Have you ever felt like an island? When I left the position of DIT for good and became a full-time cinematographer, I very quickly began to feel alone. Having spent years aspiring to be a DP, I finally had achieved my goal - yet all of a sudden, I found myself on the mountaintop, lonely and yearning for community. Being a DIT was like my film school, a place where I could collaborate with and learn from some of the most incredible people in the business. Every job was an educational experience and the camaraderie with the crew made each day on set a joy, even if I would come home exhausted from 14+ hours of work.

So in 2015 I started a small group called Cinematography Salon, a nod to the art salons of the past that rebelled against the insular and judgmental art world. It’s how movements like Impressionism got their start, and I wanted to have a safe space where my peers and I could share our experiences as DPs privately - somewhere we could discuss our feelings, tricks of the trade and mundane things like rates without the prying eyes of those that would use it against us. I learned what I know as a DP through the generosity of those willing to share their knowledge and experiences, so cutting through the minefield of paid courses and useless how-to content by providing genuine and free education and experiences was paramount.

Fast forward 8 years and we have expanded our mission to lift up the next generation of filmmakers and cinematographers. From what I’ve seen, once you leave film school and before you reach a level of success consistent with organizations like the ASC, there exists a major gap in education and community. In the past, there was a much stronger system of apprenticeship and mentorship but that has largely been relegated to television, and most of us don’t work on those productions. So the Salon, along with partners and friends across the industry, has taken it upon itself to provide networking events, education in the form of classes, panels and mentorship, insight into our field via the official podcast, and a host more activities. It’s a group I wished I had when I was getting my start, but I am proud to say that now something like that exists for the next me, trying to find their way in this crazy career.

[David]

@dkruta

davidkruta.com

PERSPECTIVE

“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives.

The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”

Carl Sagan, “Pale Blue Dot”