Back in the first quarter of 2009 I was on record as calling Twitter "the most egotistical thing ever invented." 140 characters to spew forth whatever was on your mind? No chance, I thought, this is a fad and a particularly stupid one at that. At a New Year's Eve party I said to someone that I thought Twitter was the biggest game-changer of the year and an invaluable resource. So, yeah, I've reversed my position somewhat.
Quite bluntly, if you're not on Twitter you're playing catch-up and in an industry whose tools are becoming computers with lenses that's a disastrous place to be. Twitter has become a breaking news feed with the added bonus of commentary from people active in the field: the contextualization of the information elevates it.
However, there is another aspect to Twitter that might be overlooked. The sharing of information, expertise and experience is something that I've never really experienced before in this industry. Don't get me wrong, I've learned a lot from others but the free-flowing information on Twitter and the willingness to share has blown me away. Twitter appears to have attracted a group of people who not only enjoy their work but are excited by the possibilities of the tools they have and that excitement spills over.
Paranoia and competitiveness has always been a part of the film/video industry, be it over clients, techniques or even equipment. There is a small pool of people that are up for every job and considering that rates are always negotiable (must be nice to be a plumber and know that the rate is the rate -- apart from that whole clogged toilet thing...) I know that everyone has lost a job because someone came in $50 under your quote or agreed to a 12-hour day with no OT. With production budgets getting slashed loyalty from your clients is a luxury these days and I've talked to many people who don't really have regular clients any more, it's a revolving door of jobs. Which makes the people who discuss, evaluate and share information on Twitter all the more remarkable. They're discussing the tricks of the trade, the same tricks that get them paid, keep a roof over their heads and have earned them the reputations they have. AT NO COST!
Now, I'm not going to be naive, Twitter is a powerful marketing tool and I'm sure that many of the people active on Twitter have, at the very least, received a phone call from an interested potential client. However, the sense of community that is being engendered is heartening. In a given day I know what people are up to in Bavaria, Buffalo, England, New Zealand, Toronto, Boston, Washington, DC... I know what cameras they used, what accessories they had with them, what worked, what didn't, what they wished they'd had on set in addition to what the temperature was and if they got a meal break. And if I'm intrigued by something mentioned? Send a message, get an answer -- build a relationship.
While the value of Twitter has surprised me what has been a bigger thrill has been a newfound sense of enthusiasm for the industry of which I'm a part. It's easy to get jaded dealing with rookie producers, cheap production companies and renters who don't know that there's more than one camera with '900' in it's name. Hearing from people from around the world who still think this business is cool (which is what we all thought working in film and TV was when we were young) is invigorating and, bluntly, it's made me better at my job.
So, without further ado, some shout-outs to the folks out there on Twitter that make it a fun place to be:
www.twitter.com/philipbloom Not sure if you need an introduction to Mr. Bloom, he's become something of a web celebrity in addition to being a fine DP. Answers questions, reviews gear, hangs out with the folks from LucasFilm occasionally...oh, and he's English, which immediately gives him a leg up on everyone else.
www.twitter.com/tomguilmette As of this writing Tom is off on a mountain somewhere doing something epic with timelapse. Or he might be mountain biking. Difficult to tell with him but he's probably cold either way. Tom gives great insights into different types of production and, like Philip, is happy to share tips and techniques.
www.twitter.com/rodneykiwi Yes, he's the DP for 24 and I'm a 24 nerd but his feed is not just a look behind the show for fans. Instead, Rodney Charters seems to be as big a geek about new production toys as we all are even though he gets to play with the BIG toys on a daily basis. Great to follow.
www.twitter.com/timescapes Tom Lowe put a video on Vimeo that has literally stopped everyone that I've shown it to in their tracks:
Timescapes Timelapse: Mountain Light from Tom Lowe @ Timescapes on Vimeo.
Now, click through to watch that in HD and then follow Tom on Twitter.
www.twitter.com/vincentlaforet Vincent Laforet has won a Pulitzer Prize for photography. That should be a good enough reason to follow him but he's also the chap who really made people sit up and pay attention to the possibilities of DSLRs for film-making.
www.twitter.com/tylerginter That would be 1st Lt. Tyler Ginter, 55th Combat Camera, US Army. This is a man who tested out a 1DMkIV while he was preparing to jump out of an airplane.
This is a really small sampling, obviously, but it's a good place to start for those in film & video. The fun of Twitter is following the conversations and then following the people who are discussing what you enjoy. Pretty soon, there's a community of people in your feed and, as I said at the beginning, it's a community that's expanding. Hopefully you'll find it as valuable as I do.
Chris Cardno
Production Manager
Visual Edge Productions
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