Three questions to... our Cameraman
What do you love about your job?
Pretty much everything. First and foremost, it’s the interplay between art and technology. Without technical understanding, it is difficult to implement the art that you have thought up in your head. The way the light is set, which lens is used or from which angle it is filmed all influence the viewer’s perception. Every new project has its new requirements and these must then be implemented.
For me, not one day is like the other. I also love working as part of a team. Everyone on the set is an expert in their specific field, but each also knows what the other has to do. Only when the team works perfectly together, a great film comes out in the end. Team Play, Art and Technology. For me, the perfect combination.
Did you always
wanted to become a cameraman?
No. After graduating from high school and doing my civilian service, I didn’t really know what to do and, like everyone else, first studied mechanical engineering. But I couldn’t imagine doing that my whole life. So I thought about what really excites me. There was film the answer. So I decided to train as a media designer for image and sound.
At first, I saw myself less in the camera area and more in the production or organizational area, since I was never really a big art fan. But during an internship and then during my training, I quickly realized how incredibly exciting and extensive camera work is. And then my artistic streak was also awakened very quickly.
What is a day of shooting like for you?
A production begins, of course, long before the actual day of shooting and also ends only with the delivery of the finished film. One day of shooting is never like another, but for me, of course, it’s always the highlight of the production. Optimally, the technology was carefully prepared and tested the day before. Then early in the morning we load the packed equipment into the car, at the shooting location we hopefully have a coffee 😉 and then it’s early morning exercise. Unload everything: Tripods, lamps, sandbags, cables, boxes, monitors. A few hundred kilos quickly go back and forth. Set up everything, discuss picture settings with the client and director. Light up, get the camera ready and set up the frame. When the shoot starts, I sink into my world behind the camera and fade out everything else. From then on, I show through the camera what the viewer will see at the end. This then happens throughout the day until the shooting schedule has been worked through.
In the meantime, sets are rebuilt, re-lit and the camera is adapted to the needs. Often the whole script is changed again very spontaneously and you have to be able to offer a solution immediately. After dismantling, when everything is back in the car and the customer is happy, we like to have a beer to round off a successful day of shooting.
Thank you, for your time!