The Director of Photography (DP) is one of the most important people on a movie set. The director relies on him for the look of his film. Actors rely on his lighting to make them look their best. The entire camera, grip, and electrical departments of the crew report directly to the DP. This month SDF presents a panel of some of San Diego's top cinematographers who will share their tricks of the trade with us. Find out what a DP does and how they impact your role, whether you are the star, the makeup artist, or the production designer. Find out what to look for in a cinematographer's demo reel. Hear how these professionals work with their directors and crew.

Mike Kurtz has been an active member of the San Diego production community for over 25 years. He has worked on hundreds of TV commercials, corporate videos, PBS television series, short films, and independent features. His work has won over 70 industry awards including 3 Emmy Awards and eight New York Film Festival Awards.

Mario Ortiz, President and CEO of San Diego-based Cinema Verde, has earned a reputation for visually captivating cinematography in documentaries, broadcast television, corporate video and multimedia products. In 2004 he was awarded two Emmys for his photography and lighting direction on a series of 30 second HIV-awareness Public Service Announcements.

If you're ready for your close-up, come network with your San Diego filmmaking peers from 5:30 to 6:30, then stay to learn about the importance and magic of cinematography!

Don't forget to bring your business cards and head shots! And please be sure to tell everyone you know in the San Diego filmmaking community about this exciting, free event. See you there.

Meeting Review
by Dan Margules from notes taken by Kristen Martin

Ironically, both of the Directors of Photography on the March 14, 2006 panel had met each other previously, backstage at the Emmy Awards when they were both nominated and awaiting the announcement of the winner.

The evening was quite informative as Mike and Mario began by explaining the hierarchy of the various camera crew positions on a feature film set. They shed some light on exactly what the job of the Director of Photography is. On no-budget films, they are often the camera operator, but on films with bigger budgets, the DP is typically behind a monitor making sure the mise-en-scene is what the director wants.

Mike talked about surviving in the film industry by wearing multiple hats. He's not just a DP. He's very flexible and always has a positive attitude, which he says is essential in order to make a living. He works on corporate projects to pay the bills, always trying to find time for independent feature film work, which is his passion but doesn't pay the bills.

The panelists answered a variety of questions from the sixty attendees, addressing technical topics such as exterior lighting for video and the 2 f-stop error, as well as how the DP helps make the "magic moments" with the actors happen. They talked about the need for taking creative risks and gave a few tips on how to be more creative as well as more efficient.

They said if you are trying to attract a more experienced DP like them for your low-budget independent film, summer is the best time to reach them as they tend to be extremely busy making a living the rest of the year. When picking a DP, make sure their demo reel is really their work and, more importantly, that they are someone you will get along with on set.

Pictures from the Meeting