MOVIE MATTERS
EXPERTS’ VIEW
In our last issue, we heard fromDavid Spurdens about the journey he made from sports photographer to action filmproducer. One young reader got in touch to find out more
HOW DO I BREAK IN?
David Spurdens Action photographer and filmmaker davidspurdens.com
I’m 18 years old and currently on a gap year. As an aspiring
filmmaker, specifically interested in documentary, I read your feature in Pro Moviemaker with great interest. I could relate to you in that I like the challenge filmmaking can bring. I want to shoot footage that seems impossible, which is what I think you are amazing at. Do you have any tips to pass on about entering the action sports film/photography industry? Thank you for your kind words. My advice would be that, at your age, you don’t need to limit yourself to just the documentary field. Instead, you should consider learning all aspects of the industry. Those with their jobs intact in the future will need to have multiple skills, so they can turn their hand to any aspect of filming. It may be you decide to go down just one road at a later point, but if you’ve got the skills to cover everything, then you’ll have given yourself choices. Also, learn all you can about photography, even if it’s filmmaking that primarily interests you. Stills will be relevant for a very long time yet.
“Mymain advice is to be polite, fair, thoughtful and to listen to those who knowmore than you”
I was luckymymumand dad bought me a camera when I was your age. My dad owned a football magazine, so I sat on the touchline during games and learned through trial and error. If I had my time again, I’d consider going on to further education to help smooth out some of the bumps. That route can be a good idea if you work hard and the course is teaching skills relevant to today’s industry. An alternative might be getting in on the ground floor with a production company: by gaining experience you can learn new skills every day. Right now, the industry is moving so fast it’s difficult for me to offer advice on what’s coming next. Whatever it is, it will be a challenge for me, too. You’ll have to learn fresh skills and they will be another string to your bow. Listen to your heart: if you think it’s a good shot, film it and see: there’s nothing to lose and a lot of knowledge to be gained. My main advice, though, is to be polite, fair, thoughtful and to listen to those who knowmore than you do. I still listen to people and read books by the old filmdirectors because, even at 54 years old, I’m still learning every single day!
Although it’s possible to take decent quality images frommoving footage, you still need to know how tomake a striking still image and then be capable of editing this in Photoshop to a high professional standard. So, if you’re asked during an interviewwhether you can handle stills you can say yes, and that will be a positive blend of skills. Remember, when you sit down for an interview in front of a prospective boss, they aren’t looking for an Oscar- winning camera operator. Rather, they’ll be hoping for someone eager, enthusiastic and as willing tomake tea for everyone as they are to stay late and help out with a tough project. Those that fit into that bracket will get noticed and be given opportunities. It’s a tougher job than people imagine: the hours are long, the pay not always as great as hoped, the customers can be tricky and you’re only ever as good as your last piece of work. Having said all that, it’s a fun business to be in. You can see the world with a camera and it’s amazingly fulfilling to see your work on TV or in the cinema or amagazine. The industry is interesting and you’ll encounter really nice people along the way.
IMAGES The ability to take striking still images is a useful skill
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SUMMER 2019 PRO MOVIEMAKER
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