Welcome! I wanted to give you a clearer picture of who I am, how I work, and what I’ve learned at this stage in my career. You hire me to execute your vision, and I’m in a place of service when I do that. I don’t call extension chords “stingers” or clothes pins “C47’s”. I’ve never been one to be part of the “good ol’ production boys’ club” and have worked towards a more modern approach that is-what-it-is; a team of artists and professionals (women and men) coming together to achieve a goal.
My Modus Opperandi: I take a direct approach to communication for optimal results onset. This means dialing down the ego and gaining focus and clarity of purpose; service to the vision and my clients.
When I am on a set or location, my mind starts to work in a triage mode. In a Directing sense, I rely on my pre-planning and discussions with the client/crew to (hopefully) streamline many of the questions they would have BEFORE we are on location, and help to make sure we are on time and on budget. This may be depending on whether I have a capable, professional crew or not. I say that because, in recent years, clients have wanted more for less.
In these cases, I have to be flexible – and sometimes – pull it all together as a solo field producer. While this is not the ideal situation, it is the reality of much of the freelance industry *outside* of LA or New York.
U.S. Cycle Champ Beth Newell
When you freelance, as I often times am required to do, you will need to be flexible and put the ego on the back burner. My ultimate goal is the achievement of the vision; whether it be mine, the clients (or both) in tandem with the satisfaction (hopefully enthusiastic) of the client. Whether this is with my personal filmmaking, or promotional/corporate gigs, this means having a keen sense of compromise and sacrifice. It means UNDERSTANDING (ultimately) where my paycheck is coming from, and DELIVERING what they want.
I often times go above and beyond expectation to make absolutely sure my clients are happy with their investment in my services. In the case of my own projects, I have learned to temper my inner perfectionist to be satisfied with “excellence.” I say that in jest, but I do strive for the best image that I can, and have learned that it might not always be achievable within the scope of the project. Hence, the word “sacrifice.” Usually the client is thrilled. My inner critic is almost never satiated, but time is money, and that means shutting down the inner voice and getting it done.
Narrative set with crew
In the cases where I am hired to shoot, my onsite triage looks like this:
- What’s the vision, and how do we execute it at this location?
- What resources do we have?
- Where is the fuse box? ..the spark is important!
- How can I transform this space in the time that I have?
- What kind of lighting do we need versus the time we have?
- How accommodating is our location/host?
- What kind of coverage can I get?
- And finally, what can I let go of if I need to? (aforementioned sacrifice)
I am committed to the continuation of learning. There is never enough education you can have, but I don’t let it get in the way of the big picture. While I am on a continuing quest to learn more about the nuances of mixing hyper-focal distance and color temperatures, I am confident that the accumulation of knowledge to date will deliver my clients with what they need, and execute the stories I am grateful to tell.