On Friday 11 October, Photography Director Gerry Vasbenter came to talk to our second-year film production degree students about his experiences in the industry, in the first of many Industry Practice talks organised for students.
Vasbenter has worked in the film industry for decades, and has shot not only work for huge productions including Lord of the Rings, but has worked on some well-known commercials for brands like Nike, Palace and Ralph Lauren.
During his talk, he shared pearls of wisdom about the filming process, as well as his tips from a more commercial perspective; how to grow your connections in the industry, what to charge for a day’s shoot, and much more.
Top takeaways
The talk highlighted the vast differences in shooting long and short form video content, and the challenges this can create.
“We had exactly 54 minutes with the footballers for the Adidas and Juventus campaign – which was no mean feat.”
Vasbenter also stressed the importance of compromise within any project.
“There will always be a lot of opinions and ideas coming into play from producers, directors and so on, so it is vital that you are able to compromise and reach a final shot that everyone can work with.”
Consistency was a huge theme of the talk, with Vasbenter explaining how being consistent when setting the scene of a film is key.
“If you light lots of shots in the same way, you create a style – and by doing that, you’re creating the world your characters live in. Keep this consistent and the world will be more believable.”
We want to give a big thanks to Gerry Vasbenter for delivering this engaging and fascinating talk – and we look forward to seeing what he works on next!
Do you want to study a course where you get real advice straight from someone in your chosen industry? Why not check out our degree-level courses or come along to one of our open days.
