Making money as a DP/ Camera Operator

rgdfilms

rgdfilms

Wet poodle
Hello dudes, dudettes,

I know a large slice of DVXusers are actually gunning it out there in the real world and making a living off of their purchase. I've been shooting and editing moving pictures for almost 10 years now. Luckily, since graduating from film school almost 2 years ago, I've had steady work as an editor working primarily in the final cut realm...

well...I am sick of editing...tired of it... the life of an editor...many hours....dark rooms...strained eyeballs....I want out!

My ultimate passion is being behind the camera but I've never actually been paid for my efforts. Funny, because I consider myself a better shooter than a cutter.

My question to all you working folks is this, how did you get your start ? I live in big los angeles where the market is more saturated than a saturation iteself.. Craigslist seems to be the death of the filmmaker (low ball rates, lotta work, etc) and Mandy.com is never a help. Should I just start pounding down the doors of production houses and news organizations with my new HVX (when I get it) ?

Thanks dudettes and dudes

:thumbsup:
 
Yea, I too want to eventually work as a cinematographer or DP and would be really interested in finding out how everyone got their start, especially those people who work on big budget features. Is it as hard to become a DP as it is to become a director?
 
I've heard its extremely difficult to land a job as DP shooting features. I'm more talking about a DP to pay the bills, doing odds and ends, reality tv work, that stuff..
 
Try and find a good shooter who is in need of an assistant. Although more producers are trying to do without the video assistant. The good ones usually still are in need. You learn about cameras, get to do some lighing, and learn a whole lot of very valuable shooting experience. Things you just can not learn in film school. The shooting will come with the connections you make.
 
i've shot a few movies as DP...one feature, looking forward to my next feature this summer. then i've shot a bunch of shorts with my stuff.

i haven't really made any money yet, but i have built my resume up to hopefully make money in the future.
 
TV is much easier then film to start out in. Many shooters I know got their start at E! and CNN, mainly because they don't pay as much as other outlets. The problem is, you don't have much shooting experience. You need to get a bit more shooting experience, then knock on those doors. Remember also, that many mainstream outlets also have web counterparts and shoot on DVX100s, XL2s, Z1s, etc. Almost every broadcast entertainment show has a DVX100 crew shooting now in addition to their real ENG crews (ET, ESPN, etc.). Plus there are many web-only outlets that I see now out there.
 
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