Written by Emilee FordMy first professional industry gig was working as 2nd Assistant Camera on an independent feature film as a part of an internship I was doing the summer after my junior year of college. I was 21 years old, and had just come off of shooting my thesis and my first film ever as a cinematographer. I didn’t know much, but one thing I knew for certain was that since I wasn’t at a traditional film school getting a more technical education, I had to learn by doing. During this project, I had the incredible pleasure of working under a female cinematographer, Elle Schneider. I studied every camera angle, lighting setup, and lens choice she made. I was enamored by her fluidity and how much care she took in capturing every beat of the story. It was so inspiring watching her and being her helping hand. However, throughout this shoot I was very insecure in my lack of knowledge. Though it was not expected of me to know everything, I was very intimidated by the environment. Despite the pressure, I knew the opportunity I had on my hands, and, ultimately it was up to me to make the most of it. 'Dirty Towel'One night at dinner I asked Elle what her best advice is for me as someone who wants to pursue cinematography but isn’t going to film school. She responded by saying, “Honestly sometimes I think it’s better when you haven’t gone to film school because it...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Thursday, 30 May, 2024