Need a helping hand.

Bubblegummonster

Bubblegummonster

Active member
Hi everyone.

Good old uncle Disney decided to make 139 of my colleagues and I redundant last month. So I've now decided to change direction in my career and leave video games behind.
Since I was around 7 years old I've always wanted to make movies. the only reason I got into video games was I felt it might be a good stepping stone into feature films.
So now that I'm at a cross roads I've decided it's time to just go for it and follow my dream.

I have a wide range of skills that I've gained at Disney over the years. I've been taught by the best Pixar/ILM and range of freelance artist that have worked on some of the biggest movies of all time. But most if these skills are all based on the computer.
I want to start making some short movies and there's just certain skills that I'd love to have some hands on experience with. My main area I'd love to learn at the moment is lighting, it's probably the area I have least experience in. Barry greens DVD has really helped me get to grip with the basics, but I really want to see these principles being used in the real world.

So after that long winded introduction, my question is, is there anyone here that works or knows someone that works in the industry willing to let me shadow them on a set, show me the ropes and just teach me some of their techniques. Obviously I wouldn't need to be paid and I wouldn't get in the way. They'd just need to be willing to answer some question ever so often (at appropriate times). And of course I could be an extra pair of hands for you.

I'm based in the UK so UK is preferable.


Looking forward to hearing from you.


Peter
 
Read lots of lighting books and try and intern at a lighting rental house. You'll learn a lot in a very short amount of time, and at the end of it you'll probably have at least a part time job. I wish I had started working at a rental house a long long time ago.

Good luck.
 
Hi Ryan.

Thank you for your advice, it's much appreciated.

I'm not really looking for a permanent job in this area, it's more for the experience and to learn as much as I can about lighting is as short amount if time so I can apply it to my own projects.

I have a few lighting books, and like I mentioned I've watched the Barry Green DVD. But I feel you just can't beat hands on experience as the quickest way to learn.
 
Bubblegummonster said:
to learn as much as I can about lighting is as short amount if time so I can apply it to my own projects.
Click to expand...

You have to be careful with this, though.

Learning basic electricity, how to pack, unpack, rig, and haul lighting equipment, and how to technically manipulate the light come very quickly when you are exposed to it all the time. Learning how to light well, being creative with limited resources, is something that comes with a lot of experience and time. Knowing what diffusion does or how many watts a light outputs is great, but it doesn't mean your images will look great by extension.

I would recommend reading Set Lighting Technician's Handbook as soon as possible. It is fully comprehensive of modern lighting technique, technology, and industry practice. Any electrician will swear by it.

The Grip Book is also handy, but it is more technical than anything and covers grip work in more detail than Set Lighting Technician's Handbook.

Working at a rental house is really a great idea, even if it's part-time and not something you're interested in doing permanently. I would also recommend getting onto as many sets as possible - big and small. Try offering your services to students at a local university with a film program. I have no idea if there are many in the UK, but it would be a good idea to be on those sets nonetheless.
 
Thanks Jordan, I'll take a look at those books I do have a few that I bought a couple of weeks ago, just haven't had time to go through them yet. They are Painting with Light (which I've heard is good). Motion picture and video lighting. The five c's of cinematography and Lighting for Film and television.

Sounds like the best route to go is to play around with my lighting kit and maybe try to reproduce scenes of some classic films?
 
Sounds like you have a skill set that could transfer quite handily to the Art Department, which could be a place to keep the $$$ (well, the £££) rolling in while you set up your move to set.

Also, if you are in need of a helping hand, you will find one at the end of your arm.
 
Hey guys, thanks for the replies.

I'm not in need of money at the moment (Disney paid me a nice package). I also have freelance work as an animator so I'm also busy with that side of things. I'm really just looking for a day or so on set to get some hands on experience before shooting my first short film for a festival. But it sounds like the experience I'll gain from that is limited from the replies I've received so far
 
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