David Sorcher's PhotoWorld: Lights, Camera, Action!

Ryan on the rigging crew

I recently finished up a 3 week project shooting production stills for one of the many movies that have been filming here in Ohio lately. I'd been looking for just such an opportunity to work on film sets for some time and my friend Brian Douglas was gracious enough to recommend me for this one, a horror/comedy shot up in Middletown. The pay was low, the hours were long (12-14 hr. nights with an hour drive on each end) and i have rarely worked harder in my life, but the experience i gained was priceless, a rich and rewarding one.

There are, unfortunately, so many photographs that i just can't share with you at this moment. Images of actors, costuming, make-up or set design that might reveal plot devices or give away gags can't be shown at this time for obvious reasons. This is, as you might imagine, a bit frustration for me as there are quite a few fun shots that i will need to keep under wraps at least until the film is released (coming to theaters near you - October, 2015).

Production stills serve a number of purposes for a film. Photos are needed for promotional purposes and merchandising. They also document the moment, the production as a whole. So along with making images that look like a frame from the film i was also focussing of the behind the scene interactions, preparations and the crew at work. It is with this last aspect that i have the ability to share some of my work with these mostly candid portraits of our outstanding crew. Really, i believe i might have been a bit spoiled by this initial experience. This film set virgin couldn't have asked for a better first crew. They taught me so much is so short a time. And as a total noob to the industry i found myself immediately welcomed and appreciated, a part of the family, even if i was inevitably standing in the wrong place at the wrong time on more than one occasion.

There is a lot i would like to share with you about the specifics of shooting productions stills. In many ways it is just and extension of a documentary approach, but it has its own nuances and specifications for sure. I think, however, that story would be better served when i am able to post more of the photos from this project. For now let me just introduce you to some of my temporary film family, with a great big thanks to them all for helping me cut my teeth on a new avenue for my photography. Hopefully this will lead to many more opportunities in this industry in the future.