"Filmmaking is collaboration, and without a great team you don't stand a chance."
Every month we feature one crew from our awesome community of video creators to get a look at how they got started and why they love the industry as much as we do.
This month we're sharing Zach Graber's story in two ways. Check out his video & read on to find out how he broke into the biz.
How long have you been around?
I have been working in this industry in different capacities for about 15 years.
How did you get started in video production? What's your story?
I first broke into the business working at a recording studio. I cut my teeth doing car dealership radio spots - and on a few rare occasions, I would mix a bluegrass or hiphop album. From there I moved to NYC and worked at a large advertising agency as a video editor. Or nights and weekends I started learning motion graphics and visual effects and eventually landed some freelance jobs on some feature films. Those experiences really pushed me to get more involved in the film industry, so I left the city and went to film school. After I got out I started working on feature films in the camera department, which lead to me shooting my own stuff.
What do you love about this industry?
I love a group of creative people coming together to make something. It could be anything from a high art film to a mayonnaise commercial I just love working with passionate people who love creating beautiful images.
What do you think is one of the biggest misconceptions people have about production?
I think people get too wrapped up in celebrity and getting to work with notable people. If you want to get into the film industry to be around famous people you will never be fulfilled. This is a shockingly hard business to work in, and if you are not in it for the right reasons you won’t last long.
"I never go to a shoot without…"
A great Key Grip and Gaffer. Filmmaking is a collaboration, and without a great team you don’t stand a chance.
What advice would you offer to filmmakers looking to break into industry?
Unless you are a genius, you have a lot of bad movies to make before you get yourself dialed in. You need to start making those movies as soon as possible. Get those bad movies out of your system early so by the time you have established yourself and people are paying attention you have found your voice and refined your work. (aka shoot, shoot, shoot…)
You can check out Zach's work here.