the time has come to figure out how the hell i should sell myself as:

Director or Director of Photography


i will be graduating soon(from the Academy of Art) and i have come to that fork in the road. i will make two Demo Reels, one for my directing track and one for my DP track. though when i meet a producer, they are going to want to know what i am.

so if all of you would be so kind to look over my work again and give me a straight solid answer on what i should be, please do so.

personally, i am leaning more toward Directing since i have more power in decision making but i feel that i excel in cinematography, no doubt. it's a hard decision, so for what position would you hire me?

i want to hear what you think.

this may determine how i present myself once i move to LA or decide on a gradute track(possibly AFI).


check me out:

Alejandro Lalinde - Director or Director of Photography

If I were you...DP.

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TacoWagonProductions
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Do you have to be one or the other?

Why not present yourself as both, just state on your resume or wherever your applying to work saying you can do either or.

If you don't look I'll force you to _=_

I think you are a better DP than a Director personally. From what I have taken from your films, your directing is unoriginal, but your images are beautiful. That is my opinion. Peace.

Thomas Verrette
tommy21485@earthlink.net
Imperial Pictures

If you are going to label yourself a DP, you need to understand the use of light. I watched all your peices, and frankly you use of light is not very good. You need better placement of key and fill lights. Your choice of color is also lacking. This all goes into being a DP. The job is not just angles.

"Pain is temporary, Film is forever"-Peter Jackson

I would put your title as Director/Cameraman, or Director/DP. Makes you more marketable if you are able to do both. Especially if you have real good camera assistant working under you.

Average day rate for most Director/DP's is 8,000 to 10,000 (10 hour days) if you are signed with an agency. if you aren't signed and are really talented you could probably get away with that rate - but you would have to have a very broad demo-reel that shows you are capable of working with talent as well as doing some excellent table top (product commercials) or car commercials.

Try submitting to these if you are serious about working, and wouldn't mind being milled out to commercials and corporate stuff either.

Orlando Management
Stacy Cheriff Agency
Montana Artists
Patty at Patty Mack Agency

there's more but i forget. those are the ones I worked with alot when the company i worked for had to hire dp's/directors or both.

good luck.

mister skye

" I won't show you tonight what requires many hours of progressive and
scientific exercises to even begin to make itself visable; besides I
would need space and air, and especially a head of steam -- which I
haven't got."

http://www.lostheadfactory.com

forget what you're better at. choose whichever you like the most. You have the rest of your life to get good at whatever you like the best.

my .02
joren

Yeah, id say dopnt limit yourself. I have worked as a D.P. on my stuff, and on other projects, but I consider my self more a director. That dosent mean i wouldnt work as a D.P. again. The more you can do, the more of an asset you are. I would say put togthere a reel as director/director of photography and go from there. Nothing wrong with being self sufficent, or wearing many hats. Good lcuk man.
R. Michael

"Luck, is when opportunity, meets preperation." "There are 3 sides to every story. Yours, mine, and the truth, and none of us are lying" -Robert Evans

quote:

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Originally posted by joren:
forget what you're better at. choose whichever you like the most. You have the rest of your life to get good at whatever you like the best.

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Touche! I'm one of the few around here who wants to DP and I think you've shown to be pretty good at it (I have a more positive outlook on your lighting than Kris I guess). Most people in L.A. have /'s on their business cards, or just leave a title off.

You can apply to both directing and cinematography programs at AFI if that's your desired destination. I can tell you the cinematography interview isn't as friendly as the directing, but it's the best program around. I totally shot myself in the foot during my interview . They threw me a hook of a question and I gave a stupid answer. I would've rejected me too. Competition is fierce there these days. They took 4% this last year. With only one week of interviews measuring 45 minutes each for 28 slots I'd like to think that put me in the top 6%. But that's all speculation .

Nota "Prefers speculation to reality" Mono

hey Alejandro,

did you have curran engel for your demo reel class?

" I won't show you tonight what requires many hours of progressive and
scientific exercises to even begin to make itself visable; besides I
would need space and air, and especially a head of steam -- which I
haven't got."

http://www.lostheadfactory.com

D.P. in my opinion.

we're all dying to know. What was the question? ...and what was your answer? C'mon, we're all friends here.

and for the record, I too think Kubrick's a great DP and a good director. And being a DP is not a bad gig at all. You hardly have to deal with actors!

I'm still on the line myself. idonknow, maybe I'll aspire to be a production assistant. Chicks dig PAs. Or maybe a hollywood teamster--move trucks and drink coffee all day. hmmm, decisions, decisions.

joren

have him next semester for Demo Reel.

have him right now for intro to producing which i am not liking too much.

he's a good guy. but don't know if he likes me so much.

ugh. i remember intro to producing. if that class taught me one thing, it was confirming that i do not have the capacity to be a producer.

i had some other guy that was working on making a biopic feature of some 60's singer. he was like sensory overload.

curran is cool, and the demo reel class is a very nice break to really get a chance to focus on your reel. i spent most of my time in the editing studio getting everything refined.

" I won't show you tonight what requires many hours of progressive and
scientific exercises to even begin to make itself visable; besides I
would need space and air, and especially a head of steam -- which I
haven't got."

http://www.lostheadfactory.com

quote:

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Originally posted by joren:
we're all dying to know. What was the question? ...and what was your answer?

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Oh geez...

They asked my why I didn't apply to the directing program (Which was a fair enough question, but one I wasn't expecting). They didn't seem satisfied with my answer that I just feel more passionate about being a cinematographer so I panicked a bit. I don't remember exactly what I said, but I think it came across as if I didn't wamt to tell any stories of my own. Not only is that not true, but it's a horrible answer. I felt like I had just committed admissions seboku(Sp?). Sure enough they rejected me.

The amazing part is that I still don't really know the answer to that question. I like directing, but I'd just rather DP.

Nota "Might apply to the directing program next year just to get out of being asked that question again" Mono