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Hello, my name’s Patrick. I’m new here.
Film has been a lifelong passion of mine. I studied at the University of the Arts London and spent some time working in audio postproduction at Shepperton Studios. Over the years, though, I’ve often felt I ended up on the wrong side of the industry — my instincts have always leaned more toward the visual.Cinematography, and especially the work of Roger Deakins, has had a big impact on me. I’ve always been drawn to the way light and composition can tell a story without a word being spoken — it’s that quiet kind of storytelling that really stays with me.
I’ve recently applied to a postgraduate cinematography course in London. I’m now in my late forties, and while I still have a strong drive to learn and be involved, I do wonder if it’s too late to take this seriously as a career.
I’d be really grateful for any thoughts — especially from anyone who’s changed course later in life, or simply believes that it’s never too late to start doing something you care about.
Many thanks.
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A post grad course would be perfect and teach you very quickly what you need to know technically.
I think being a bit older and having the life experience will massively play to your favour! In my opinion, there is no shortage of technically skilled cinematographers who can compose a perfect image but there is a massive shortage of cinematographers who can capture the feeling of a story.
Good luck with everything, I’m sure you’ll kill it
I think it depends on a lot of elements: family (both as time and as financial support), job opportunities in you area, links in the industry and so on . Roger, David and the others here may advice you better than me, but my opinion is that your (and mine and everybody else’s) problem is not actually the age, it is the AI. The real question is for how long cinema (and tv) will still need cinematographers, VFX artists, etc etc, no matter the age. No doubt that established professionals will keep on working (perhaps re-inventing themselves as some kind of AI cinematographers coordinators, like in animation, or i don’t know what their job will become) . But for people starting now i think there will be fewer and fewer opportunities. This doesn’t mean that people won’t do movies in the traditional way (oil painting and clay sculpture still exist today, after all), but i am afraid there will be an ongoing reduction of jobs (and it’s happening yet) . Interesting times for watching, sad times for creating.
Patrick, you and I are about the same age. So here is my take.
I am 47, living in the US (not in what is considered a production “hub”…if that even exists here any more), and currently non-union. With almost 30 years of “moving up the ladder” in just about every area of production you can think of (I began shooting weddings); I finally landed a Cinematographer job at the end of last year shooting my first feature film in Belize. I shot plenty of short films before that (most were non-paying but I was able to put a portfolio of images together; and you may need to do the same) and I also worked on a handful of features as a gaffer; but I always thought the only way to the desired Cinematography position was to “move up the ladder.” If I had to do it all over again I would have just jumped right in to the film industry in some capacity and probably had landed here sooner. So your desire to move from one area in production to another is not an impossible one, but I hate to say that I think it is getting very difficult out here.
The road ahead is a very long one. Not only do you need to have the expertise and knowledge to fill the position; but you need the contacts to find the directors and producers to consider you for the opportunities that are out there. I am finding this to be the hardest part at my age. Making new contacts.
I’ve had side hustles my entire career. The year before covid hit was my best year yet in the film industry; and sadly every year since has been a slide downward. Many of us (both union and non-union) are out of work in the US; and haven’t seen much work this year at all. There are so many factors contributing to this that there are just too many to list here. Personally I’m holding onto the dream; but know that if you do reach your destination, the hustle is not over. In fact it feels sometimes like starting all over again.
Set a SMART goal. Specific (shoot 2 commercials and 1 independent short and create a body of work for your portfolio). Measurable (I want a portfolio of work and I want to earn $x). Achievable (do you think it is? What contacts do you have either in terms of fellow film makers or potential clients that you can pitch to?). Realistic (if asked, can you deliver. Can you photograph a commercial like the ones you would like to shoot? Are you proficient with your craft and do you have access to the right equipment required). Time constrained (give yourself x months for example to produce a portfolio and earn $x amount of cash)! Assess your outcome at the end and take a realistic decision… to continue or not.
The problem when you are older is that you are perceived as not being that cool anymore. You have seen most things before and have a more mature outlook on life and experiences etc. This is a great benefit too! I was turned down for a passion project for a younger dp. The (inexperienced) director told me that he just thought a younger director would gel better with the rest of the young team in their early 20’s. The advantage of youth is that you do more stuff even if the outcome is not going to be that good. It’s great experience. You don’t have many serious financial commitments and you can sacrifice a lot more.
When you are older you are more discriminating. I know what I want to present and to be proud of the work that I produce and show. Life is too short to compromise and produce work that you are not proud of. It is very very difficult to find a project that you are passionate about where you are reasonably confident of a very good outcome. You need to find and work with like minded people. You need a great story that you believe in telling. You need a director that wants that too, that cares about everything in front of the camera. Great story. Great acting and casting. You need the right location for the story (a lot of work and time to find that). The right set designer etc. You need the budget to light those locations and if you don’t have the budget you need the team to fight and agree to shoot the locations at the right time of day to take advantage of the natural light which is only good for a short amount of time. Good editing and sound design.. You need the cash for all of this. I can go on and on. It is so difficult.
From Google…. “While it’s less common to see cinematographers who achieved significant recognition after a late start in the film industry, there are some examples of individuals who transitioned to cinematography later in life and still found success. These cinematographers often built on prior experience in other creative fields, bringing unique perspectives to their work.” Does that apply to you?
Personally I believe that at a mature age, if you want to start a career as a cinematographer, you need to have an additional income stream or be financially independent to do so.
Thats my 2 cents.
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