you just like a customlittle mountain.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
You, you figured out.
I'll show you a picture.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Oh, man, that's insane.
So you were just in.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Austin.
We were shooting because one ofthe actors was there and we had
to get a bunch of scenes.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
You're supposed to do it in close range.
We had to get a bunch of scenes.
You're supposed to do it inCalifornia but we ended up
having to Circle back and do itin Austin.
But over there we shot a lot ofdialogue.
We shot like our first dialoguescenes for this sequel movie
and looks cool.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Awesome, yeah.
So just to paint a picture,basically an iPhone, well, I
guess, with some form of case,and then this old vintage lens
just attached to yeah, with anadapter.
Yeah, wow, wow, that's amazing.
Yeah, what do you think aboutthat?
Like with the modern day, youknow now that Cameras at the
(20:22):
even the consumer level aregetting so getting up there, you
know, like almost cinema gradecameras are way more affordable,
I would say, nowadays, witheven like red at the more top,
tier, below tier, professional,and then you got black magic
there now, way more affordablethan that, yeah, with their
(20:43):
sensors, I.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
But then with the iPhone and people doing amazing
content, yeah, I mean, I thinkit's I think it's good because
it allows everybody to tell astory with and not have to have
a whole bunch of shit or thinkthat they need a whole bunch of
shit.
Yeah, I mean, it definitelychanged the industry, you know,
(21:08):
and when things become moreaffordable and you don't need as
big a team to do it, you know,it obviously shifts the industry
in a in a new direction, whichhas ups and downs.
For me, it doesn't have anydowns because I don't come from
the film world.
You know, I've never reallyworked on.
(21:28):
I think I had like twoexperiences working as a first
AC yeah, and I hated it.
You know, I got you yeahbecause?
Because it's almost like.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
We're kind of like stay taking a step back.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
You're coming from being like the director and DP,
yeah, and now getting like, okay, you're putting to the
specialized role, but it's likeand I kind of yeah, exactly, and
I kind of like the last time Iwas doing a first AC job, I just
kind of sat there and likelooked around.
I'm like who actually has Heartin what we're doing here?
There's so many people runningaround with their head up their
(22:04):
ass and I'm like who is likeSaying this looks awesome, this
is great.
Like who's actually like Idon't know?
It just seemed like there was adisconnect.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
And nobody was really like passionate about it.
Yeah, and actually that filmthat I worked on apparently
never even got made, so it waslike a 30 grand blow.
That's crazy to hear which wasridiculous because I'm like, if
that, I'm like I could have didthat with like three guys, we
(22:40):
could have did that thing.
And the actors, you know.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
I mean.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
I guess that's the nature of like, once you get to
that big level, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
And there, because it becomes less about you creating
something and more about what,like, the producers, will sign
off on and off yeah.
Because for them it's just atax write off.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
It's like, oh, that didn't work Just next it, yeah,
which seems a wild to me, but Ido appreciate that.
You know.
I appreciate that somebody likeBlack Magic makes these cameras
that are so affordable foreverybody.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
You know I always recommend them.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Obviously, the file size is a bit scary, but I mean,
if you think about it, you canget a Black Magic for like
nothing and have everything youneed.
Yeah, to be a filmmaker, do youhave to get a Black Magic?
No, you could use an iPhone.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
You're the Canon Sony yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
You're the Canon, sony, fujifilm, whatever you
need.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
And even like and you mentioned this beforehand.
We were talking earlier howlike, but still, at the end of
the day it's the file sizes aresmaller than the reds and the
bigger ones.
And now an interestingdevelopment, speaking of the
changing industry, is like evenNikon now has a way of recording
(24:02):
uncompressed raw similar to red, because red used to have that
like almost a monopoly over theindustry with their copyright on
their format.
But Nikon has officially founda way in to keep their format,
which is probably going to nowreintroduce all the other camera
companies to find their own wayif they can replicate the Nikon
(24:23):
did yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Yeah, as one company does it everybody ends up doing
it because it's now it's like arace.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
I think what we're going to see in the coming years
is like a slowdown.
Yeah, Like just in technology.
I mean, there is already like arace to have an AK camera and
AK doesn't look cinematic, atleast to me, yeah.
You know I mean, if it's planetEarth, okay, I'd want to.
(24:53):
I don't even smoke weed, butI'd want to get high and just
watch planet Earth in AK.
Yeah.
So for most film now, it'sabout not being too sharp.
I don't like a sharp look.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Which is why, like when it comes to like lenses and
stuff like that, I like toexperiment with filters.
I like to buy vintage lenses,lenses from the 70s.
I like to dabble in shootinganamorphic, where things look
really wild and really nutty.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
I love it.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Yeah, I spent a little bit of time during the
pandemic building like DIYanamorphic lenses.
So what that means, you'refamiliar with anamorphic.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Yeah, yeah, but how does one build a DIY?
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Yeah, so, basically, so anamorphic, really quick, is
basically a way to shootwidescreen on a square aspect
ratio film, and it was.
They were looking for ways inthe past to make a widescreen
(26:05):
image Cinemasque I forgot whichone Cinorama was like, where
they put three cameras, one thatwas like a that sat in the
middle and then two on the sides, and they would stitch them
together and make a wide image.
That didn't work, that lookedterrible.
I mean, back then they wouldprobably surprised everybody and
then they were like, okay, it'sterrible.
Yeah, and anamorphic is a way toget a wide image onto a square
(26:32):
four, three well, nottechnically square, but a four
three piece of film.
So what they would do is theywould shoot with an anamorphic
lens on the front of the cameraand then, after they stitch the
movie together and then it'stime for projecting, they would
put another lens on the front ofthe projector that when the
image is shot, yes, back out itwould now project in a wider
(26:59):
fashion.
Yeah, yeah.
So what you can do is you canfind these old projector
anamorphic lenses and you canget vintage lenses like Zeiss
primes and some of the Canon FDswhich I have, and you can
basically take that projectorlens and just stick it on the
front and now you have ananamorphic lens with some
(27:23):
character and with some you know, some, some interesting.
Get an interesting look from it, nice.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Have you?
What have you used that toshoot?
Speaker 2 (27:33):
I've used.
I've actually used it on atleast three music videos and I
and two promos.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Really.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Yeah, and it's just some personal stuff that I've
shot.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Of course, of course.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
That's pretty good, and you've, of course, I'm sure
you've gotten some realinteresting results yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Definitely a lot of flaring.
Not totally sharp, you almostget like.
Well, it depends on whatprojector lens you're using on
this they all have like adifferent characteristic Some
flare more, some are reallysharp.
I have three of them and I havetwo, two, one, two projector
(28:12):
lenses that are very sharp andthey're nice.
And I actually had to clean thecoating off the lens to get them
to flare.
And then there's another onethat almost gives you like a
Blade Runner.
Look where, like the edges havelike a aberration, like a
chromatic aberration to them,they're not totally sharp, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
It's kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
I like stuff like that.
I like going back and watchingolder films and seeing what was
considered like an aberrationthen.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
And I think a lot of people, you know a lot of people
do that.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Yeah, try to go back and see.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Yeah, Try to like pull in some.
I always add grain to anythingthat I do.
I think that's.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
It's part of your look.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Yeah, I like when things look a little grainy.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
Oh, that's nice.
I mean like it's definitelylike an aesthetic and it sounds
like that.
You definitely have your ownstyle and you put a lot of like.
You know that creative aspecttoo.
You know, even though you sayyou're a technical person too,
it's like.
I sense a lot of passion tocreate a video in there too, and
(29:24):
not afraid to push certainboundaries.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
And, but it also sounds like you have your own
style.
That's like, this is like, thisis the look.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
If you work with me, this is probably what you're
going to get.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
And is there any particular client or project
that you would say is very, wasvery exciting, notable, or like
just a real good?
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Yeah, I mean you mentioned that I did the make
the salient one, which was thatwas definitely notable.
It was definitely a wacky.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Tell us about it.
Ride, love to hear about it.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
So it was just supposed to be like an AT&T
thing of her just in front of ablue backdrop just talking to
the camera.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Which I do now remember had a very vintage look
to it.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Yes, so there's a story behind that.
So, basically, so it wassupposed to be her in front of
this blue backdrop talking tothe camera and we were supposed
to get 20 minutes to shoot thisTwo days before this was all at
college football.
Oh no, I'm sorry, this was allat March Madness in Houston,
texas, this past February and,oh no, this past March rather.
(30:42):
So we were supposed to have 20minutes with her and she was
going to do this in front of ablack backdrop.
It was going to be very boringand they didn't like that idea
which I was like.
Her team didn't like that idea,which I was like.
Okay, thank God.
So the other idea that that meand one of the creatives had
(31:06):
tossed around is to have herwith this phone and she would be
picking up and talking to theaudience.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
It was like a rotary phone.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Yeah, and it would be , and it would be like a little
bit more of like a story, if youwill.
You know she's not, it's notjust her on a backdrop, right,
and she's also doing the concert.
So that was a way to mix in theconcert footage.
But basically we're supposed tohave 20 minutes.
Then they were like, okay, wedon't want to do this, we have
(31:38):
to do something else.
So we had to draw somethingelse up.
That's what we drew up.
They took forever and they werelike, okay, she'll do it, but
you'll only have 10 minutes,right.
Then we get a text message likecouple hours before she's not
going to be able to do it.
And then they were like, oh no,she can do it 10 minutes.
It was like such a rollercoaster ride until the point
(31:59):
where we're in this room whereI'm like I don't even know if
we're going to get good audio inthis room because it's right
next to the stage.
Oh, man but she wouldn't walk150 feet.
Okay.
So I'm like in this room like Ihope we can fucking do this,
because it doesn't seem likeshe's interested in any of this.
(32:20):
So she gets into the room wehad to get a mic on her.
So I had her team get the micon her.
She was, and so she gets themic on and literally, like I hit
record and when I hit recordagain to stop the camera, it was
four minutes and she was out ofthat room.
(32:42):
We had to shoot that thing infour minutes.
She gave us one take of thewhole thing and then I was like
I need a shot of her saying this, I need a shot of her saying
that, and then just a couple ofclose ups and I left that room
and then she was out of the roomin four minutes.
This is literally the raw clipand I left that.
(33:03):
That was the last thing I wasshooting that day and I left
that room and I was like and Ihad to edit it.
So I'm like I don't know whatthe fuck we just shot.
So the PA is talking to me.
He's like where do you want meto put the lighting?
And I'm like, I'm like not evenlike.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
You never, ever conscious of it In the van, just
throw it.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
I just took all my gear back to the hotel room and
I'm like I got to start cuttingsomething because I need to know
that this can work forsomething, even though the
producer was like if it didn'twork that wouldn't have been on
me.
But since.
I'm shooting it and editing it.
(33:44):
I'm like you know now my mind'sworking Like I'm thinking about
all the negatives, like do Ieven have something to edit here
?
Yeah, yeah, four minutes, wow.
So I put a VHS look on itbecause I noticed that, speaking
of nostalgia, I noticed thatMeg the Stallions behind the
(34:05):
scenes video guy is only VHS.
He's shooting on VHS.
I went to her to like creativemanager.
I was like, oh, that's cool,he's using VHS.
She's like we love the VHS look, we love like old film looks.
So I was like, okay, probablyshould go that route.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Yeah, that's a good note to pick up.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
So basically the idea was like it's somebody picking
up the phone, you kind of knowit's Meg just by her voice.
But at the end we reveal thatit's her yeah, and it's her not
technically talking directly tothe audience and on a backdrop.
It's her talking to like anunknown party about how all that
she did at the AT&T block party.
(34:48):
And at the end she gives herlike that.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
Yeah, I mean, I saw the spot.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
But I had to do that with four minutes of footage.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
I was about to say I saw the spot.
I would have never guessed.
That was like a four minute.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
I'll send you the raw clip and you'll be like shit.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Wow, Actually it's funny.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
I showed Tom the raw clip and he's like man.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
Wow, well, that, I mean, that was definitely noted.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
You know, I wasn't like something like that gets me
like not nervous, but I'm likeI'm not, I'm excited.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Of course I'm excited , but I'm more excited when I
have the final product, becauseI'm like thinking you know what
I mean.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
It really shows that your, your ability, you know as
a creative, like it's creativeproblem solving.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
It's.
It's a lot like music.
You know you're, you'rereacting to things.
That's like, hey, this is whatI have to work with.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
And you, how do I make it work?
Because it's happening, it'sright now, yeah, and I was like
I need to do something becauseI'm I'm holding the ball right
now.
Yeah, this has to do somethingwith this, whatever it is, yeah,
and it's good.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
Yeah, there's always going to be problems with
everything.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
You know it's.
I write a lot of ideas and Ialways try to like write out.
This is impossible, we'll neverhave a problem, but there's
always a problem.
But it's the bigger thingswhere I'm like is this a problem
?
Yeah, so walking away with allthat footage well, all that
footage, four minutes I'm like Idon't know if it's a problem,
(36:33):
but I also don't know what thehell is going to go on here.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
So I like to think about all that.
I guess that's like a negativethinking, about all the negative
things that can happen.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Yeah, but you don't want to hold your back.
It seems like.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
What is?
Speaker 1 (36:51):
that you don't let it hold you back.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
Well, because I'm just thinking well, if this
happens, I'm going to do this,If that happens, I'm going to do
that.
I'm like planning all the butyou also shouldn't do that, but.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
I mean, I think I like that perspective because
you're also not like oh no, allthis is going to happen.
You're also not like I don'tknow what I'm going to do.
You're like, you're more sothinking of contingency plans.
I was like, okay, I'm goinginto this and I know, okay, what
can happen.
Oh well, if this happens.
(37:24):
Well, you know what I can makethat work if I do this, if this
happens, I can make that work.
If I did this, I can bypassthat.
If this goes, I can the thingthat goes.
Oh, if this camera dies, I meanI still have camera angle two
and three.
I can always cut two if anycase.
So you build contingencies andI think that's a smart way to
(37:45):
work.
You just I think it's bad whenpeople like flood themselves
with all the negativepossibilities, with zero
solutions, and they let that getthemselves frozen and like this
sea of like and so much can gowrong and have no way to do with
it.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Yeah, and and yeah.
That's bad because when youdeal with actors and you deal
with, like, people that arearound you, you don't want to
show that there's a problem.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
No.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
So like if there is a problem I'll hide it.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
And I'll, because when you're dealing with actors
that are trying to get into acharacter or trying to, or just
dealing with, like a clientwho's there, there's always a
workaround.
It may change the result, butthere's always a workaround and
you never kill the mood.
I'm a big mood person, so I tryto feel the room out and I try
(38:39):
to feel the people that I workwith out and, you know, just try
to be on a personable levelwith them, which is important
because I see, like all theselike life coaches are like how
to land the client on LinkedInand I'm like you talk to them.
That's how you land the fuckingclient.
I don't need some life coach.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Amen.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
Thing I don't need to go to your seminar.
I actually see that that's abig part of like being a
videographer on Instagram islike.
I get these sponsored ads thatare like we're going to show you
how to land your biggest clientyet, yeah, and then, and then
you go to like their profile andyou're like what is this guy
even shot Nothing, yeah I meanit's so bizarre to me.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
It just goes back to it's like you said.
You talked to them, but biggestthing is the mood.
Exactly, you make them feelgood.
People want to work with people.
They feel good If you were togo on a job.
And yes, something is not about.
Like I said, it's not about ifsomething goes wrong or when it
goes wrong.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
But the whole time you know you are working the
problem, you're the technicianhere, you're the engineer,
you're the, you're theprofessional in this field.
The client isn't the actors,aren't whatever.
You know you resolve it, butyou hold face.
The client the whole time islike you just like, oh, this
happens, we're going to makethis pivot, it's going to be
(40:02):
good.
Yeah, you know, this is justhow it's going to be.
There are more times than not,if they see you come cool and
collected about it, they're like, okay, you know, but they
pretty much take it.
They like working with you andyou work back and forth.
I bet you that even if the endresult changed slightly, for
whatever the reason, they willcome back to you every time.
(40:23):
Because if they go to someonewho's like a perfectionist, who
doesn't know how to talk to theclient, it makes it feel very
aggravated.
Or someone who can get a littlepanicky, you know, at every,
every, at the pin drop, and sothe client feels like you have
no, like no stance on whatyou're doing.
You know they want to feel goodthrough the whole experience.
(40:43):
They want to feel like I'mworking with someone who knows
what they're doing and can nomatter what happens.
I'm still going to getsomething good because he's
going to take care of me andhe's going to figure it out.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
You know, yeah, same with the actors is like, okay, I
don't need to worry if I'mgoing to look good on camera, I
just need to worry about whatI'm doing.
Speaker 2 (41:01):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
I don't need to worry about the cameraman getting
like making my best takecompletely out of focus the
whole time.
You know like stuff like that.
You know like the, because ifthey feel incompetent in you,
then they're thinking about thatstuff on top of what they're
already.
Yeah, so it's like, like yousaid, the moon is so important.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
It's like you said you just talked to.
People want to be come offprofessional.
You want to just make them feelgood.
Exactly, people want to workwith people.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
I also like to.
I like to meet people and talkto people and understand people,
you know, because it also helpsme like think of stories and
think of ideas, and it's part ofwhat we do.
This is like a conversational,like a conversational profession
(41:56):
.
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
I think it's creatives.
That's a big part of thecreative, especially if you're
making something for somebodyelse.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
Yeah, exactly, it's a lot of pulling.
Speaker 1 (42:06):
He need to get in their head.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Extrapolate their vision and how it?
Translates to what we do.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
And sometimes change their vision.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
Well, I would say help them evolve.
Speaker 2 (42:22):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
Evolve it, you know, because, of course, whereas the
professionals, sometimes peopleneed a little guidance.
Yeah.
In that department yeahdefinitely, and speaking of that
.
That's funny because, as youmentioned that, because we've
had our fair share of that, yeah, any particular ones where you
had kind of like thisinteresting proposal from a
(42:45):
client and you kind of had tohelp them guide into a more
mutually beneficial vision orjust really help them get what
they want versus what theythought they wanted, because
that's interesting, I think alot of people are going to ask
if I've ever shot a porn.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
I'll say that one more time.
Well, just help them.
Speaker 1 (43:12):
Yeah, like get their vision right in the sense that
like sometimes people think theyknow what they want, but once
they explain, kind of like, whattheir end goal is and then what
they're asking for, and you'relike, yeah, that doesn't match
the way you think it matches.
Yeah, nothing notable, I meanwell, how do you navigate that
conversation then?
Speaker 2 (43:30):
Yeah, I mean basically, when somebody
approaches me, the firstquestion is is what do you want
to do?
What are you trying toaccomplish?
And then some people have noidea.
So I have to just figureeverything out, which I don't
mind doing.
Some people have an idea,especially like with music
videos.
They know, oh, this is what wesee in our head when we wrote
(43:53):
the song, versus.
I have no idea.
So it's basically like I'lltake notes and then kind of
flush their idea out onto paperand see where it needs things
added, and then, like, read itas a whole and say, okay, maybe
we, maybe I change it up, andthen I'll usually send them a
(44:16):
change version and explain whyyou wrote that yeah like hey,
and I've never had like any.
I've never had any like pushbackor anything.
Sometimes, they'll be like oh,if we could just add this, if we
could add that.
Speaker 1 (44:29):
I think that's reasonable.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
Yeah, nothing, nothing, that stands out.
Speaker 1 (44:32):
I think also is like correct me if I wrong.
I think you really take itwhere you're, like you're really
trying to serve the client.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
So it's like when you do those changes and stuff,
it's really in their bestinterest.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
Oh yeah, of course I think that most people
understand that I've never hadlike a nightmare client.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
that has been like I think if you come off the right
way, you kind of attract peoplecan sense that.
I think maybe some peoplesometimes what I've seen is that
some people can struggle with.
I have a creative vision and Iwant to use your project to
pursue my creative vision.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
And I never.
I don't think that really everworks out, yeah no.
You got to like, if you'regoing in for work, you really
got to serve the client andthere, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:21):
And try to give them the best piece of content.
I always try to like maximizethe content.
Also, like I'll do a couple ofdifferent edits, send them a
bunch of stales, like I just didsomething with Wolf or Winery
we did a few edits and send abunch of stales that I liked
that I'd probably post onInstagram.
(45:41):
Oh nice, I just try to you know, obviously there's an,
obviously there's alwayscontracted.
We're going to do a 60 secondthis, but I always try to go
above and beyond and do a littleextra here.
I'll make an extra edit becauseI think it might look cool.
Yeah they use it, they use it.
Speaker 1 (45:59):
If they don't, they don't, I think that's then
things like that is like wherethey'll be like oh, this is
awesome, like yeah, I think whenyou, when you over deliver, in
that sense, I think it's it'swhat stands you out, yeah, it's
like what makes you even moreenjoyable to work with, because,
like, give it a hundred on thewhat they asked for, and then
(46:21):
you added that extra 10, 20%.
Speaker 2 (46:23):
And yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:24):
I don't think also, like some people, when they
think about going above andbeyond think they go like
thinking way too big about it.
Like oh let me make anothervideo, like no, not necessarily,
you can make just another editor take your favorite stills
that you think.
Speaker 2 (46:39):
I almost always do that, yeah, because I also, like
you know, I like to enjoy thecontent that I make.
I like to try to do somethingdifferent every time and no,
that's an interesting idea.
I think that's really helpfulto help you stand out.
I like archival the footage, soI literally have the first
project I've ever shot and Idon't know why I do that.
Speaker 1 (47:02):
I think that's a good habit.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
I love it Cause I'm like I like all this stuff and I
it's like digital hoarding.
Hoarder is the digital version.
That'd be a great.
That'd be a boring showactually.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
I mean depending on the content it could also be a
very scary show.
Speaker 3 (47:20):
Yeah, it actually could yeah.
Speaker 1 (47:21):
Oh man, that's a round of hole and a half.
Speaker 2 (47:27):
Yeah, oh man was there.
I think there was a question.
I don't know if I'm allowed tobring up a question.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
You could, hey, if you wrote for me.
Speaker 2 (47:35):
I think you guys asked me off air what cameras I
started with.
Yeah, pretty much the line ofcamera 100%.
Yeah, so the first ever cameraI had was a Panasonic 8 high
eight camera.
Speaker 3 (47:54):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
Yep, and that I had for years.
I actually still have it and itstill works Amazing.
After that I got another Sonycamcorder and I had a bunch of
different.
I had like two or threedifferent Sony camcorders that I
(48:15):
bought that we used to filmlike all the jackass stuff you
know, like whatever we weredoing at the time we were doing
more.
I say jackass, but it's morelike our own skits and funny
bits.
And then I got.
What was it?
I think it was a Canon 60D.
That was my first DSLR.
That was cool.
(48:35):
And then I moved up to I thinkit was a 70D.
Speaker 1 (48:39):
Nice, nice.
Speaker 2 (48:41):
And that's.
Speaker 1 (48:42):
I started with the 90D.
Speaker 2 (48:44):
The 90D?
Yeah, I don't even know that,yeah.
And then after that I got intowhat when I first went full time
, the cameras that I wasshooting, where it was the GH5.
Speaker 1 (48:59):
Okay, yeah, I heard really good things.
Yeah, it was a great camera.
Speaker 2 (49:04):
And then after that I got the Black Magix, I have a
4K and a N26Ks, and then I havea Panasonic full frame and S5,
which I really like too.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
Yeah, I've heard really good things about the S5
and the whole new S series fromPanasonic.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Yeah, I've always loved the colors of Panasonic.
They could literally matchpretty much any camera.
You can get them to match anycamera and yeah.
Oh, that's great to hear sowhen I use the GH5, I'm like,
okay, the S5 is like the fullframe version of the GH5.
(49:43):
And it actually is.
You know a lot of those oldcolor profiles that I had
created when I was shooting witha GH5 applied to the F5, which
is interesting.
Speaker 3 (49:52):
You know with Super convenient.
Speaker 2 (49:54):
Yeah, you have to tune a little bit, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (49:58):
Well, that looked out .
That's pretty good when you canliterally transfer, like those
types of presets, you know.
Speaker 2 (50:04):
Yeah, like stuff that you've used in the past, like
stuff that you've created in thepast.
One of my favorite things iscoloring, so a lot of people
will send me their projects.
That's like a service that I doalso.
Speaker 1 (50:17):
How's your view on coloring Like?
What would you say is like?
Because I know a lot of peoplekind of have different
philosophies when it comes tocoloring.
Some people are like I need toget it as like real to real life
as possible.
Some people are more like I'mtrying to tell a story by the
mood with color.
Yeah, well, it depends.
Speaker 2 (50:35):
Yeah, I mean, I've done some full, full length
films, some feature films, color, and that is very much coming
at it from like a filmstandpoint, and even in music
videos it's basically justtrying to determine what you
want the mood to be.
I don't like when things looktoo realistic.
(50:59):
You know I like a lot of likepastel colors and stuff like
that, but I don't like whenthings look too overly sharp.
That's a problem with like fullframe cameras is.
I noticed that, like there'ssometimes in content that I've
seen, like there's just too muchdepth and it almost like and
(51:22):
the edges are too sharp where italmost looks like they're on
like a green screen or something.
Speaker 3 (51:26):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
So that's something that I don't really like, and
then I also don't really youfeel like that makes it less
cinematic.
Little bit, I mean just in mytaste.
Speaker 3 (51:40):
Yeah yeah, I know.
Speaker 2 (51:41):
Like it doesn't feel like I call it the green screen.
I think other people call itthe green screen effect, but it
almost feels like they're justlike digitally added in.
Yeah, almost makes it If youdon't have like that softness,
the irony makes it more unreal.
Yeah, I mean, if you look atfilms, they're not that there's.
Unless they're shooting longerlenses, they're not typically.
(52:03):
They don't typically have thatmuch depth on, like, say, a 28
millimeter lens.
Speaker 3 (52:10):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (52:11):
If you go back and film, there's like a softness to
the edges that helps portraythat like cinematic look.
Speaker 3 (52:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:24):
But yeah, but color is definitely like a mood thing
for me.
Speaker 1 (52:28):
No, I love it.
Yeah, definitely more of anartistic approach.
Speaker 3 (52:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:33):
Visual storytelling.
Speaker 2 (52:35):
Yeah, To the next.
And also, like you know, italso helps drive what whoever
was shooting.
If it's my stuff, whoever wasshooting on set or on location,
you know, helps drive theoverall look of everything.
Speaker 1 (52:52):
Yeah, is there anything in particular, any
projects coming up that you'reparticularly excited about?
Speaker 2 (52:59):
Well, in July not too far away I'm going to be going
to the women's MBA in Vegas,shooting a little bit.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
Nice, what are you shooting for?
Speaker 2 (53:09):
For actually AT&T.
Speaker 1 (53:10):
Oh, okay, yeah, another one, another commercial
spot.
Speaker 2 (53:13):
Yeah, yeah, I've been working with a winery out on
Long Island.
I've been working with a bunchof different companies, actually
Nice.
Speaker 1 (53:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (53:23):
There's always projects moving.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
That's good.
That's good.
Okay, I have to ask thisbecause I was thinking about
this earlier.
Speaker 3 (53:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (53:32):
Was when you started to get a lot of these like
travel gigs.
You said people were reachingout to you in the beginning.
Speaker 3 (53:40):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
Was it?
Did you really, would you saymost of these gigs were just
people saying your work andasking you about it, or were you
really like also, at the sametime, reaching out to brands and
companies offering yourservices?
Speaker 2 (53:58):
No, I'd never really like offer myself up.
Speaker 3 (54:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (54:02):
I kind of feel weird about that.
Not gonna lie, I just like Ijust interact with people.
Speaker 1 (54:09):
It's all interact with brands, so just network.
Speaker 2 (54:11):
I don't even talk about like.
I just let them see my profileand if it interests them, it
interests them.
Speaker 1 (54:17):
But you do reach out and communicate with them.
Speaker 2 (54:19):
Yeah, sometimes like if it's like somebody following
me or I'll always like reach outor start a conversation and if
it's if they can benefit fromsome work, then they'll benefit.
But a lot of it is word ofmouth and I try to always like
(54:40):
keep a good attitude on set,because then people want to be
around you.
Speaker 3 (54:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (54:45):
Especially if you like solve problems, because
then they're like, oh, if he'sthere.
Speaker 1 (54:51):
You know, anything that goes wrong, he'll figure it
out.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
Yeah, I don't know if I'm that person, but it's good
to kind of try to be that.
Speaker 1 (55:00):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, based on like, justseeing your direction and seeing
what you have done and hearingthat and just meeting you and
speaking to you, I coulddefinitely see that it speaks to
just how you make people feelJust like leaving it all on the
field and people feel that,probably feel that you're
dependable and just easy to workwith, good to work with.
(55:24):
So and because for me, likewhen it comes to word of mouth,
that's a testament to that Likepeople only speak about people
they actually enjoyed.
You know that's the only peoplethey would recommend, and to
hear that most of your work camefrom that really speaks to the
value of being that type of ahard worker just being out there
(55:44):
.
But also I think it's a goodtip too, just having those
interactions being okay withopening up dialogue.
Speaker 3 (55:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (55:52):
Don't have to be salesy, you don't have to be
like hey.
Speaker 2 (55:54):
Yeah, I'm like totally not.
No, so you just like hey, Ilike your product.
Speaker 1 (55:59):
I like this thing.
I'll thank you for following methis and that, and then they'll
naturally get curious to seeyour profile, and it can benefit
great, if not.
No, yep, I got one morequestion for you.
Final question Dun dun dun.
Speaker 2 (56:14):
Oh no, I didn't shoot a porn.
Speaker 3 (56:16):
No no.
Speaker 1 (56:18):
No, did you no Almost , oh man, okay, I don't think we
have enough time for that one.
I was gonna say is thereanything in particular that you
wish you kind of knew?
Or you could have told yourselfin the beginning that you know
(56:38):
now through experience that youcould have like wish you knew
back when you were starting outand starting out more like
professionally.
Speaker 2 (56:47):
Yeah, Just believe in yourself and take the risk.
There's plenty of things that Icould say that I would have
wanted to do different, but Ithink it coming from where I
ended up now, I don't think Iwould wanna do anything
(57:08):
different except just keeptaking risks.
Speaker 1 (57:13):
Yeah, yeah, oh, that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (57:16):
I think that's simple but powerful, I think there's
like.
There is like a ladder you haveto climb to get to where you
are.
So I don't even know what Iwould tell myself.
You know what I mean?
Probably all the nerdy stuff,but that's that ladder that you
(57:38):
climb.
Speaker 1 (57:39):
Yeah, yeah, it's like okay, start learning false
colors.
Speaker 3 (57:43):
Start like all that stuff Just get this camera.
Speaker 2 (57:48):
Yeah, I mean, there's been times where I question,
I'm like, is this, like howsustainable is this?
You know, and it's almost likeyour negative self talking to
you, yeah, so it's like that hasbeen a thing that I would tell
(58:12):
myself.
Shun those ideas and just knowthat you're on like you care
about what you do and you enjoywhat you do.
At least for me, I enjoy what Ido, yeah, and that's really it.
That's probably all I wouldtell myself.
I don't wanna know too muchinto the future.
Speaker 1 (58:33):
I got you yeah.
Speaker 2 (58:35):
I like to think, I like to hang on to the edge of
the seat.
Speaker 3 (58:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (58:41):
Not know where the hell you're gonna end up.
Speaker 1 (58:44):
Live life on the edge .
Speaker 2 (58:46):
Oh.
I get that, whether it's aMcDonald's parking lot or a
Carvel, you never know whereyou're gonna end up.
Speaker 3 (58:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (58:54):
Okay, well, thank you so much for being on.
You know and working.
Speaker 2 (58:59):
The good people find you online if they wanna see
more work On Instagram at JamesMorano or jamesmoranocom.
Speaker 1 (59:08):
There you go, and of course, you can always find us
at the Vision Maker Podcast andour other exploits with Vision
Maker Productions, and thank youso much for being on.
Speaker 2 (59:25):
Of course, man.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (59:27):
Yep, see you next time.
Well, welcome to the Vision Maker podcast.
I'm happy to welcome you guyshere today, as we speak with
filmmakers and other industryprofessionals.
I am here today with JamesMorano, a cinematographer with
music videos and branded content.
Well, contacts.
Context, too, works, I guess.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I do need contacts though.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Could you?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
introduce yourself some more.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, so I've been shooting videos since I was 13.
I started with skateboarding.
We got into trying to dojackass stuff because we were
jackasses Still are.
The jackass stuff didn't workbecause we weren't that good at
it.
So we started to do skits andstuff like that and trying to do
(00:48):
early YouTube ideas and yeah, Imean the camera was always with
me Started with camcorders, gotinto DSLRs and then from there
basically turned it into what Ido now, which is music videos,
branded content, real estate,all sorts of stuff, weddings,
(01:14):
films yeah, yeah, and you'vebuilt up quite a portfolio
working with now with companieslike AT&T and with different
people Like I even saw that yourecently did like a Megan Thee
Stallion bit.
(01:35):
Yeah, that was actually an AT&Tpiece of content, nice.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Nice.
So that's all connected andthere's a whole wild story about
that.
And I would love to get into itin a bit and a bunch of great
music videos and workingalongside with a previous guest
of ours, tom Flynn, too.
Yeah, and the same caliber.
And yeah, I actually gotconnected with you through a
mutual friend.
(02:01):
You did a music video for her,yes, and so, yeah, I mean I was
just impressed seeing yourportfolio and even seeing that
music video initially, oh, thankyou.
So, as you say, you got startedwhen you were young, always with
the camera.
That's funny because thatreminds me speaking of the
(02:22):
jackass style of content.
Because I started like mybackground was in audio.
But funny enough, when I was inhigh school and we had like the
flip phones and like thecamcorder type stuff, we started
doing something called BadInfluences which was basically
our own like early YouTubejackass style stuff with me and
(02:46):
my bandmates and, because youknow, also a bunch of idiots Of
course.
Yeah, but we didn't even go asfar as we only posted like
probably an eighth of whateverwe actually did.
Yeah, I'm just trying to keepourselves with the boom of
YouTube, right, yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Feeling inspired.
It's funny we're looking backon it now.
So nowadays it's so easy tomake content and get it out
there, but like back then, wewere just like not, we had
nowhere to post it.
Yeah, there wasn't until, like,youtube came around.
But YouTube was veryrudimentary and the stuff we
(03:25):
were using was, you know, wedidn't have lighting and stuff
like that.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I barely knew any of it.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, I mean, I love lighting and as much as I use it
now, but there is somethingabout being given nothing and
making something out of it.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
And trying your hand at doing something with nothing,
without having the, withouthaving the burden of thinking
technologically.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah, I kind of love the.
It's the raw creativity,especially in those early days.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Yeah, because that's all that's.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
It's just raw creativity.
Yeah, there's no like technicallimitations in your mind yet,
yeah, of what you're trying todo.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
And it's funny now when it comes to making content.
We live in a very nostalgictime where people are looking to
the past.
They're looking at like, well,how could we shoot 6k and beat
the shit out of it?
You know what I mean?
How can we shoot really highquality content and then add a
(04:31):
whole bunch of grain and make itlook VHS and whatever?
Yeah, you know just to give itthat aesthetic, or how could we
just shoot VHS.
You know, which is somethingthat I've done?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
How do we get our hands on a super eight?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Super eight.
Yeah, you know, and I alsonoticed that, even even
contextually, a lot of Hollywoodis trying to go back to
referencing stuff from the 90sand stuff in the 80s.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
A lot of again very nostalgic.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I'm very excited for the next Jurassic Park.
Oh yeah, because there'llprobably be like five of them.
That's one thing I hate aboutthe movie world.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Everything's turning into best of curious.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Oh my God, that's one thing I hate about the movie
world is like big Hollywood kindof sucks now because you know
there's just no creativity.
They don't want to take riskson on scripts that are.
You know, maybe the generalpopulation wouldn't like or or
(05:32):
understand.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
I feel like there's been like a few that are popping
up here and there.
Yeah, the media and like themarketing world is only
attaching to the nostalgic.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Yeah, the.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Disney.
I think it comes to like a bigpart of you almost have a
guaranteed audience.
When you go to something thathas an established audience,
yeah, and it's like, but it'slike a little bit of a cop out
because you're just trying tolike feed on this thing, and if
you don't like and it's alwaysnotoriously the most difficult
(06:05):
move to make, because theslightest misuse or miss, you
know misdemeanor of, just likeportraying it again- Of course
destroys all your fan basebecause they all hate you for it
.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
It's so critical to us.
So it's like it's fine.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Oh, you must be talking about the Sonic movie,
where they made him look likesome ridiculous yeah.
And his legs were like I don'tknow what they were like they
were not.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
They had to change his whole design because of the
uproar.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Yeah Well, somebody who actually cared about Sonic
came in and were like, okay, youhave to change the legs, you
have to change this.
You know what I mean it waslike.
And then you look at the sideby side and you're like, oh,
okay.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Yeah, this guy looks like Sonic, that's.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Sonic.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
But it's so funny like small, minuscule changes
throw off how you view thecharacter.
I didn't even see that movie soI don't care.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I mean, I saw it yeah 100%.
Can you tell me a little moreabout, like, when was your
transition into the professionalworld?
I know you kind of grew up witha camera, but when is it like
it came from being a hobby,something you like to do, to
like?
Okay, I think this is going tobe my thing.
This is how.
I make money in my living.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Yeah, so well.
When I started, it was a littlebit of skateboarding, a little
bit of just having a VHS cameraaround me or a high-eat camera,
rather.
And eventually, as I got older,I transitioned from like
(07:47):
camcorders which we were usingto film some skits and do like
stupid little horror things with, like you know, with nothing.
And then I started to get intolike DSLRs, when DSLRs started
to first take video also.
And when I got a DSLR I startedto take pictures, because I
(08:11):
mainly got it for video.
But I'm like okay, it's a photocamera, so I'm going to start
taking pictures.
That was something I neverreally did and we were still,
you know, doing these stupidskits and any idea that we could
think of.
But I was approaching it in away where I was also trying to
(08:32):
learn well, how do you shoot,how do you film two people
talking?
You know what I mean, what'straditionally done, and I'm
going to do that.
So I kind of used these funnythings that we were doing to get
better.
Yeah, and then I had a buddythat wanted to shoot some
(08:54):
content for his band.
So we did one like little lyricvideo.
I'm like, okay, I think I coulddo that.
Then they wanted another video.
Then somebody else wanted avideo.
Then I had a brand approach meand I started to do brand work
and at the time I was working ITfull time and I was probably
(09:16):
like at that time I was probablyat the level that I would
probably still be at now.
You know, I got pretty high upin that and I had to kind of
make a decision becauseultimately I was Would you mind
me asking what position were you?
(09:36):
Oh well.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
In IT, I guess.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, I was working for a school district.
I was working for Lawrenceschool district.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
So I was one of three guys.
Okay, so it was a pretty decentjob and it paid pretty well,
yeah, but I was doing this videoand photo stuff and that became
a full time job in itself.
So I was working this full timejob at the school district
doing IT, and then going homeand trying to do what I had to
(10:07):
do with the content that I wasmaking.
And then eventually I keptgetting all these offers and to
do things that I would have totravel for and stuff like that,
and then I just was like kind oflike beating myself up and then
I just was like, okay, I'm justgoing to do content.
(10:29):
It was a very nerve wrackingchange and I'm like my mind was
telling me that as soon as I putmy two weeks in and I'm
officially done, I'm just goingto be living in a box.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
But that's not what happens.
Because you're about tosacrifice that security of the
paycheck that you know is thereevery week to our crazy
lifestyle.
Oh, like we're going fromproject to project and the
balancing that out andfluctuates.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yeah, so that was.
I was like, yeah, it'sironically enough, when I did
quit to travel, opportunitiesopened up and I was like, and
they were like, oh, do you thinkyou could do them?
And I'm like I can.
With all confidence I can.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Nothing but time yeah .
Speaker 2 (11:17):
And then after that, I've been doing it for almost
five years now.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
That's amazing I mean I've heard this before that
like sometimes we're tested inour results.
First we get like something wewant to do, then we're playing
with the idea and then we gettested in it.
So it's like we have to followthrough because it's like if
you're Not available then youcan't take the opportunities and
(11:45):
like these opportunities arecoming because you can imagine
those two travel kicks came up,but you have to try to figure
out if you can get time off forthem and this and that yeah, be
so bummed yeah, exactly, andit's like I even heard it.
When it comes to dating, it'slike if you're choose to stay in
a toxic relationship but youcan have the perfect girl, like
(12:06):
in the day you meet, her is likethis week, but if you for some
reason prolonged this toxicrelationship past that day, then
you and that you could justmissed out.
You know, but if it's a, ifit's not gonna be working out
and of course there's a lot ofnuances to that and broad spec,
(12:26):
you know when, when you're notwith the right person, you
should end it, because itdoesn't make sense, because that
opens you up.
Now, if you do meet the rightperson, you're actually
available.
Yes you know, and the same thingwith work and with a lot of
things.
You know, when we holdourselves to these Toxic types
of relationships or just thingsare keeping from what we want.
You know yeah, exactly, yeah soI thought kudos to you, because
(12:50):
a lot of people would Keepthemselves trapped in that, you
know.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
I know and I was very is.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
It is a good sphere.
It's a good money making sphereis secure.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
And, but also like it has ties into the content world
yeah because part of my itcareer was I did data like
animal.
Well, I did like datamanagement for cable vision for
a little bit as a contractornice so Now, like I tend to take
(13:26):
like a nerdy approach into filmmaking, Definitely works
backing up and just having youknow having my computer things
organized you got your.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
You got your filing system in place and your naming
system in place yeah yeah, yeah,me and my partner.
There was talk about that allthe time.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
You gotta keep things as organized as possible and
things had need to be labeledand like little things that
scares me is just like theunknown of like, like not cloud
backing up and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
I don't get too nerdy but yeah, that's a big.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Thing to think about backups on backups, as always,
yeah, yeah, both cloud andphysical and, of course, the
nerdy nests for me alsotranslates into cameras and the
gear that we use.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
I mean, at the end of the day, you know what's funny
it's like and we could talkabout what we'll expand on.
This was funny enough, likeyeah, we're called
cinematographers andvideographers and all these
different names, and.
But like I'm coming, I camefrom world where I was known as
an audio engineer, you know, andwhen I came to this world I
(14:45):
found so many parallels.
I'm like this is literally thesame thing, but dealing with the
visual and said of the audible.
But I'm like why?
But in one sphere I'm anengineer and another sphere I'm
not like.
I feel like in this case we'realso engineers because we are
(15:07):
One thing where you know we aremanipulating light.
You know we have to have afundamental basis knowledge of
how light shapes, colors and,and you know effects, an entire
scene.
Same thing with.
You know the different levelsof art, of course, composition,
different things like that.
But then there's so muchtechnical aspects Because of the
(15:27):
tools we have.
We're like wiring things.
We have to make sure all theminute settings in the camera,
each thing does somethingdifferent.
We're calculating, based on ourscene, what the ISO, shutter
speed, aperture, all that has tobalance out a certain way
depending on our goals and, ofcourse, all the extra equipment
(15:48):
on top that like, oh, maybe weneed a rig.
So we're trying to figure outhow do we get a stabilizer, a
gimbal and the camera to workwith this specific monitor and
get it all powered.
And then you know, and all thisto make sure that we get our
creative shot.
And do we need to manipulatethings with just a five by one,
(16:10):
or do we need to get a shot Fiveby one, or do we need to bring
in some six hundred these, or dowe want to diffuse or do we
want to grid on it like yeah?
Speaker 2 (16:19):
And then we're also still trying to create like a
story.
Yeah, it's like great.
Yeah, everything kind well,especially if I mean on a, on a
bigger, on a bigger set.
You know, there would be likethis guy here's the goal that we
anticipate, getting this guy'sgoing to do the lighting, this
guy's going to do that yeah.
(16:41):
I don't come from that world,you know.
I come from a very raw world oflike, grab the fucking camera
and go, you know, yeah, and Ikind of like that because it
helps me think off, you know,help helps me think on my feet.
But coming from like the ITworld, in a very technical world
(17:05):
, you know, I apply that tofilmmaking in that, like I'm
very particular with what I wantto do, with what lens I want to
put on or what you know, whatSetting I want to dial into the
camera.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Is there a particular tool that you think it's
invaluable or that maybe peopledon't use enough, that it should
be?
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, I mean false colors, definitely a good one,
because that basically justPaints a picture of how the
lights going to look on somebody.
So, like you would say, okay,this is where my level is.
Do I need to increase?
Do I need to go down?
You know that, like using atool like false color it, it
(17:54):
puts you right in the range ofwhen you need to be and, you
know, by doing something likethat you could really make any
camera look good.
You know me and my Me and mybuddy Anthony have been shooting
films on the iPhone and I gotinvolved with him.
He was like 40% done with hisfirst film and it was all iPhone
(18:18):
and I came in.
I was supposed to be just doingdrone but I ended up shooting.
And then just be sticking by hisside for the rest of the film
and obviously, in editing andand that films been out, it's
got 12 awards, amazing.
Now we're on to the second oneand we're sticking with the
(18:38):
tradition of just using aniPhone.
And you know we use an appcalled filmic pro on the iPhone
and that and false color rightin there.
And now we're going with thisnext one we're going with a
darker look.
So more stuff shot at night.
So now I'm really testing thelow light, yeah, and that's a
(19:00):
big thing, like the iPhonesensor is so small, it needs a
lot of light, so we're pushingthose we're pushing the lights,
but it's cool to see.
And Well, I also built like amount now where you can, where
you can put vintage lenses onthe iPhone, which is cool.
So we're doing a lot of the midshots with like old Canon
(19:22):
lenses.
Oh, so you just like a customlittle mountain.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
You, you figured out.
I'll show you a picture.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Oh, man, that's insane.
So you were just in.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Austin.
We were shooting because one ofthe actors was there and we had
to get a bunch of scenes.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
You're supposed to do it in close range.
We had to get a bunch of scenes.
You're supposed to do it inCalifornia but we ended up
having to Circle back and do itin Austin.
But over there we shot a lot ofdialogue.
We shot like our first dialoguescenes for this sequel movie
and looks cool.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Awesome, yeah.
So just to paint a picture,basically an iPhone, well, I
guess, with some form of case,and then this old vintage lens
just attached to yeah, with anadapter.
Yeah, wow, wow, that's amazing.
Yeah, what do you think aboutthat?
Like with the modern day, youknow now that Cameras at the
(20:22):
even the consumer level aregetting so getting up there, you
know, like almost cinema gradecameras are way more affordable,
I would say, nowadays, witheven like red at the more top,
tier, below tier, professional,and then you got black magic
there now, way more affordablethan that, yeah, with their
(20:43):
sensors, I.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
But then with the iPhone and people doing amazing
content, yeah, I mean, I thinkit's I think it's good because
it allows everybody to tell astory with and not have to have
a whole bunch of shit or thinkthat they need a whole bunch of
shit.
Yeah, I mean, it definitelychanged the industry, you know,
(21:08):
and when things become moreaffordable and you don't need as
big a team to do it, you know,it obviously shifts the industry
in a in a new direction, whichhas ups and downs.
For me, it doesn't have anydowns because I don't come from
the film world.
You know, I've never reallyworked on.
(21:28):
I think I had like twoexperiences working as a first
AC yeah, and I hated it.
You know, I got you yeahbecause?
Because it's almost like.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
We're kind of like stay taking a step back.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
You're coming from being like the director and DP,
yeah, and now getting like, okay, you're putting to the
specialized role, but it's likeand I kind of yeah, exactly, and
I kind of like the last time Iwas doing a first AC job, I just
kind of sat there and likelooked around.
I'm like who actually has Heartin what we're doing here?
There's so many people runningaround with their head up their
(22:04):
ass and I'm like who is likeSaying this looks awesome, this
is great.
Like who's actually like Idon't know?
It just seemed like there was adisconnect.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
And nobody was really like passionate about it.
Yeah, and actually that filmthat I worked on apparently
never even got made, so it waslike a 30 grand blow.
That's crazy to hear which wasridiculous because I'm like, if
that, I'm like I could have didthat with like three guys, we
(22:40):
could have did that thing.
And the actors, you know.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
I mean.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
I guess that's the nature of like, once you get to
that big level, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
And there, because it becomes less about you creating
something and more about what,like, the producers, will sign
off on and off yeah.
Because for them it's just atax write off.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
It's like, oh, that didn't work Just next it, yeah,
which seems a wild to me, but Ido appreciate that.
You know.
I appreciate that somebody likeBlack Magic makes these cameras
that are so affordable foreverybody.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
You know I always recommend them.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Obviously, the file size is a bit scary, but I mean,
if you think about it, you canget a Black Magic for like
nothing and have everything youneed.
Yeah, to be a filmmaker, do youhave to get a Black Magic?
No, you could use an iPhone.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
You're the Canon Sony yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
You're the Canon, sony, fujifilm, whatever you
need.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
And even like and you mentioned this beforehand.
We were talking earlier howlike, but still, at the end of
the day it's the file sizes aresmaller than the reds and the
bigger ones.
And now an interestingdevelopment, speaking of the
changing industry, is like evenNikon now has a way of recording
(24:02):
uncompressed raw similar to red, because red used to have that
like almost a monopoly over theindustry with their copyright on
their format.
But Nikon has officially founda way in to keep their format,
which is probably going to nowreintroduce all the other camera
companies to find their own wayif they can replicate the Nikon
(24:23):
did yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Yeah, as one company does it everybody ends up doing
it because it's now it's like arace.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
I think what we're going to see in the coming years
is like a slowdown.
Yeah, Like just in technology.
I mean, there is already like arace to have an AK camera and
AK doesn't look cinematic, atleast to me, yeah.
You know I mean, if it's planetEarth, okay, I'd want to.
(24:53):
I don't even smoke weed, butI'd want to get high and just
watch planet Earth in AK.
Yeah.
So for most film now, it'sabout not being too sharp.
I don't like a sharp look.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Which is why, like when it comes to like lenses and
stuff like that, I like toexperiment with filters.
I like to buy vintage lenses,lenses from the 70s.
I like to dabble in shootinganamorphic, where things look
really wild and really nutty.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
I love it.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Yeah, I spent a little bit of time during the
pandemic building like DIYanamorphic lenses.
So what that means, you'refamiliar with anamorphic.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Yeah, yeah, but how does one build a DIY?
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Yeah, so, basically, so anamorphic, really quick, is
basically a way to shootwidescreen on a square aspect
ratio film, and it was.
They were looking for ways inthe past to make a widescreen
(26:05):
image Cinemasque I forgot whichone Cinorama was like, where
they put three cameras, one thatwas like a that sat in the
middle and then two on the sides, and they would stitch them
together and make a wide image.
That didn't work, that lookedterrible.
I mean, back then they wouldprobably surprised everybody and
then they were like, okay, it'sterrible.
Yeah, and anamorphic is a way toget a wide image onto a square
(26:32):
four, three well, nottechnically square, but a four
three piece of film.
So what they would do is theywould shoot with an anamorphic
lens on the front of the cameraand then, after they stitch the
movie together and then it'stime for projecting, they would
put another lens on the front ofthe projector that when the
image is shot, yes, back out itwould now project in a wider
(26:59):
fashion.
Yeah, yeah.
So what you can do is you canfind these old projector
anamorphic lenses and you canget vintage lenses like Zeiss
primes and some of the Canon FDswhich I have, and you can
basically take that projectorlens and just stick it on the
front and now you have ananamorphic lens with some
(27:23):
character and with some you know, some, some interesting.
Get an interesting look from it, nice.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Have you?
What have you used that toshoot?
Speaker 2 (27:33):
I've used.
I've actually used it on atleast three music videos and I
and two promos.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Really.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Yeah, and it's just some personal stuff that I've
shot.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Of course, of course.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
That's pretty good, and you've, of course, I'm sure
you've gotten some realinteresting results yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Definitely a lot of flaring.
Not totally sharp, you almostget like.
Well, it depends on whatprojector lens you're using on
this they all have like adifferent characteristic Some
flare more, some are reallysharp.
I have three of them and I havetwo, two, one, two projector
(28:12):
lenses that are very sharp andthey're nice.
And I actually had to clean thecoating off the lens to get them
to flare.
And then there's another onethat almost gives you like a
Blade Runner.
Look where, like the edges havelike a aberration, like a
chromatic aberration to them,they're not totally sharp, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
It's kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
I like stuff like that.
I like going back and watchingolder films and seeing what was
considered like an aberrationthen.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
And I think a lot of people, you know a lot of people
do that.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Yeah, try to go back and see.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Yeah, Try to like pull in some.
I always add grain to anythingthat I do.
I think that's.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
It's part of your look.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Yeah, I like when things look a little grainy.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
Oh, that's nice.
I mean like it's definitelylike an aesthetic and it sounds
like that.
You definitely have your ownstyle and you put a lot of like.
You know that creative aspecttoo.
You know, even though you sayyou're a technical person too,
it's like.
I sense a lot of passion tocreate a video in there too, and
(29:24):
not afraid to push certainboundaries.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
And, but it also sounds like you have your own
style.
That's like, this is like, thisis the look.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
If you work with me, this is probably what you're
going to get.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
And is there any particular client or project
that you would say is very, wasvery exciting, notable, or like
just a real good?
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Yeah, I mean you mentioned that I did the make
the salient one, which was thatwas definitely notable.
It was definitely a wacky.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Tell us about it.
Ride, love to hear about it.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
So it was just supposed to be like an AT&T
thing of her just in front of ablue backdrop just talking to
the camera.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Which I do now remember had a very vintage look
to it.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Yes, so there's a story behind that.
So, basically, so it wassupposed to be her in front of
this blue backdrop talking tothe camera and we were supposed
to get 20 minutes to shoot thisTwo days before this was all at
college football.
Oh no, I'm sorry, this was allat March Madness in Houston,
texas, this past February and,oh no, this past March rather.
(30:42):
So we were supposed to have 20minutes with her and she was
going to do this in front of ablack backdrop.
It was going to be very boringand they didn't like that idea
which I was like.
Her team didn't like that idea,which I was like.
Okay, thank God.
So the other idea that that meand one of the creatives had
(31:06):
tossed around is to have herwith this phone and she would be
picking up and talking to theaudience.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
It was like a rotary phone.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Yeah, and it would be , and it would be like a little
bit more of like a story, if youwill.
You know she's not, it's notjust her on a backdrop, right,
and she's also doing the concert.
So that was a way to mix in theconcert footage.
But basically we're supposed tohave 20 minutes.
Then they were like, okay, wedon't want to do this, we have
(31:38):
to do something else.
So we had to draw somethingelse up.
That's what we drew up.
They took forever and they werelike, okay, she'll do it, but
you'll only have 10 minutes,right.
Then we get a text message likecouple hours before she's not
going to be able to do it.
And then they were like, oh no,she can do it 10 minutes.
It was like such a rollercoaster ride until the point
(31:59):
where we're in this room whereI'm like I don't even know if
we're going to get good audio inthis room because it's right
next to the stage.
Oh, man but she wouldn't walk150 feet.
Okay.
So I'm like in this room like Ihope we can fucking do this,
because it doesn't seem likeshe's interested in any of this.
(32:20):
So she gets into the room wehad to get a mic on her.
So I had her team get the micon her.
She was, and so she gets themic on and literally, like I hit
record and when I hit recordagain to stop the camera, it was
four minutes and she was out ofthat room.
(32:42):
We had to shoot that thing infour minutes.
She gave us one take of thewhole thing and then I was like
I need a shot of her saying this, I need a shot of her saying
that, and then just a couple ofclose ups and I left that room
and then she was out of the roomin four minutes.
This is literally the raw clipand I left that.
(33:03):
That was the last thing I wasshooting that day and I left
that room and I was like and Ihad to edit it.
So I'm like I don't know whatthe fuck we just shot.
So the PA is talking to me.
He's like where do you want meto put the lighting?
And I'm like, I'm like not evenlike.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
You never, ever conscious of it In the van, just
throw it.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
I just took all my gear back to the hotel room and
I'm like I got to start cuttingsomething because I need to know
that this can work forsomething, even though the
producer was like if it didn'twork that wouldn't have been on
me.
But since.
I'm shooting it and editing it.
(33:44):
I'm like you know now my mind'sworking Like I'm thinking about
all the negatives, like do Ieven have something to edit here
?
Yeah, yeah, four minutes, wow.
So I put a VHS look on itbecause I noticed that, speaking
of nostalgia, I noticed thatMeg the Stallions behind the
(34:05):
scenes video guy is only VHS.
He's shooting on VHS.
I went to her to like creativemanager.
I was like, oh, that's cool,he's using VHS.
She's like we love the VHS look, we love like old film looks.
So I was like, okay, probablyshould go that route.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Yeah, that's a good note to pick up.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
So basically the idea was like it's somebody picking
up the phone, you kind of knowit's Meg just by her voice.
But at the end we reveal thatit's her yeah, and it's her not
technically talking directly tothe audience and on a backdrop.
It's her talking to like anunknown party about how all that
she did at the AT&T block party.
(34:48):
And at the end she gives herlike that.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
Yeah, I mean, I saw the spot.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
But I had to do that with four minutes of footage.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
I was about to say I saw the spot.
I would have never guessed.
That was like a four minute.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
I'll send you the raw clip and you'll be like shit.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Wow, Actually it's funny.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
I showed Tom the raw clip and he's like man.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
Wow, well, that, I mean, that was definitely noted.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
You know, I wasn't like something like that gets me
like not nervous, but I'm likeI'm not, I'm excited.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Of course I'm excited , but I'm more excited when I
have the final product, becauseI'm like thinking you know what
I mean.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
It really shows that your, your ability, you know as
a creative, like it's creativeproblem solving.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
It's.
It's a lot like music.
You know you're, you'rereacting to things.
That's like, hey, this is whatI have to work with.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
And you, how do I make it work?
Because it's happening, it'sright now, yeah, and I was like
I need to do something becauseI'm I'm holding the ball right
now.
Yeah, this has to do somethingwith this, whatever it is, yeah,
and it's good.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
Yeah, there's always going to be problems with
everything.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
You know it's.
I write a lot of ideas and Ialways try to like write out.
This is impossible, we'll neverhave a problem, but there's
always a problem.
But it's the bigger thingswhere I'm like is this a problem
?
Yeah, so walking away with allthat footage well, all that
footage, four minutes I'm like Idon't know if it's a problem,
(36:33):
but I also don't know what thehell is going to go on here.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
So I like to think about all that.
I guess that's like a negativethinking, about all the negative
things that can happen.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Yeah, but you don't want to hold your back.
It seems like.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
What is?
Speaker 1 (36:51):
that you don't let it hold you back.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
Well, because I'm just thinking well, if this
happens, I'm going to do this,If that happens, I'm going to do
that.
I'm like planning all the butyou also shouldn't do that, but.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
I mean, I think I like that perspective because
you're also not like oh no, allthis is going to happen.
You're also not like I don'tknow what I'm going to do.
You're like, you're more sothinking of contingency plans.
I was like, okay, I'm goinginto this and I know, okay, what
can happen.
Oh well, if this happens.
(37:24):
Well, you know what I can makethat work if I do this, if this
happens, I can make that work.
If I did this, I can bypassthat.
If this goes, I can the thingthat goes.
Oh, if this camera dies, I meanI still have camera angle two
and three.
I can always cut two if anycase.
So you build contingencies andI think that's a smart way to
(37:45):
work.
You just I think it's bad whenpeople like flood themselves
with all the negativepossibilities, with zero
solutions, and they let that getthemselves frozen and like this
sea of like and so much can gowrong and have no way to do with
it.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Yeah, and and yeah.
That's bad because when youdeal with actors and you deal
with, like, people that arearound you, you don't want to
show that there's a problem.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
No.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
So like if there is a problem I'll hide it.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
And I'll, because when you're dealing with actors
that are trying to get into acharacter or trying to, or just
dealing with, like a clientwho's there, there's always a
workaround.
It may change the result, butthere's always a workaround and
you never kill the mood.
I'm a big mood person, so I tryto feel the room out and I try
(38:39):
to feel the people that I workwith out and, you know, just try
to be on a personable levelwith them, which is important
because I see, like all theselike life coaches are like how
to land the client on LinkedInand I'm like you talk to them.
That's how you land the fuckingclient.
I don't need some life coach.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Amen.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
Thing I don't need to go to your seminar.
I actually see that that's abig part of like being a
videographer on Instagram islike.
I get these sponsored ads thatare like we're going to show you
how to land your biggest clientyet, yeah, and then, and then
you go to like their profile andyou're like what is this guy
even shot Nothing, yeah I meanit's so bizarre to me.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
It just goes back to it's like you said.
You talked to them, but biggestthing is the mood.
Exactly, you make them feelgood.
People want to work with people.
They feel good If you were togo on a job.
And yes, something is not about.
Like I said, it's not about ifsomething goes wrong or when it
goes wrong.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
But the whole time you know you are working the
problem, you're the technicianhere, you're the engineer,
you're the, you're theprofessional in this field.
The client isn't the actors,aren't whatever.
You know you resolve it, butyou hold face.
The client the whole time islike you just like, oh, this
happens, we're going to makethis pivot, it's going to be
(40:02):
good.
Yeah, you know, this is justhow it's going to be.
There are more times than not,if they see you come cool and
collected about it, they're like, okay, you know, but they
pretty much take it.
They like working with you andyou work back and forth.
I bet you that even if the endresult changed slightly, for
whatever the reason, they willcome back to you every time.
(40:23):
Because if they go to someonewho's like a perfectionist, who
doesn't know how to talk to theclient, it makes it feel very
aggravated.
Or someone who can get a littlepanicky, you know, at every,
every, at the pin drop, and sothe client feels like you have
no, like no stance on whatyou're doing.
You know they want to feel goodthrough the whole experience.
(40:43):
They want to feel like I'mworking with someone who knows
what they're doing and can nomatter what happens.
I'm still going to getsomething good because he's
going to take care of me andhe's going to figure it out.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
You know, yeah, same with the actors is like, okay, I
don't need to worry if I'mgoing to look good on camera, I
just need to worry about whatI'm doing.
Speaker 2 (41:01):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
I don't need to worry about the cameraman getting
like making my best takecompletely out of focus the
whole time.
You know like stuff like that.
You know like the, because ifthey feel incompetent in you,
then they're thinking about thatstuff on top of what they're
already.
Yeah, so it's like, like yousaid, the moon is so important.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
It's like you said you just talked to.
People want to be come offprofessional.
You want to just make them feelgood.
Exactly, people want to workwith people.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
I also like to.
I like to meet people and talkto people and understand people,
you know, because it also helpsme like think of stories and
think of ideas, and it's part ofwhat we do.
This is like a conversational,like a conversational profession
(41:56):
.
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
I think it's creatives.
That's a big part of thecreative, especially if you're
making something for somebodyelse.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
Yeah, exactly, it's a lot of pulling.
Speaker 1 (42:06):
He need to get in their head.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Extrapolate their vision and how it?
Translates to what we do.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
And sometimes change their vision.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
Well, I would say help them evolve.
Speaker 2 (42:22):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
Evolve it, you know, because, of course, whereas the
professionals, sometimes peopleneed a little guidance.
Yeah.
In that department yeahdefinitely, and speaking of that
.
That's funny because, as youmentioned that, because we've
had our fair share of that, yeah, any particular ones where you
had kind of like thisinteresting proposal from a
(42:45):
client and you kind of had tohelp them guide into a more
mutually beneficial vision orjust really help them get what
they want versus what theythought they wanted, because
that's interesting, I think alot of people are going to ask
if I've ever shot a porn.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
I'll say that one more time.
Well, just help them.
Speaker 1 (43:12):
Yeah, like get their vision right in the sense that
like sometimes people think theyknow what they want, but once
they explain, kind of like, whattheir end goal is and then what
they're asking for, and you'relike, yeah, that doesn't match
the way you think it matches.
Yeah, nothing notable, I meanwell, how do you navigate that
conversation then?
Speaker 2 (43:30):
Yeah, I mean basically, when somebody
approaches me, the firstquestion is is what do you want
to do?
What are you trying toaccomplish?
And then some people have noidea.
So I have to just figureeverything out, which I don't
mind doing.
Some people have an idea,especially like with music
videos.
They know, oh, this is what wesee in our head when we wrote
(43:53):
the song, versus.
I have no idea.
So it's basically like I'lltake notes and then kind of
flush their idea out onto paperand see where it needs things
added, and then, like, read itas a whole and say, okay, maybe
we, maybe I change it up, andthen I'll usually send them a
(44:16):
change version and explain whyyou wrote that yeah like hey,
and I've never had like any.
I've never had any like pushbackor anything.
Sometimes, they'll be like oh,if we could just add this, if we
could add that.
Speaker 1 (44:29):
I think that's reasonable.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
Yeah, nothing, nothing, that stands out.
Speaker 1 (44:32):
I think also is like correct me if I wrong.
I think you really take itwhere you're, like you're really
trying to serve the client.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
So it's like when you do those changes and stuff,
it's really in their bestinterest.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
Oh yeah, of course I think that most people
understand that I've never hadlike a nightmare client.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
that has been like I think if you come off the right
way, you kind of attract peoplecan sense that.
I think maybe some peoplesometimes what I've seen is that
some people can struggle with.
I have a creative vision and Iwant to use your project to
pursue my creative vision.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
And I never.
I don't think that really everworks out, yeah no.
You got to like, if you'regoing in for work, you really
got to serve the client andthere, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:21):
And try to give them the best piece of content.
I always try to like maximizethe content.
Also, like I'll do a couple ofdifferent edits, send them a
bunch of stales, like I just didsomething with Wolf or Winery
we did a few edits and send abunch of stales that I liked
that I'd probably post onInstagram.
(45:41):
Oh nice, I just try to you know, obviously there's an,
obviously there's alwayscontracted.
We're going to do a 60 secondthis, but I always try to go
above and beyond and do a littleextra here.
I'll make an extra edit becauseI think it might look cool.
Yeah they use it, they use it.
Speaker 1 (45:59):
If they don't, they don't, I think that's then
things like that is like wherethey'll be like oh, this is
awesome, like yeah, I think whenyou, when you over deliver, in
that sense, I think it's it'swhat stands you out, yeah, it's
like what makes you even moreenjoyable to work with, because,
like, give it a hundred on thewhat they asked for, and then
(46:21):
you added that extra 10, 20%.
Speaker 2 (46:23):
And yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:24):
I don't think also, like some people, when they
think about going above andbeyond think they go like
thinking way too big about it.
Like oh let me make anothervideo, like no, not necessarily,
you can make just another editor take your favorite stills
that you think.
Speaker 2 (46:39):
I almost always do that, yeah, because I also, like
you know, I like to enjoy thecontent that I make.
I like to try to do somethingdifferent every time and no,
that's an interesting idea.
I think that's really helpfulto help you stand out.
I like archival the footage, soI literally have the first
project I've ever shot and Idon't know why I do that.
Speaker 1 (47:02):
I think that's a good habit.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
I love it Cause I'm like I like all this stuff and I
it's like digital hoarding.
Hoarder is the digital version.
That'd be a great.
That'd be a boring showactually.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
I mean depending on the content it could also be a
very scary show.
Speaker 3 (47:20):
Yeah, it actually could yeah.
Speaker 1 (47:21):
Oh man, that's a round of hole and a half.
Speaker 2 (47:27):
Yeah, oh man was there.
I think there was a question.
I don't know if I'm allowed tobring up a question.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
You could, hey, if you wrote for me.
Speaker 2 (47:35):
I think you guys asked me off air what cameras I
started with.
Yeah, pretty much the line ofcamera 100%.
Yeah, so the first ever cameraI had was a Panasonic 8 high
eight camera.
Speaker 3 (47:54):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
Yep, and that I had for years.
I actually still have it and itstill works Amazing.
After that I got another Sonycamcorder and I had a bunch of
different.
I had like two or threedifferent Sony camcorders that I
(48:15):
bought that we used to filmlike all the jackass stuff you
know, like whatever we weredoing at the time we were doing
more.
I say jackass, but it's morelike our own skits and funny
bits.
And then I got.
What was it?
I think it was a Canon 60D.
That was my first DSLR.
That was cool.
(48:35):
And then I moved up to I thinkit was a 70D.
Speaker 1 (48:39):
Nice, nice.
Speaker 2 (48:41):
And that's.
Speaker 1 (48:42):
I started with the 90D.
Speaker 2 (48:44):
The 90D?
Yeah, I don't even know that,yeah.
And then after that I got intowhat when I first went full time
, the cameras that I wasshooting, where it was the GH5.
Speaker 1 (48:59):
Okay, yeah, I heard really good things.
Yeah, it was a great camera.
Speaker 2 (49:04):
And then after that I got the Black Magix, I have a
4K and a N26Ks, and then I havea Panasonic full frame and S5,
which I really like too.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
Yeah, I've heard really good things about the S5
and the whole new S series fromPanasonic.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Yeah, I've always loved the colors of Panasonic.
They could literally matchpretty much any camera.
You can get them to match anycamera and yeah.
Oh, that's great to hear sowhen I use the GH5, I'm like,
okay, the S5 is like the fullframe version of the GH5.
(49:43):
And it actually is.
You know a lot of those oldcolor profiles that I had
created when I was shooting witha GH5 applied to the F5, which
is interesting.
Speaker 3 (49:52):
You know with Super convenient.
Speaker 2 (49:54):
Yeah, you have to tune a little bit, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (49:58):
Well, that looked out .
That's pretty good when you canliterally transfer, like those
types of presets, you know.
Speaker 2 (50:04):
Yeah, like stuff that you've used in the past, like
stuff that you've created in thepast.
One of my favorite things iscoloring, so a lot of people
will send me their projects.
That's like a service that I doalso.
Speaker 1 (50:17):
How's your view on coloring Like?
What would you say is like?
Because I know a lot of peoplekind of have different
philosophies when it comes tocoloring.
Some people are like I need toget it as like real to real life
as possible.
Some people are more like I'mtrying to tell a story by the
mood with color.
Yeah, well, it depends.
Speaker 2 (50:35):
Yeah, I mean, I've done some full, full length
films, some feature films, color, and that is very much coming
at it from like a filmstandpoint, and even in music
videos it's basically justtrying to determine what you
want the mood to be.
I don't like when things looktoo realistic.
(50:59):
You know I like a lot of likepastel colors and stuff like
that, but I don't like whenthings look too overly sharp.
That's a problem with like fullframe cameras is.
I noticed that, like there'ssometimes in content that I've
seen, like there's just too muchdepth and it almost like and
(51:22):
the edges are too sharp where italmost looks like they're on
like a green screen or something.
Speaker 3 (51:26):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
So that's something that I don't really like, and
then I also don't really youfeel like that makes it less
cinematic.
Little bit, I mean just in mytaste.
Speaker 3 (51:40):
Yeah yeah, I know.
Speaker 2 (51:41):
Like it doesn't feel like I call it the green screen.
I think other people call itthe green screen effect, but it
almost feels like they're justlike digitally added in.
Yeah, almost makes it If youdon't have like that softness,
the irony makes it more unreal.
Yeah, I mean, if you look atfilms, they're not that there's.
Unless they're shooting longerlenses, they're not typically.
(52:03):
They don't typically have thatmuch depth on, like, say, a 28
millimeter lens.
Speaker 3 (52:10):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (52:11):
If you go back and film, there's like a softness to
the edges that helps portraythat like cinematic look.
Speaker 3 (52:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:24):
But yeah, but color is definitely like a mood thing
for me.
Speaker 1 (52:28):
No, I love it.
Yeah, definitely more of anartistic approach.
Speaker 3 (52:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:33):
Visual storytelling.
Speaker 2 (52:35):
Yeah, To the next.
And also, like you know, italso helps drive what whoever
was shooting.
If it's my stuff, whoever wasshooting on set or on location,
you know, helps drive theoverall look of everything.
Speaker 1 (52:52):
Yeah, is there anything in particular, any
projects coming up that you'reparticularly excited about?
Speaker 2 (52:59):
Well, in July not too far away I'm going to be going
to the women's MBA in Vegas,shooting a little bit.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
Nice, what are you shooting for?
Speaker 2 (53:09):
For actually AT&T.
Speaker 1 (53:10):
Oh, okay, yeah, another one, another commercial
spot.
Speaker 2 (53:13):
Yeah, yeah, I've been working with a winery out on
Long Island.
I've been working with a bunchof different companies, actually
Nice.
Speaker 1 (53:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (53:23):
There's always projects moving.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
That's good.
That's good.
Okay, I have to ask thisbecause I was thinking about
this earlier.
Speaker 3 (53:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (53:32):
Was when you started to get a lot of these like
travel gigs.
You said people were reachingout to you in the beginning.
Speaker 3 (53:40):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
Was it?
Did you really, would you saymost of these gigs were just
people saying your work andasking you about it, or were you
really like also, at the sametime, reaching out to brands and
companies offering yourservices?
Speaker 2 (53:58):
No, I'd never really like offer myself up.
Speaker 3 (54:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (54:02):
I kind of feel weird about that.
Not gonna lie, I just like Ijust interact with people.
Speaker 1 (54:09):
It's all interact with brands, so just network.
Speaker 2 (54:11):
I don't even talk about like.
I just let them see my profileand if it interests them, it
interests them.
Speaker 1 (54:17):
But you do reach out and communicate with them.
Speaker 2 (54:19):
Yeah, sometimes like if it's like somebody following
me or I'll always like reach outor start a conversation and if
it's if they can benefit fromsome work, then they'll benefit.
But a lot of it is word ofmouth and I try to always like
(54:40):
keep a good attitude on set,because then people want to be
around you.
Speaker 3 (54:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (54:45):
Especially if you like solve problems, because
then they're like, oh, if he'sthere.
Speaker 1 (54:51):
You know, anything that goes wrong, he'll figure it
out.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
Yeah, I don't know if I'm that person, but it's good
to kind of try to be that.
Speaker 1 (55:00):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, based on like, justseeing your direction and seeing
what you have done and hearingthat and just meeting you and
speaking to you, I coulddefinitely see that it speaks to
just how you make people feelJust like leaving it all on the
field and people feel that,probably feel that you're
dependable and just easy to workwith, good to work with.
(55:24):
So and because for me, likewhen it comes to word of mouth,
that's a testament to that Likepeople only speak about people
they actually enjoyed.
You know that's the only peoplethey would recommend, and to
hear that most of your work camefrom that really speaks to the
value of being that type of ahard worker just being out there
(55:44):
.
But also I think it's a goodtip too, just having those
interactions being okay withopening up dialogue.
Speaker 3 (55:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (55:52):
Don't have to be salesy, you don't have to be
like hey.
Speaker 2 (55:54):
Yeah, I'm like totally not.
No, so you just like hey, Ilike your product.
Speaker 1 (55:59):
I like this thing.
I'll thank you for following methis and that, and then they'll
naturally get curious to seeyour profile, and it can benefit
great, if not.
No, yep, I got one morequestion for you.
Final question Dun dun dun.
Speaker 2 (56:14):
Oh no, I didn't shoot a porn.
Speaker 3 (56:16):
No no.
Speaker 1 (56:18):
No, did you no Almost , oh man, okay, I don't think we
have enough time for that one.
I was gonna say is thereanything in particular that you
wish you kind of knew?
Or you could have told yourselfin the beginning that you know
(56:38):
now through experience that youcould have like wish you knew
back when you were starting outand starting out more like
professionally.
Speaker 2 (56:47):
Yeah, Just believe in yourself and take the risk.
There's plenty of things that Icould say that I would have
wanted to do different, but Ithink it coming from where I
ended up now, I don't think Iwould wanna do anything
(57:08):
different except just keeptaking risks.
Speaker 1 (57:13):
Yeah, yeah, oh, that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (57:16):
I think that's simple but powerful, I think there's
like.
There is like a ladder you haveto climb to get to where you
are.
So I don't even know what Iwould tell myself.
You know what I mean?
Probably all the nerdy stuff,but that's that ladder that you
(57:38):
climb.
Speaker 1 (57:39):
Yeah, yeah, it's like okay, start learning false
colors.
Speaker 3 (57:43):
Start like all that stuff Just get this camera.
Speaker 2 (57:48):
Yeah, I mean, there's been times where I question,
I'm like, is this, like howsustainable is this?
You know, and it's almost likeyour negative self talking to
you, yeah, so it's like that hasbeen a thing that I would tell
(58:12):
myself.
Shun those ideas and just knowthat you're on like you care
about what you do and you enjoywhat you do.
At least for me, I enjoy what Ido, yeah, and that's really it.
That's probably all I wouldtell myself.
I don't wanna know too muchinto the future.
Speaker 1 (58:33):
I got you yeah.
Speaker 2 (58:35):
I like to think, I like to hang on to the edge of
the seat.
Speaker 3 (58:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (58:41):
Not know where the hell you're gonna end up.
Speaker 1 (58:44):
Live life on the edge .
Speaker 2 (58:46):
Oh.
I get that, whether it's aMcDonald's parking lot or a
Carvel, you never know whereyou're gonna end up.
Speaker 3 (58:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (58:54):
Okay, well, thank you so much for being on.
You know and working.
Speaker 2 (58:59):
The good people find you online if they wanna see
more work On Instagram at JamesMorano or jamesmoranocom.
Speaker 1 (59:08):
There you go, and of course, you can always find us
at the Vision Maker Podcast andour other exploits with Vision
Maker Productions, and thank youso much for being on.
Speaker 2 (59:25):
Of course, man.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (59:27):
Yep, see you next time.
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