SpliceToday

I found out about this opportunity through a friend of a friend. I was asked to provide live visuals for a local musician. After their set, a friend recommended I talk to this one person who works at Splice because he was looking for a camera operator. I later met that person when that same friend’s car broke down near my house. We hit it off and the rest is history. 

This person who became my supervisor works for his father at Splice as a managing editor. He writes regular reviews for a few different platforms (The Spectator, Counterpunch) and makes his own films independently. He has a strong work ethic and occupies himself completely with his work and, when he’s not working, he’s watching more movies. I’ve never met anyone so well-watched.

My main responsibilities ended up being a camera operator and editor, with some content aggregation for Splice on slow days. I helped shoot and sort footage for You’re Going to Live and did some fine-tuning on Hasn’t Been Grounded (My supervisor’s first two features). Under his direction, I had a lot of freedom to experiment with lighting and camera angles that I never got the chance to in my MICA cinematography class. I felt capable and confident, especially when my supervisor would tell me how happy he was with the shot. It made me very proud of my work and myself.

My biggest takeaway is that collaborative relationships can be extremely fulfilling when you find the right fit. I felt challenged and supported at the same time, as my growth was beneficial to his work. He pushed me to watch more, study more, suggest more. I feel that I have developed my on-set communication skills as well as my camera and lighting skills. I know now more than ever what I will be doing after college and where I fit best.