Creating something visually interesting through a combination of the camera and light is something that drives a fire under me. It is something that I am incredibly passionate about and always seeking to improve my skill upon. I didn't always know it was something I wanted to touch, but after meeting and studying under Stephen Osborn, my eyes were opened up to this amazing process and how fun it really is. Just having an idea and saying, "What do I need to do to make this happen?" is a challenge I really enjoy tackling. As something that I am constantly trying to grow and evolve in, I am constantly adding more and more to my collection of creative light attempts and camera work and movements. Here I have included some of my personal picks in this challenging yet rewarding area.
Boxer Sequence
The "Boxer Sequence" is probably one of my favorite projects I have ever had the pleasure to work on. The idea came to me one day in class when our instructor was showing off a fog machine in class that the studio had just got in. I saw a silhouetted image someone took in the fog, and I became obsessed with that sort of look. I wanted to create something with it. Over time I started seeing more things in my head. A fighter, captivated at a TV screen, admiring and envisioning himself there as his future. Thats what I wanted to create, and that is what I set out to accomplish
Creating the scene took a lot of effort. Setting lights on a stage for color contrast and illumination was simple but time consuming and figuring out the perfect balance for the camera flashes took a very long time (I'd still change more today). We got to build a couch set out of resources we had in the studio and a blanket I brought from home, and a dolly into a greened out tv screen to key out in post was a very fun prospect. I'm grateful to my fellow peer Caleb Varney for assisting me in the shoot, and to my fiancé Daisy for getting our Talent in costume for all of his takes. It was very much a group effort and I'm massively grateful for their help in bringing my vision to life.
Car Ride Sequence
The "Car Ride" is one I wish I had behind the scenes pictures of, because it is another piece that I am extremely proud of! Unfortunately, it was a long shoot, and the last thing in my head was taking pictures of the set up (plus all hands were full). To create this look, we had our Arri 650 behind the car with half blue shining through to create the nighttime look. We had an iPad on our talents lap with a purple LED screen at full brightness to try to create more illumination from an assumed dashboard. To create the lights the subject was driving by an Arri 300 was hooked up very high on a riser to a dimmer. The motorcycle light was a Arri 150 on spot that we swung in and out of the shot, and I was shaking the car behind the camera to help with the road bumps. Overall, I think it came out pretty well, and even though I'd tweak a few things if I did it today (I'm sure we can all say that about our work), I think it holds up very well
Invasion Sequence
The Invasion sequence I made as part of my Cinematography class in my Fall 2024 semester at DACC. The goal was to show off two totally different moods in one shot, while also creating a scenario through the lighting conditions. I chose to "kill the power" to a normal dinner scene look and replaced it with a very dark image that had dynamic red light fading in and out to create the "Invasion" effect.
The below behind-the-scenes video demonstrate the light set up we used in order to accomplish the look we created in the final scene.