From Photography to Filmmaker (Rebranding to FigTree Cinemas)
For a while, I wanted to do both photography and filmmaking. It was fun doing both! They each have their own set challenges and upsides. Photography being more conducive to freezing moments and filmmaking for telling a story within a certain timeframe. However, in the market where I am, it became pretty obvious which path to take.
In Murrieta, the market I'm in, there are photographers everywhere. However, there aren't many filmmakers. This always puzzled me because it seemed so obvious. Why hasn't anyone jumped on this market? The only reason I could think of is that it's much MUCH harder to tell a story with video than it is with photographs. With that sentence, I can see all the angry facial expressions on your photographer faces. Let me explain.
A photograph doesn't require much of a time investment for a viewer. One can see hundreds of images in an hour. Yes, while you are competing for everyone's attention on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and for those who still use it Flickr, at least they will look at your image. People who watch videos on the other hand have a different mentality. They want to feel that the previous 5 minutes they spent watching the film were worth it. That is where the skill of being a visual storyteller comes in. One has to know the psychology of each movement of the camera & what it means for the final image. That is why I decided to stick with filmmaking. It's more of a challenge and pushes my creativity to new heights. And besides, less people are willing to do it. I believe that is what's known as a Win-Win.
As you may have noticed, the website & logo looks different. That is because I have rebranded Tem.Teen Studios to FigTree Cinemas! There were many reasons, but the biggest one was spelled out earlier. I want to specialize in video more than I do photos. To clarify, photography will always be a service I offer. However, given the choice, I'd prefer to take video jobs & refer people to photographers like Cy Rathbun & Greg Vogel, two of the best photographers in the valley.
Wow! It's been a while since I've updated this blog! Now that work has subsided temporarily, I'll be sure to post more. Thanks for the patience!
