Why you should shoot your project on an Arri Alexa or Red Epic

[hscully]

What are they directing? Feature films, national commercials like for Ford or Coke, stuff like that?

I don't see how the advice of getting experience shooting with a Red or Alexa could possibly be hurtful, if you can manage to do it.

Yeah, TV shows for cable, commercials, indy films with decent budgets and crew. The thing is that the people hiring them know that they've shot on Alexa and Red and with big old lens packages and real dollies with big G&E packages - the works.

I agree that getting that experience is very important. In my world, being able to claim that experience is huge. No doubt about that.

I was commenting more on the part of the article that claims that the director reel is the best tool for getting directing jobs. Experience with managing talent, working closely with producers and DPs to get what your going for, directing and blocking the actors and camera, telling the story as so often is said, is more the domain of the director and less the ability to capture. So I just wonder about the main idea about the director's reel

In my world of director/DP/editor/etc. the experience with these greater cameras is a HUGE plus. I do not diminish that supposition in my case.

 

[Scott F]

This is getting heated enough without getting personal, so let's not go there.

Heated? I would say at the most 'spirited'. This thread is pretty tame, comparatively speaking. Sorry for making it personal.

As for the blog post, I'm of the camp that yeah....the truth hurts. I think Sam nailed it. I don't have a dog in the fight, but my first impression (having really just skimmed the article) was that it was bordering on parody and/or trolling.

 

[morgan_moore]

I don't even really think it is parody. And some other nice articles too.

the tone is a little brusque though..

lm pretty cool at hanging cams off my mums Mazda but last week I was lucky to spend some time with a key grip who has imdb on broadcast and released features back to 1990 - who would I hire if I had the cash? Him of course.

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

What are they directing? Feature films, national commercials like for Ford or Coke, stuff like that?

I don't see how the advice of getting experience shooting with a Red or Alexa could possibly be hurtful, if you can manage to do it.

A couple of points, since the universe of discourse is 'director', I don't agree that what a film is shot on is as significant for a director's future, as this article would imply. The 'old' examples I used where at a time when no major production would 'think' of using 16mm yet these now famous directors made their break through films on that format. The story, the final film, and the 'audience' response, are the main attributes that a producer would look at in terms of 'can this director make me money'.

If the budget is $50K, and say a 20 day shoot ("Dallas Buyer's Club"(2013) was shot in 25 days, and with a $5M budget I guess they could afford an Alexa, ARRIRAW, and the crew to go with it.), at $1000/day for a 'fancy camera', that's $20K or almost 50% of the budget. The question is, what could you get for $20K other than just a 'image capture device'... say go full Indie SAG, and get some sort of 'pro' actors... perhaps an aging/fading actor to give a little boost to your production just by name identification. $20K could also go for sets/props/wardrobe/makeup/hair, etc. to make the film 'look better' on whatever it is shot.

Etc.

Sure if one gets $500K... use the better camera... but by then the director has shown that they can produce something, however that something was made.