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Cybel Martin Blog February 11th 2007
This week has been all about watching DVDs. Its time for me to build a new reel. A few weeks ago, a very high profile producer asked for my latest reel and reprimanded me when I said I haven’t updated it since last year. She was clearly admonishing me but I also get that it was from a place of wanting me to do and be my best at all times. When someone on that level in the industry is hard on me, I take it as a compliment. Fortunately, one of my best friends is an incredible editor and is helping me out. She made DVD dubs of all of my work from last year and I spent most of this week going over the DVDs and selecting shots I’d like on my reel. For the first time, I am including documentary footage on my reel. Also for the first time, I have worked with documentary producers and directors who have been reliable at getting me footage. In the past, it seemed impossible to get footage of what I had shot. I think that just happens when you work for clients with little or no money. It takes them years to cut the film and a few more years to get me my copy. So anyway, I am excited about this reel. I think it will be the first one (my first reel I built in 1996) that really defines the type of DP I am and want to be. A handful of the DPs whom I admire include Harris Savides, Conrad Hall of course, Vittorio Stararo, Henri Decae, Christopher Doyle…. When I “grow up” I’d like to include my name with the likes of these DPs. I think this reel hints at that aspiration. The other reason that I have been watching loads of DVDs lately is I have a few rules. One is, unless I am on a shoot, I watch at least one film per day. And another rule is to watch as many of the Oscar nominated films as possible before the award ceremony. I feel it is my responsibility as a filmmaker. I call it “my continued education”. A friend gave me a bunch of screeners to watch. So far, I’ve watched “The Departed” and “Little Children” (phenomenal). I also have “Flags of Our Fathers” and “United 93” to watch. I don’t know if I can watch “United 93”. A Producer friend’s take on all September 11th films is “I was there. No need to see a movie about it”. I’m on the fence. In addition, I Netflix’d “An American Haunting” (not as bad as I thought), “The Devil’s Miner” ( a depressing must-see documentary), “A Wedding” (one of Altman’s best) and “Sherrybaby” which was directed by an old NYU friend of mine. I also went to see “Children of Men”. In my opinion that was the Best Film of this year. I am not sure why it didn’t make the cut. Most original story. The cinematography is breathtaking. Even the sound design is inspirational. As I am writing this week’s blog, I am watching “The Cave”. I took it out of the library. Probably won’t be a memorable film but I am always up for a scary thriller. I’ll watch the worse horror movie any day. When I first started working in film, I used to PA for a music video production company. I met a producer then who has since become a friend. He was sitting on a couch in the production office watching “Barney”. I made some joke about that dumb purple animal. His response was that I didn’t have to like it but I did have to acknowledge that A LOT of other people did and just be aware of it. In other words, I can be a snob but I still need to know what moves the masses. 14 years later, I still remember that lesson. I can learn something even from the worst movie. It just might be what not to do.
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