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If you’re someone who lives in Brooklyn and, like me, still enjoys film photography, there are three spots you should know about!
Photo Life 992 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225 Photo life is my go-to spot for developing. They have it ready within an hour and charge just $5 to develop and scan a roll of 35mm color film, and $8 for black and white or 120mm film. By far the quickest and most affordable place I’ve found to digitize my film shots! Photodom 1717 Broadway Suite 208 Brooklyn, NY 11207 Dom recently opened Brooklyn’s first Black-owned camera shop! It’s right on Broadway by the Chauncey St JZ stop, so a perfect location for me. He sells film, including rare and hard-to-find expired film rolls (I bought one from 1993!) and film cameras/accessories. But what’s more is that he has a huge line of awesome film nerd merch from hoodies to fanny packs, lighters to rolling papers. His shop is a must-visit for any photography lover. Brooklyn Film Camera 203 Harrison Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11237 BFC likewise carries analog photography cameras, film stock, and other gear. And they do it all out of a super cool East Williamsburg warehouse location. These guys carry my all-time personal favorite film stock (CineStill!) so I’ll be a customer of theirs for the foreseeable future. They also recently did a collab with the Met and had an 8x10 polaroid station set up at Elsewhere.
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Last week I finally made it to Fotografiska New York. After 8 years at the original Stockholm location, the brothers who run Fotografiska decided to open up an NYC location, celebrating its grand opening in December 2019. It was a short-lived run, however, as soon thereafter they had to shutter due to covid-19. When I got an email saying they were re-opening at reduced capacity with new health and safety measures in place, I knew I had to go!  281 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10010 At the time I was working on writing my bio for a photography contest (if you’re creative I’m sure you can relate to that painful process), and really needed some inspiration. I decided to finally get up and get out to Fotografiska where I planned to pay special attention to the artists bios and other writings which accompanied the images. And of course, photographic inspiration is something I’m always looking for anyway, and museums are a great way to find just that–as I wrote about here. Fotografiska is not technically a museum–since it has no permanent collection and is for-profit. And while the experience is definitely like that of going to a museum, you can tell there’s something different about this place. Everything about it exudes “cool” from the items they carry in the gift shop, to the works they show, and to the building itself! It’s housed in a national historic landmark building, whose Renaissance Revival–style exterior is a sight to be seen. Inside the stairwells and elevators all feature wall-sized photographs that remind you that you’re in a place where contemporary photography is what it’s all about. Perfect for what I was looking for!
Housed inside were 6 exhibits across 4 floors. The top floor featured a small exhibit of protest photography, but was primarily a bar/cafe space, which looked like it must have been really swingin’ before covid-19. However, devoid of people (besides me) and with an empty bar setup, it felt more like an attic of an old European estate, which is cool in its own right.
 The next floor down featured an exhibition of video portraits of death row exonerees, with speakers playing audio interviews of the exonerees telling their stories. It was very moving, unsettling, and powerful. Its power was somewhat diluted by the physical experience of it, however. The screens were pretty close to each other, so while you couldn't see 2 at the same time it was hard to focus on one story without being distracted by the sound coming from the one next to it. Also it was so dark that walking from one screen to the next, sometimes having to take turns, felt very treacherous. I would’ve taken out my cell phone flashlight if there weren’t other people on the floor with me. The remaining 4 exhibits shared the remaining 2 floors. One in particular, a collaboration with VICE, was definitely in keeping with Fotografiska’s ultra-cool vibes. It featured works from quite a few young or up-and-coming photographers from all over the world and right here in NYC, which is something I really appreciated. Reading these folks’ bios helped me come to a revelation: most bios aren’t great, so stop sweating so much about yours! Haha Overall all of the works hung at Fotografiska were awesome and inspiring, it’s 100% worth a visit. Right now tickets are only $24, and you do need to reserve a specific time for admittance. You can do so here. To get there take the 6 train to 23rd St and take the Northeast exit, you’ll find Fotografiska right at the top of the stairs!   Prunus mume I’ve been proud to serve on the staff of Brooklyn Botanic Garden as the Photographer/Video Producer for one year now. To celebrate my one year anniversary of bringing people close to the world of plants through my photography, I thought I’d share my top 5 tips for taking excellent botanical photos. 1. Set a wide aperture for a blurry background and select focus. Setting your aperture to a wide setting (5.6 or wider) will help you achieve the blurred background effect that has become super popular in recent years (think Humans of New York). I find that this technique lends itself splendidly to plant photography. Just be sure to take your time when focusing, part of what makes this effect so dynamic is when your subject in pin-sharp! I recommend using the viewfinder (not the led screen, if you have one) and focusing manually, leave the auto-focus to wider shots or those with a deeper depth of field!  Lychnis chalcedonica 2. Play with saturation. If you use Photoshop, Lightroom, or some other photo editing program, I recommend you play with the saturation levels for different effects. People often add saturation, but one thing I like to do from time to time is de-saturate! You might be thinking: aren’t the vivid colors part of what’s appealing about botanical photographs? And yes that’s true! But I also think desaturating can result in some very striking images as well, as in the example below.  Plumbago auriculata 3. Get close. Related to #1, getting up close and personal with your subject can result in some really cool images, especially with botanicals and other natural subjects. Details will really pop and you may notice features you didn’t observe with the naked eye. You’ll need some good glass (lens) to do this. A macro lens would be best, but I get by with a nifty fifty (50mm prime lens).  Zinnia elegens ‘Queen Red Lime’  Aloe ferox 4. Get wide. The flipside to #3, a wider shot which includes multiple plants (and even insects like in the example below) can help communicate the diversity of plant life in a given environment, whether controlled as the Garden is or in the wild, and give viewers more of a sense of space. Multiple subjects can contribute to a nice and rich image.   Prunus ‘Okame’ 5. Remember the leaves! Flowers are gorgeous, but plants have so many interesting and attractive features to notice. Pay attention to leaves, stems, bark, seeds, fruits, and other features as well. Ignoring them would do a great disservice to both your photography and the Plant Kingdom itself!  Monstera deliciosa  Tropaeolum majus In the video below, I give you a brief tour of my live-work home studio. See how I organize my space, what things I think are helpful to have in a photography setup, and a few niche tips based on my own experiences running my own solo photography business. The Yashica A is a TLR (twin lens reflex) camera produced during a 10-year run from 1959 to 1969. I recently bought myself one of these antique cameras, and am excited to share with you how they work, and how to have some fun with them!  This camera is physically quite different from most cameras people are used to seeing. As opposed to being a horizontal configuration, this device is actually taller than it is wide. Additionally, there are two lenses on its front (hence the name: Twin Lens Reflex). This is because one acts as your viewfinder while the other is the one that actually lets light onto your film when you click the shutter. (One nice thing is that the lens cap covers both the viewing lens and the picture taking lens, so you’ll see only black if you’ve left it on, a nice reminder!) With such an unusual appearance, you might get some curious head turns when you’re using a TLR out and about, it’s definitely a conversation starter! One of the first things you’ll likely notice that’s unique/different about operating this style of camera is that you hold the camera to your chest and look down into the viewfinder from above, instead of bringing the camera to your face and looking out in front of you. This kind of viewfinder takes some getting used to, as things in the viewfinder are mirrored and therefore might feel like they’re moving backwards from what you're "telling" it to do based on your movements. So it’s a little counter intuitive for those of us used to more modern cameras, but you’ll get used to it quickly! This camera uses 120mm medium-format film (like the Holga we talked about a few months ago). However, unlike the Holga, the images I took with the Yashica were very crisp, honestly surprisingly so. The manual film advance means you can do double exposures and other things that I do love about the Holga. However unlike the Holga the film advance is very solid and tight. Definitely good if you want to be precise when lining up your exposures. One more difference between the two is that the Yashica has a much wider range of aperture and shutter speed options, making this a real nice upgrade for people who want to take their medium-format film photography a bit more seriously. To start you lift up the top to access the viewfinder, which is you’ll see on the floor of the little chamber created by the metal wings you’ve just lifted up. If you need a little help focusing, you can press on the "Y" on the front of the top hatch you lifted to pop out a magnifying glass! To return the magnifying glass to its place, simply push it back. Focus and film advance are controlled with knobs on the side of the camera body, while shutter speed is adjusted by twisting the wheel surrounding the lens. Lastly, aperture is set by moving the small onion-shaped pointer to the desired f/stop, indicated by the numbers on the black band to the right (when looking at the camera) of the lens. To click your picture, press the silver button at the bottom-left (again, when looking at the camera).    Press the "Y" to extend the magnifying glass  The viewfinder with magnifying glass extended, seen from above I go over all of these settings/functions, and how to load the camera with film, in the video below. BONUS: while adding the film I accidentally rolled past the first few exposures because I couldn’t see the tiny numbers through the video screen haha. So an unplanned lesson on an alternative way to achieve double exposures! Shoot your roll, roll it up, then re-load it into the camera and shoot it again! You’ll likely be very surprised by the results unless you’ve kept a very accurate log of your shots. But that’s part of the fun! If you do get your hands on a TLR camera, I’d love to see what you shoot with it! Get in touch with me here, on Instagram, or on facebook and share some of your pics! Here are some I’ve taken with my Yashica A below:  All you need is a camera and a way to get around If you find yourself struggling with a case of “photographer’s block”–not knowing what to shoot next, or even how to get started–a great way to get your creative juices pumping is to go on a photo hike! A photo hike is when you set out with your camera with the simple intention of exploring and taking photos. You walk through the door with no specific ideas in mind, no shot list, just letting the wind–and your camera–take you on a journey. There are many ways to do this. You can set out with the goal of taking a specific number of photos, or just plan to travel between point A+B, camera in hand, snapping along the way. Personally, I’m a fan of the latter option. I just pick a point on the map, go there, and make my way back. Last year I spent a few months in Taipei, Taiwan. An awesome city with so much to shoot to be sure, but often what I ended up photographing on my own photo hikes were the mundane, everyday things. A lamppost, building facades, motorbikes, flowers, etc. So really, you can do this anywhere.  Stamp from Taipei 101 MRT Station In Taipei, I had an easy way to gamify things. You see, each Taipei Metro (MRT) station has a unique stamp, which they have set up by the info booth with a pad of ink colored to correspond with the line (black for transfer stations). And I made it my mission to catch ‘em all! So during my time there, I did indeed visit every one of the city's 111 stations (the yellow line wasn’t running yet) and get my stamp. An unnecessary completionist task to be sure, but it was more about the journey than the destination. “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” - Bruce Lee My strategy was this: ride the MRT to the terminus of a given line, pick up a ubike, then cycle my way along the line. I’d pop into stations to collect the stamp as I passed them, and photograph the city all along the way. Setting out just before sunrise each morning with a mission in mind was pretty magical. It was so much fun and such a great format for exploring the city. And the result was THOUSANDS of photos, about 60 of which I ended up turning into a solo exhibition featuring photos from my time there.  Taipei just after sunrise (shot on iPhone) Want to plan your own photo hike? Here’s how to do it! Grab your camera, pick a place, and go! I recommend doing so on bike or by foot versus by car. It’s fun to choose far-off destinations, just make sure you have a return plan. Keeping your route along public transit lines is good for this. Once you’re tired out you can just hop on the train/bus home! Otherwise if you do set out on a bike just be sure not to exhaust yourself going one way. Because remember, you still have to get back! Here in NYC, I’ve just picked places that looked cool on google maps. Just find your spot, drop a pin, and set your navigation to go.  You can do a photo hike with any camera! This was taken with my iPhone (ps that orange bike is one of the ubikes I mentioned)  "the best camera is the one that's with you" - Chase Jarvis (shot on iPhone) Make sure you keep your camera handy, either in your hand or slung around your neck/shoulder. If you’re using your phone, keep it in a readily accessible pocket. You don’t want to give yourself any reason to say “nah” when deciding to take a shot. If your camera is zipped away, that hestation could mean the difference between spontaneously snapping away, and deciding that the shot isn’t with it and you’ll wait for the next one. That’s what we want to avoid! Make it easy for yourself to shoot any and every shot that piques your interest. If you decide you don’t like it when you’re reviewing your shots at home, you don’t have to post/publish/share it anywhere. It’s that simple! For every shot I share there are dozens I left alone.
It’s also fun to give yourself a reward/incentive at your destination. In Taipei it was the stamps and an iced latte once I got to my starting spot. It can be anything. But whatever it is, make it fun!  What is the 48HFP The 48hfp is a filmmaking competition where participating teams have just 48hrs to write, film, edit and submit a short (4 to 7 minute) film. The films must be original, and to ensure that, each year the filmmaking teams are assigned a character, a prop, and a line of dialog that aren’t revealed before the kickoff event. What’s more, each team will be given a genre their film must adhere to, which they likewise are unaware of prior to the kickoff. At the kickoff event, team leaders will gather at a predetermined location where the organizers will have each team draw their genres from a hat, and will announce the required elements at the official start time. Usually 7pm local time. The character, prop and dialog are the same for all teams, while the genres vary. Understand A few key things I think are important to consider before participating the 48HFP: It’s a lot of work, I think people (myself included) can underestimate how draining it is. Tensions will likely run high at least at some points over the course of the weekend, you’ll probably be physically and mentally exhausted, AND so will everyone else on your team, so everyone needs to understand what they’re getting themselves into, and be ready to accept the workload. Your film will not likely be a masterpiece. You’ll probably get some decent footage for your reel. And make something fun that you and your friends can enjoy and feel proud of. But with all the time constraints and the fact that you have to jam random props, characters and dialog lines into it, combined with the fact that you might be making a film in a genre that doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t count on creating your Magnum Opus. In short, keep your expectations low when it comes to the final product. It’s not free. And not only do you have to consider the entry fee. Consider eating takeout for an entire weekend (unless you expect to have time to cook!). Remember you’ll likely be purchasing batteries, thumb drives, extension chords, props, and whatever else is required as far as filmmaking supplies. Your teammates will likely want to attend the premiere, which means buying tickets. Etc etc. Suffice to say, there’s some coin involved! If after reading the above you’ve decided you’d still like to proceed, congratulations! You’re one of the crazy thousands of us around the globe who do this year after year. Now read the rest of the blog for advice on how to make the most of it, and learn from my own successes and mistakes! Registering for the 48HFP Find out the dates of the filmmaking weekend for your city, and keep an eye out for the registration deadlines. Look out for the early-bird deadline to save some money! Most cities offer a lower price for teams who register in advance. Decide if your team is going to split the fee, in my case I considered myself the producer and paid it outright, but in the future if I have people on board ahead of time I’ll probably suggest we split it. Assemble a team There are 3 types of teammates:
I’ve put together teams consisting entirely of people I found, one where it was entirely people I knew and their friends, and I’ve done a mix. It all comes down to how hard people are willing to work. I can’t say one is better than the other, but there’s a clear advantage to understanding the personality of someone you’re planning to spend a very exhausting weekend with. So if you are working with people who are strangers to you at the start of the project, be sure to at least have a conversation with (and preferably meet) them in advance! A few things you’ll need to be sure to plan/recruit for: First and foremost, figure out what your role as the team leader will be. Most often it’s director, producer or both. Roughly speaking in the context of the 48HFP the producer is the person who recruits the team, makes sure all the paperwork is assembled and completed, keeps the team on schedule, etc etc. Whereas the director is on set making sure the cinematographer/camera people and actors are getting what’s needed to make the film, and in the editing room working through the footage with the editor to ensure the film comes to life. If you're going to have someone else take on one or both of these roles, I highly recommend it be someone you've collaborated with before and trust! An editor (and an editing setup that comes with them if you don’t have one to provide them with) You need someone who knows they’re way around video editing software, such as Adobe Premiere. And even better if they have their own software and setup to use throughout the weekend. You’ll need to secure this equipment one way or another. You can film on an iPhone, but editing on one would be a nightmare. So if you don’t have the necessary equipment yourself, explicitly state that you’re looking for someone who does while recruiting your editor. In an ideal world everyone wears just one hat, but usually with the 48HFP we don’t have that luxury. I will say a pro-tip is for the director and editor to be the same person if at all possible, because having the editor innately know what goes where will save a boatload of time. If that isn’t feasible, I would at least ensure the editor is very familiar with the story, maybe even insist that they sit in on the writers’ room. No matter what, ensure they have everything they need to understand the story and piece the film together. The director should also check in with the editor every time they’re dropping off footage to be certain the editor knows what they’re looking for and how to use it.  Editor/Director Emily Felder hard at work Writers The people who make up the writers’ room vary project to project. It’s common for an entire team to sit together in one room and brainstorm a story idea. The benefit of this is that everyone gets a say, so no idea “stone” is left unturned. Another very valuable benefit to this approach is that the entire team understands the story inside and out, so you don’t have to spend any time bringing people up-to-speed while the project is in full swing. Usually with this setup spending the time to writeup a screenplay isn’t totally necessary, an outline and storyboard will suffice. Another setup is to have one or several dedicated writers, usually people with some sort of background and skills in this type of thing. The team leader provides them with the required elements and genre, then they get to work! If this is your setup, I recommend asking them to actually write the film as a screenplay which you can email to the entire team *especially* the director, editor and actors before first call the next morning. Lastly, but perhaps most common, is for the team leader and one or two of their friends to write the film and then tell the crew what they’ve written the next day. As I mentioned, 48HFP participants tend to wear a lot of hats! So this ends up making the most sense a lot of the time. In one instance, me and my director went to the kickoff, and came up with the idea for the film during our drive back to home base. Then we spend the night turning it into a storyboard and getting our teammates acquainted with the story.  Writer Dan Meegan surrounded by the results of the night's brainstorm Cinematographer/Camera Operator(s) Like editors with their software and setups, you’ll need to find a cinematographer with a camera. Having multiple cameras (even a recent model iPhone) can be a blessing and cut the time it takes to film, as you can film multiple angles simultaneously instead of changing your setup for every needed shot. If you can find multiple camera operators that’s great, however I’ve gotten by with just one camera person (usually me) on every 48HFP I’ve done and having just one camera person was never a problem for our projects. Sound and Lighting Good audio is immensely important. You should 100% use external mics, so if you don’t already have some ask your crew and other people in your network if they could lend them to you. And if that fail, just buy some! If filmmaking is going to be an ongoing hobby, you’ll need them again and again, so they’re a modest yet crucial investment. A nice set of lavaliers for dialog-heavy scenes and a shotgun mic that goes onto the shoe mount of your camera should suffice. But if you can add a boom and boom operator to your team that’s even better!  Actor/Boom Operator James Vitz-Wong on set BONUS: Hair, makeup, costume design I think most teams usually just tell their actors to show up looking a certain way, and that’s how we’ve done it for most of my films. However one one of our projects we had an amazing hair, makeup, wardrobe and prop person who really elevated the production value of the film. Highly recommended if you have someone who knows what they’re doing when it comes to this stuff!  If you get someone as skilled as Hair/Make/Wardrobe/Props Specialist Rachel Driver, your films can have crazy gunshot wounds, and more! With Actor Coralie Bastiens Timeline Pre-Meeting I recommend having a pre-project meeting if at all possible. This could be the night before kickoff, or even day-of. The pre-meeting is a good opportunity for your team members to get to know each other, and for you to give an orientation for everybody on what to expect from the weekend. The project is a TON of work, so it’ll make things much more manageable if your teammates know what their role is, and understand the stress everyone will be under, and how to best help the team succeed. This is also a good opportunity to take care of the releases and numerous other pieces of paperwork the 48HFP asks you to fill out. Make it fun, have some food and drinks and play some get to know you games. It’ll be good for the team to get to know each other in a low-pressure setting before the heat is on! Launch The launch is usually a shit show. No shade to the organizers, it’s a big job! But don’t expect it to be organized, timely, or to go smoothly. 2 people should go to the launch: team leader and whichever team member they like hanging out with most, they might be there a while! It’s nice if you can have the writers gather together at homebase in the meantime. That way as soon as the teammates at the launch get the genre and required elements, they can text the writers’ room and have people get to work on crafting the story! Writing Here’s the first big hurdle - writing your story! The best advice I’ve ever read when it comes to writing stories is: it must feature someone who wants something. THAT’S IT! It sounds so simple, but so important. So my advice would be this: start with your genre. What character and thing that character wants would make sense for that? A film featuring a soldier who wants revenge on the man who killed his best friend might not make a good romance. But a story about a soldier trying to save his best friend could make a good action film indeed! So your genre will help determine who you decide the main character to be and what they’ll be after in the film. Keep in mind you only have 4-7 minutes, so the story needs to be pretty straightforward, and something that could be communicated in just a few scenes. There is a character you’ll be assigned as one of the required elements, it’s up to you if you want this character to be the main one, but they must appear in the film somehow! All you’re given is this character’s name and occupation, so they could likely be molded to fit virtually any story, just give it some thought! The other elements, prop and line of dialog, can be incorporated however you want. I’d caution however that one mark of an amateurish team is one that makes a hammy joke out of these. After you’ve seen 12 of the tongue-in-cheek teams using the required banana as a telephone, you’ll get tired of the gags. Try to take your film somewhat seriously. You’re putting a lot of work into this, it can be fun and can have jokes, but it shouldn’t itself be a joke. The logistics and timing of filming are something your writers should be keeping in mind. Don't write a classroom scene unless you have access to a classroom, don't write a child into the script unless you have a child actor on the team, etc etc. Fairly obvious but very important to remember! Shooting Shooting should start as soon as possible. If you can squeeze a scene in Friday night, great! Otherwise, plan to start filming early Saturday morning. You should have your locations secured and equipment organized well in advance. Have the crew set up while giving the actors time to go over their lines, then once everyone’s ready, lights, camera, action! Pro-tip: have not only extra batteries for the camera(s) you’re using, but extra chargers as well! I’ve been held up quite a few times by dead batteries, because we couldn’t charge them as fast as we were using them. So a lot of time got wasted just waiting for batteries to charge. Don’t make that mistake! I recommend shooting your first scene, then immediately bringing that footage to the editor. That way they can get scene 1 edited while you’re shooting scene 2, scene 2 while you’re doing scene 3, and so on. Also, scenes don’t need to be filmed chronologically. I recommend shooting them in order of their crucialness to the story. Also bear in mind if something needs to happen while it’s light out, you’ll need to get it filmed before sunset, and other similar environmental considerations. A huge portion of filmmaking is planning and organization, so make sure to spend plenty of time considering the logistics! Editing This is the real danger zone, the editing is what brings it all together. Make sure you have someone who knows what they’re doing. It’s hard because you largely have to go with whoever has the needed equipment. If your editor drops the ball you’re screwed, more so than any other crew member. Therefore, it’s crucial your editor has everything they need to succeed. Importantly, this includes a thorough understanding of the story. You don’t want to have to sit down with the editor and explain to them where every bit of footage is supposed to go. They should be ready and able to run with whatever shots you dump on their lap. A good way to achieve this is to have them sit in on the writers room, but if that’s not possible, be sure to get them a screenplay or at least an outline and storyboard. Additionally, each time you drop off footage, spend a few minutes explaining what scene(s) it is you’re giving them. Additionally, if you know for sure which take you want them to use, indicate that somehow! Drop off This is the finish line. The moment of truth. The deadline to drop off your film. It must by on a *physical* storage device, either a DVD or a USB drive. So you have to drop it off in-person, and on-time! Twice I’ve exported my film on a laptop while waiting in line at dropoff, very stressful! Recommend avoiding that drama at all costs if at all possible. In order to do that, I recommend the following:  Me and Editor/Director Emily Felder exporting on the sidewalk
 Actor Quang Milligan sleeping on set after a long night of filming So, to recap, my recommended timeline for a successful 48HFP weekend is:
BONUS - Poster One thing a lot of the 48HFPs do is tell you design a poster for your film and submit it before the screenings to be considered for a prize. In my experience they don’t really tell you this until the Saturday (2nd day) of the filmmaking weekend. So if you think this is something you’d like to participate in, maybe recruit an artist/designer while you’re recruiting the rest of your team. I definitely recommend it as it’s something cool to share with the team and you can use it when posting about your film on social media. And if you win a prize, even better! Screening This is where your film has its big-screen debut. Decide how you’re gonna make this special. Maybe your entire team can meet up for dinner or drinks afterwards. During the screening itself they’ll show all the films that were submitted. Or in bigger cities all the films from your screening group. After the films have screened they’ll collect ballots for the audience choice award. You’ll have to vote for several films to keep it fair, so don’t be shy about voting for your own! As team leader one curve-ball they throw you is: after all the screenings are done, they’ll bring all the directors to the front of the theater to answer questions. I’ve done this 4 times in 4 different cities, they all do this yet not once have they ever given any advance notice, so consider yourself warned! The questions are always: what was the best part? And what was the worst part? So if you get stage fright, just have a generic and brief answer ready, and keep it moving! Promo Figure out what you’re gonna do with your film after it’s done. Hopefully it’s something you’re proud to share! Usually teams simply upload it to youtube/vimeo and share via social media. But some teams create accounts specifically for their films to help promote them even further. Whatever you do, it’s something you and an entire team put a lot of work into, it deserves to see the light! So, there you have it, my (not so) complete guide to a successful-as-possible 48HFP weekend. To be honest making these films has always been an extremely rewarding experience, without exception! So despite (or perhaps because of) all the challenges, I do recommend you give it a shot. I imagine I might think of more things to add to this post as time goes on, so check back periodically for updates. In the meantime, please share comments and questions in the discussion below. Happy filmmaking!  Michael posing for Robert Siegelman in his Boston studio This week's post is from a good friend and fellow photographer, Robert Siegelman. Siegelman works primarily in drawing, photography and artists books. He teaches at Tufts University in Boston, and works with artists privately. His work is in many collections including the Boston Public Library, Harvard, MIT, The Leslie + Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in New York City, The Leather Achives in Chicago, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Notable exhibits include shows at the Leslie + Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, and “untitled male id” at the Angus-Hughes Gallery in London. In 2017 his drawing installation, “Do You Worry a Lot” was exhibited at the Winfisky Gallery, Salem State University. In 2018 a one-person photography exhibit, titled “In the Flesh” was held at HallSpace in Boston MA. Some of the images in this blog post contain nudity, and may be considered "NSFW", please proceed accordingly  I am an artist and fine art photographer who has been working and teaching at the university level for nearly 40 years. Both photography and drawing are important for me. They are the cores of my work. I also make installations both in my studio and in nature. In photography I work in portraiture and nudes with men of all ages. I am looking at how to represent men as sexual beings while showing my subjects’ vulnerability and tenderness. The work may be sexually explicit but, in the end, it is about our need for intimacy and connection. I work toward making visible images of men that run counter to how we normally see the male represented in culture and in the media. In this piece I want to talk about my work, it’s content, and some of the logistics of working with nude models.  My photography work is primarily studio-based. I use my studio as a blank slate and also as a kind of character in the work. While I have a wall hung with black fabric backdrop and another painted a clean white, I also have one with big industrial windows in which I place mirrors, photographs and other objects that have meaning, and underline the personal content in my work. Mirrors show up a lot in my work. The model is often shown reflected in these mirrors, so that multiple angles can reveal the models body and personality. Photographing the male nude is a very personal exploration for me. While I am clearly looking through my camera’s lens at the model, my search is a much wider one. I am looking at the model but I am also metaphorically looking at myself, and my relationship to the model. I wonder who this person in front of me is, but I also am asking who I am. The portraits I make are as much self portraits as they are portraits of the model. More and more I am also appearing in the photographs with the model.  This inclusion of the photographer started many years ago after I asked a model if I could touch his face while I photographed him. I realized in looking at this image, that I had broken through the invisible wall of the photographer being completely behind the scenes–behind the camera. I felt that I, in doing this, had implicated myself in the interaction and allowed the viewer to enter the act of seeing and touching as well. This was a kind of breakthrough moment for me. I was entering the picture and not just directing the model. I could explore more of my own desires this way, and the pieces could become even more about my relationships with the models and with men in general. Over the years I have been including myself more and more in the work, through touching the models’ faces to other parts of their bodies. Some of these have become pretty explicit, and in some cases I am also nude in the photographs. The model and I may both be in front of the camera. From time to time I have used a remote or the camera’s timer to realize these pictures. In many pieces I appear in one of the many mirrors that line my studio. I am reflected while taking the picture and simultaneously appearing with the model, whose own reflection may also appear in the image. The act of taking a picture and being in the picture is recorded along with the model and their reflection. Sometimes the mirrors are at angles and leaning on one another in such a way as to create a kind of “cubist” fragmenting of the image. For me this is a statement on the way we see and take in ideas in multiple ways and find meaning and desire from sometimes conflicting feelings. It is also a nod to art history, an inclusion I find important. There often tend to be little art historical quotes in the work.  The mirrors in my photographs are about looking inward. We look at ourselves in a mirror often in very prosaic ways, to shave and make ourselves presentable. We also look into mirrors to see who we are and examine ourselves. We look into mirrors to see who we are on the inside, as well as to see how we think others may perceive us. My work explores these ideas of how we see and look at ourselves and each other. I am looking at my experience and identity as a queer man and exploring issues with aging, desire, memory, body positivity, and loss. While many see my work as being erotic or homoerotic–and it is–the work is also very introspective, and sometimes melancholic. I strive to layer my work with meaning and possibilities for the viewer to explore. I seek to show men in a variety of ways in which we are not usually represented. I want show men with their vulnerability in place. I want to show men being tender and intimate. I want to show men questioning who they are. As I said earlier the mirrors are meant to be a metaphor for looking into and at ourselves and for exploring our inner lives. Another element that is often reflected in these mirrors is an American flag. I have one draped over a piece of furniture in my studio. On occasion it is used as a backdrop for portrait work, but more often it has become a casual and regular presence. My studio is a private place and I strive to make it a space that is very comfortable to work in for the model and for myself. The flag stands for the ever-present sense of turmoil and anxiety that the current government (regime) injects continually into our lives. The flag is a representation of my anxiety. It is a metaphoric and actual backdrop in my work, and a scary presence in my life. I want the flag to be a character or player in the work, and to express the near constant worry I feel about the current political climate.  I have worked with nude models since my first figure drawing classes as an art student many decades ago last century. I teach drawing, and the nude model figures prominently in my classes. It is a convention in teaching and art-making that goes back many centuries. While there have always been both male and female models utilized by artists, art schools and academies, traditionally it had been the female nude that was prominently represented in painting, early photography, and also in advertising. The male “nudes” that we are most commonly familiar with are in the religious pictures and paintings of Jesus. While these painting usually depict a handsome European-looking man, they are not intended to have erotic content. Yet they do. In academia nude models are always thought of as chaste. There have been many conventions over the years as to their use in classrooms and studios. At one time drawing classes were separated by gender. There are still places where male models are required to wear a posing strap. We are told that sexuality is meant to be private, but in advertising it is a primary selling point. Historically paintings with nudes are “Art” (with a capital A), but somehow even those in which the nudity is titillating, the fact that it is a painting seems to excuse the erotic. Our culture has had and still has so many double standards about sex, sexuality, the sensual and the explicit. These double standards often get underlined when the male-female heterosexual binary gets crossed. My works are from a queer perspective. I aim to break down the conventions of working from a model. I want to question the standards that separated nudity into categories of art and pornography, acceptable and unacceptable, appropriate and inappropriate. I want to speak about the body, identity and desire directly and with candor. I recognize that my work can be explicit and arousing, and I think that is an important element to explore. While I want to explore the erotic and the intimate, I want the work to be layered and evoke many meanings including the nature of desire and also of loss. I work with models of all different body types, ages and races. I work with models that are queer and not. I have worked with a few non-binary / trans models, and while I work with men primarily, I have worked with women on occasion. It is important to me not to limit the kinds of men that I work with. I know of many photographers that only work with young men. I want to speak to the range of experience that men have over their lifetimes and share images of men with varying body types. Talking about body positivity in my work is also important. I have worked with men in their eighties. I would be happy to work with older men too.  Older queer men often feel invisible and undesirable in a culture where youth is valued very highly. This work is a layered portrayal and my personal coming to terms with aging and my struggle with body positivity. I am 66, and most of my models are younger, and in better shape, than I am. By sometimes appearing in my work I often show men with bodies that are at a stark contrast to my own. This contrast is important to me. I have also paired men together that are very different in ages, body types and races. I want to explore and share the ways that we differ, inside and out, and the ways we are the same. Also being 66, I have lived though and experienced the loss that is endemic in having known many men with HIV/AIDS, many of which have passed. In having known an existence from a time before AIDS to the time now, with drug therapies making the disease manageable and also with Prep, I have seen a history that is both sad and celebratory. Times have changed in dramatic ways for Queer people and they are continuing too. My window and participation in these times, and having been out since I was 19, is one of the many contexts that informs my image making. I aim to speak to the owning of one's body, and one's desires, but also to one's emotional makeup and temperament and ability to connect. Many who have modeled for me have felt this ownership personally in the way we have worked together. I strive to set an atmosphere in my studio that is welcoming, relaxed and enjoyable. I want to present a place where a model can be themselves and express who they are. Many of my models have found the process to be therapeutic (I am certainly not a therapist though), and many with body image issues have found the process enlightening and transforming. Some have opened themselves up to the camera in ways that are unlike how they can normally express themselves or their sexuality. My work is staged and directed in an improvisational way. It is a spontaneous collaboration with the model.  Logistics of Working with ModelsI am often asked how I find models. I used to actively search for models and utilized Craigslist and Model Mayhem regularly. I do still have a page on Model Mayhem, but I have not updated it in years. These days, I am pretty lucky that most models tend to find me. I do ask men to work with me but I only look for models in the most casual way. Instagram has become one such source, in which conversations can begin about the possibility of working together. Most though have seen my work and are interested in participating in it. Men pose for a wide variety of reasons. Some are very shy and are looking for ways to be more open about their bodies and who they are. Some are explicitly exhibitionist, and are looking for situations in which they can explore this part of themselves. I work with models that are professional figure drawing models and I work with men who are just curious about what the experience might be like. I have rarely worked with a model who did not enjoy the experience. When I am having my initial conversations with potential models, I ask them to look at the range of my work. Some come to me having only seen the work say on Instagram, which doesn’t include my full nude or explicit work. I want a model to have an understanding of what I am doing. Generally these conversations are through email or texts. At one time I made sure to have a phone conversation with each model prior to the initial meeting or photo shoot. Now that rarely happens. When we do meet though, we generally talk about the kinds of images that I will be taking, and their levels of comfort around full nudity and making images that are erotic. I also talk to them about the possibility of my appearing in the work and of touching them in the images and process. Trust, respect and consent are of the utmost importance here. Some models are happy to do “anything” and others have very specific boundaries. Both are fine with me. This is important to talk about in advance of shooting. While some models are happy to come in and undress right away, I tend to ask them to stay dressed and I shoot the process of their disrobing. For me this is also about turning the prosaic, the taking off of one's clothing, into a metaphor for revealing who someone is and exposing themselves physically and emotionally. I don’t want any surprises to come from me. I am happy when a model has an experience that surprises themselves though. This could be a personal insight or the ability to be part of the creative act that is often very rewarding. Working with a model though is completely individualized. One size does not fit all. Sometimes I talk with a model at great length before a shoot sometimes the conversation is concise, quick and to the point.  Here are some points to consider when thinking of working with a model: Always be professional and personal. This means being respectful and polite. This is important whether you are a professional photographer or just have a casual interest in the medium. Be open and honest with the potential model. This means explaining your concept, your hope for the shoot and your ideas. Sometimes these ideas may be vague and not totally realized. That is fine too and also should be expressed. If this is your first time shooting with a model, let them know that. If you are a beginner let them know. Acting professionally doesn’t always mean that you are experienced in what you are doing. If possible show the model examples of your work in advance, so that they may have a sense of what you are looking to do. I ask all that pose for me to sign a basic model release form. This gives me permission to use the work we make, and states that the model is of age. Generally I use a release form that I have written and have used many times, sometimes the language is negotiated with a model individually. I always email a potential model this form well in advance of a shoot. This underlines my seriousness and my expectation of theirs. I always check in advance that a model has read and understood the release form and I ask if they have any questions. This is repeated when we meet in my studio, before they sign the form in person. I always ask that the form is signed prior to the start of shooting and before a model is undressed. Explain and make sure in advance that your idea of nudity and the models are the same. I ask very early in our conversations if they are comfortable with “full frontal nudity”, images that include their face and their genitals, and that the work created may be published (online, exhibited, or in print). Some are only comfortable with “implied nudity”. This means that they will be completely naked in the studio, but that their genitals will not appear in the work. This is not work that particularly interests me, and I generally do not work with men who have this kind of restriction.  Sometimes I set up dates to work months in advance sometime less than a week. Make sure to confirm with the model the arranged date and time at least two days in advance. Sometimes I feel like more than one confirmation is necessary. Make sure the model knows the best way to contact you if they are running late. My shoots last approximately three hours. Arrange a time that is mutually convenient and that is not rushed for either of you. This can be difficult, but it is important that you both are relaxed. You don’t want to be needing to rush out the door at a certain time. If the model is late you still want to be relaxed and have a good shoot, rather than be looking at the time constantly. I recommend that both the photographer and the model put away their phones to avoid being interrupted by notifications and texts. You want the focus to be on each other and the work for the entire time. The general rule of thumb when working with a model is that the photographer never touches the model. This is very important. Describe how you want them to pose. Feel free to be specific. However don’t actually put them in a pose. It is certainly easier to place their hand on their leg in the way you want them to do it, but don’t do this. Ask them to place their hand on their leg in a certain way, or if possible take the pose you want yourself and ask them to mimic it. This helps the model be comfortable in their own space, and with you. That said, you can see in many of my pictures that I am touching the model. Some models are open to this or being touched in the process of finding the right pose. However, this should never be assumed. I always talk with a model about their comfort level around being touched. I do this even with models that I have worked with regularly. I don’t assume that their comfort level is the same as it was in the last session. It may be, it may not be. When you have this discussion about touching, listen to the model very carefully. Listen to what they are saying, not for what you want to hear. If you ask them if they are ok with being touched and they say “maybe” or just “I guess so” that may actually be a “no”. If they say yes, but then seem uncomfortable being touched, stop touching. Generally, if a model gives their general consent around being touched, I ask permission to touch them each time, and not assume that I have a blanket permission for the entire session. Remember that you want the model as comfortable as possible, to get the images that you want. Also I have found that when I describe a pose that I would like to see, often a model gets my description off, and then does something better than what I expected. The way a model moves naturally is often better than what the photographer visions in advance.  The more comfortable and at ease the model is, the better session you will have and the better work you will produce. The photographer creates this comfort level with the initial contact. It is continued with subsequent communications and by the time you meet the model for the first time, in the studio, there should already be a level of comfort and trust in how you communicate. When the model gets to my studio, I welcome them, and thank them for coming. We generally sit and talk for a few minutes, or longer, and I invite the model to look around the studio if they like. I show them where the bathroom is, and the area that we will be working in. I generally also invite them to have a coffee or water or beer, if appropriate. I try to have some sort of snack available for them too. Once you get working, ask if a model needs a break. Ask if they are comfortable with the work and if there is anything that they need. Even if it is as simple as changing the music. I am very lucky to have my own studio to work in. Many do not, and some work in borrowed spaces, their homes or outside. I used to borrow a nearly empty room in a friend’s house to work in. I have also worked in my home, and even in my bedroom. Be very clear as to what kind of space you are working in, and check to make sure that they will be comfortable in this setting. If any one else will be present let them know. Even if a shoot may have very intimate content and if you are shooting in your own home or even bedroom, let the model know your intentions are in the work, and that you are not inviting them into your bed. Some of my work can be quite explicit. I never assume that this is an area that a model is comfortable in exploring. While some certainly are, this is always to be discussed in advance, even with models that I have worked with previously. A model’s consent to a certain kind of pose in one session is not necessarily a consent for future sessions.  After many of my sessions I give the model some or all of the images we make. It is important to know in advance what the model wants for their time. Some want to be paid monetarily, some are happy to trade for images, some just want the experience of participating in my work, and some do this out of curiosity, or for their own enjoyment. Always be sure that you know what a model is looking for and why they want to work with you. This should be acknowledged and agreed to well before shooting. There are a variety of reasons that people want to model.
This is by no means a definitive list or guide to working with models. All photographers and models have different needs, reasons for working, and boundaries. Here are some ways to see more of my work: Flickr Tumblr Model Mayhem If you might be interested in working with me, or have questions about purchasing or seeing more of my work, please feel free to contact me at: Robert.Siegelman@gmail.com To read more about me and my work check out my interview in Boston Voyager.  Getting your Corporate/LinkedIn-style headshot taken can be a little intimidating. Whether it’s for your personal profiles/website or for your employer’s website (or even just your ID badge), you want to look your best. But the “assembly line” of quick photoshoots can make you feel like your back at school picture day or the DMV. The fear is that you get just one shot, and if you blow it you’re stuck with it! Thankfully that’s rarely the case for headshots, and while you don’t always have the luxury of time, a dedicated photographer will know how to help you look your best.
As one such photographer, I’ve compiled some of my general tips that will help make pretty much any headshot look significantly better. I’m confident that, if you follow these guidelines, you’ll be a lot happier with your next headshot, especially if you’re someone who doesn’t feel so confident when getting your picture taken. What to Wear Solid colors are your friend, avoid patterns including (especially) lines. Small vertical lines and other fine patterns tend to look “glitchy” on digital photos, and larger patterns tend to be distracting and draw attention away from your face. So, keep your outfit to solid colors. The colors don’t have to be muted, if you want to wear fuschia, wear fuschia! But leave the fuschia pinstripes at home. Dress up. Even if you don’t work in the corporate world, your headshot is not a “dress-down” occasion. It doesn’t have to be a suit and tie (though it certainly can be!) For architects, painters, dancers etc etc, it may be an entirely different look, and that’s totally ok! Just think of your headshot as a chance to impress, and dress to do so! Iron your clothes. Whatever you wear, wrinkles can make it look shabby, so ensure your outfit is nice and wrinkle-free! How to Pose Your photographer should be able to help you with this during the session, but you’ll make it easier on both of you if you keep these things in mind
Hair & Makeup Your headshot is not the time to experiment with a drastic new hairstyle or color palette. Tried and true is what to go with here. Trust me, the night before you get your picture taken is not the time to cut bangs. Keep it to what you’re used to, while of course putting in a little extra time to make sure your look is nice and spiffy. That means no nose hairs poking out, earrings on backwards, nothing in your eyelashes, nor your teeth, etc etc. Most photographers will have a mirror on hand for you to do a quick check before getting into position, but don’t count on it! Now that you know how to prepare for your headshot session, it feels like a good time to announce that I’m offering completely FREE Corporate/LinkedIn-style headshots in my Brooklyn, NY studio between now and July 31st. With Pandemic Unemployment Insurance (PUA) coming to a halt on that date, I'd like to do what I can to help people in their search for their next career move. I’m hosting 3 FREE Corporate/LinkedIn-style headshots in my studio in BedStuy by the Gates J on:
Appointments are required so please email me at MJStewMedia[at]gmail.com with your name and what day/time you’d like to come to RSVP. As always, please feel free to leave questions and comments below!  Today I’m turning 30, and I’m really happy and proud that at this milestone I’ve reached a point where I can celebrate achieving two major dreams: 1, I earn my entire living through photo and video work. And 2, I finally have a studio space to call my own! So while I’m certainly not the biggest of the big shots out there, I feel very lucky to be where I am now. On my journey to get here, I’ve encountered quite a few folks who, like me, are chasing their dreams. So in case you’re one of them, I’d like to share some thoughts/philosophies I’ve built up over the years when it comes to developing a mindset that will help you pursue your dream. I may not be the expert in every field (or even my own necessarily), but I definitely think these tips and strategies would help anyone pursuing a fulfilling career or any other personal goal. So, here are my top tips for anyone chasing their dream:
Own it, be who you want to be, right now Go to parties, introduce yourself as a(n) X, whatever it is that you want to be. For me, it’s a photographer/filmmaker. Once I started introducing myself to people as one, I started to get a ton more referrals. This is because when people think of me, they immediately associate me with my craft. If you have a day job you’re not that into, answering “what do you do?” with that position is a huge wasted opportunity to make connections. Whether for potential job referrals, collaborators, people who might be interested in following your work, or just people on your team. If you want to get photo work, telling people you’re anything besides a photographer is not going to work to your benefit. You gotta be who you want to be right off from the start! As Coco Peru said in her one woman show: “not next time, now’s the time!” Start embracing yourself and your craft right away. If you’ve been waiting to take the plunge, start right now! From now on, as far as anyone is concerned, you are exactly whatever it is that you want to be. Prioritize Plan on plan A, not plan B. I talk to so many people who have a dream, but are afraid it might not work out, so they develop elaborate contingency plans. I know so many people who’ve gotten so wrapped up in plan B that they’re now years and years into a job that was just meant to be a backup. That doesn’t mean be reckless, of course people need jobs and money to survive. That’s why it’s so important you look for ways to start making money from your dream asap. Money doesn’t corrupt the art, that’s a load of crap that only serves to make people further resign themselves to a dissatisfying fate. Also the starving artist sounds romantic to everyone except the artist who’s starving, so prepare to follow your dream and make money while you’re at it. Now back to my point, all your energy needs to get thrown at pursuing your dream. Got some savings? Spend it on materials/trainings/conferences, anything that’ll help you get towards your goal. If you dream of being a writer, skip that Master’s degree you’re hoping will help you climb the corporate ladder and think of what you could do in service to your writing for $100,000 (or maybe just get that Master’s in writing instead?). I was talking to my teenage cousin about his college plans. He wants to work to combat climate change, so he’s planning to get a BA in business with a minor in environmental studies… WHAT?! NO! Major in Environment, become the undeniable expert in your niche, and then you’ll be able to find 500 finance bros to fund your project for you. Why put your plans off for decades because you think you need to build up savings? For a lot of people nowadays a 4 year degree = at least 10 years of massive debt, so you’re planning to *start* working on your dream at... 32? No problem with starting late, you’re never too old (or too young) to work on your dream! But think about all the great work you could do between age 16 and 32 if you work tirelessly in pursuit of your goal! That’s a whole 'nother 100% of your life we’re talking about! Plan B should be just that, a fallback if all else fails. Don’t give it your heart and soul. Invest Invest in your craft. I touched on this in the previous paragraph, and it’s oh so important. Of course your financial means have an effect on this, I used just one camera body and lens combo for almost 10 years before I bought a second lens. So you can do a lot with a little! Just remember you can really keep yourself fresh and your talents current by keeping up-to-date with your field. If you’re a writer, pay for newspaper and magazine subscriptions and buy books as soon as they come out. Sure it costs money, but so does a suit and tie for that office job. If you’re a filmmaker, get a decent camera! It might cost $1,000, but so do 6 months of train passes for commuters in NYC. To put it plainly, we easily convince ourselves that spending money on plan B is essential while cash put out for plan A is somehow a splurge, don’t fall into the trap! Believe in Yourself (It makes more sense than you think) Feel confident! Easier said than done? What I want to do in this paragraph is help you think of things from the other side of the table. I’m not an expert in every single field out there, but I do have a variety of experiences. And one thing I can say I’ve experienced first-hand time and time again is: people who follow instructions and try hard, really do have a fighting chance. A few personal examples I’ll draw on: hiring committees. I’ve been on the hiring teams at quite a few organizations and companies, and every single time we were EASILY able to narrow down the pool. If not to one obvious winner, at most to two for us to choose between. This isn’t because these candidates were gloriously amazing in every way under the sun. It’s because all the others were clearly unprepared, unenthusiastic or both. So it was exceedingly simple for us to cross them off the list immediately after their interviews. Another example is reading grant proposals in a few different jobs I’ve done in the past. We’d have a set number of grants to give out, let’s say 20. And then we’d get 100 applications. You’d think it might be super competitive, and that a lot of qualified candidates wouldn’t make it to the 20. FAR FROM IT! Every time it was actually that there were 5 good proposals, and then we’d have to scrounge through the 95 crummy ones to find 15 passable ones to give the rest of the money to. Perhaps a little sad but true, but I think it’s encouraging to know that you really should go for things. If you can follow the instructions/meet the qualifications, and actually care about what you’re trying to do, I can say with a good measure of confidence that you’ll at least have a shot. That doesn’t mean every time you get rejected that you totally suck ass either, I’m not so naive to think nothing out there is more competitive than the things my teams were evaluating for. There are certainly jobs, competitions and other opportunities out there that are fiercely competitive and reject hardworking, stellar candidates all the time. And sometimes it’s just not a good fit, even though your work might be quite good. I just want to see people stop second-guessing, hemming and hawing, and putting things off because they’re afraid they’re not ready. If you gave it some serious thought and then made a conscious and informed decision that your work isn’t where it needs to be in order to be competitive yet, that’s fine! But if it’s truly more a question of nerve and confidence than your caliber/talent as a candidate, please, JUST DO IT! Embrace Rejection Speaking of rejection, it can be a really good thing! A comedian in NYC, Emily Winter, set a goal to get 100 rejections in a single year. She ended up getting 39 wins to her 101 rejections. Would she have those 39 wins if she wasn’t on a veritable spree of putting herself out there? Who knows! And while 101 rejections sucks 101 times, Winter explains she was “making myself more comfortable with failure to reduce my fear of it”. And don’t think because you didn’t get the thing you’re going for that you didn’t get noticed! People remember work that had an impact on them, and if they liked what they saw they might be on the lookout for what you submit next time! RuPaul talked about this in his Masterclass, sharing a story of auditioning for a part he ultimately did not get. But, the casting director remembered him and reached out about another opportunity. So going for it can actually be to your benefit even if it doesn’t seem like a success at first. Caution: It is, however, important and fruitful to work until you’re ready Now the flipside of my previous two points is: every interaction makes an impression! So, please don’t misunderstand my advice as me urging you to submit your half-baked ideas or unfinished whatnots! You don’t want to get a reputation as a spammer or someone not to be taken seriously. I recently read a fantastic book on screenwriting: “Writing Screenplays that Sell” by Michael Hauge. He reiterates this point: if you submit bad screenplay after bad screenplay, you’ll eventually be known as that bad screenwriter. You don’t want to be known as that amateur who won’t leave people alone. So there you have it, my reverse bday gift to you: a few pieces of advice from a young-ish dude who has somehow found a way to make a living off his art. I’ll reiterate: please don’t take my advice as the word of god. I’m sure in another 10 years I’ll have a whole lot more to say, a whole lot more learned, a whole lot left to learn, and a whole ‘nother 10 years worth of mistakes and triumphs to look back on. It’s all a journey, and the important things include: enjoy the ride, help and collaborate with your peers (high tide raises all ships) and make yourself proud. As always, I’m open and eager to discuss these ideas with anyone out there who feels like they have something to share! So leave a comment below, and I’ll look forward to connecting with you! |
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