Julien Richez : 1st Assistant Camera
That is, there it is ! Here is the first interview of a technician that I made a few days ago after a day of shooting rather busy. I would like to thank you once again to Julien for giving me your trust and have accepted to play the game of the interview, to be delivered on what is the job of a 1st assistant camera and be delivered in short.
I hope you enjoy this sharing of knowledge, slice-of-life offered to us by Julien. As you will see in this article, but also in the next trades I will show you, I try you always offer the best, offering you different routes and always the maximum info. As you may have noticed in the articles on the 1 st assistant operator I try to be as complete as possible, these articles take me so many time, I hope you’ll forgive me the time between each trades… :o)
ITW de Julien Richez :
Hello Julien, thank you for giving a little of your time, after quite a busy day ;o). For the readers to understand what I’m talking about, we are working together on a mini series for ARTE.
Tom Weil : Then to begin I would like to know if you always had the desire to make this profession of assistant operator ?
Julien-Richez : I think that has always been the image I was interested in…to be exact it has always been my passion. I started early enough, to make the photo as well technically as artistically. Be able to capture a moment T, frozen in time, to me, enthralling play. In my mind, I always had a camera at hand dice, my 13 years, then living in a small town I’ve managed to work as a freelancer to 16/ 17 years for the voice of the north. Suffice to say that it does not date from yesterday ;o).
Tom Weil : It’s funny what you say to me because a lot of readers and users of “how to make a movie” wish to become a script writer or director (sometimes both ;o)), so why not a director or cameraman ?
Julien Richez : Because I’m still young lol. To be more serious, I think one day I’ll go to camera operator to full-time…because I happen to be for France TV. This allows me to make my weapons, I will pass cameraman if an opportunity presents itself, and then it takes a team, solid, on which one can rely. Mount such a team is not simple.
And then to work as a camera operator it is necessary to have one hell of a network to work all the time. Despite the fact that I am in the business I find that the cameraman is a kind of mercenary. It is strange but it is like that ;o)
At the bottom, it is necessary to take advantage of the moments that we live. What I mean is that I’m not running after new positions or new functions. Today I am a 1 st assistant operator and I broke out like crazy in my taf, so why change it ! As I would be passionate about, I don’t see why I would change ;o)
Tom Weil : As you know I am self taught, I have not done school, I am not son of a…I attempt through the blog to demonstrate that cinema and television are within reach of everyone, regardless of position, as soon as the time or the resources. That is it for the job of assistant operator ? can we get by without ” baggage “ ?
Julien Richez : I have faith in the human being…that is to say : you can if you want. You’re going to tell me that it is a bit easy to say it, but I think it really. It is true that this is not my case, I’ll explain probably later (editor’s note : Julian makes a school) but I attended a training course.
But I know that it is possible, despite the fact thatwizard trader is a technical skill, requiring, and where you have strong bases.
So if one of your readers would like to do this job and that he does not have the possibility of doing a school, he will have to roll up the sleeves. It will be necessary to give ! He will have to make its evidence and to take his time…lots of time. Learn and assimilate an incredible amount of concepts, techniques and knowledge variety : the principles of optics and physics, he will not be able to escape it.
It is clear that, if he can think, if he is tech savvy, passionate about the image and a few computer Geeks ;o) he (she) will have all its chances. But if he (she) is zero(e) in physics and math, there, it’s going to be complicated…
Tom Weil : In the presentation of the job of’assistant camera (operator) I thought he had the soul of a leader ? Info or intox ?
Julien Richez : Lol, No this is not brainwashing, but you knew that already right ?! ;o) It is necessary to have a team spirit and, a fortiori, to team leader, when you are a 1 st assistant operator. Then I reassured the more introverted, it is not necessary to have an exceptional aura. be a team manager, it is able to give guidance, guidance to a team so that everyone goes in the same direction, without yelling. It must have a minimum of plumb, that’s all. Like everything, this can be learned over temp‘s ;o)
Tom Weil : That is what makes a day, for you, is an exceptional day ?
Julien Richez : That is a complicated question…let me think two seconds….I believe that when there are plans a little bit complicated, depth of field or the plans in stead, it spices up the day. But let’s say that in a typical day, there is always this kind of plans.
In fact, it is a mix of plans complicated anda symbiosis with the camera operator, this is a extraordinary day !. You see, it is understand without speaking, to live a magical time of images, at a specific time, while the sharing.
The relationship with the chief operator is amazing, you have to meet its technical needs as quickly as possible and the best possible function of the equipment placed at your disposal.
It is to translate its desires into technical : speed, macro, you have to adapt the gear to the filming etc…
Also, I take this opportunity to say that the relationship with the boom operator is also amazing. It may sound strange to the readers of ” how to make a movie “, because this is not at all the same trade, but the boom operator is like me, he works in the moment, we are working live, this is what I said earlier, if you crash the whole world know. But if all goes well…does anyone know ! lol Sometimes we want to say ” : and ! I ensured there right ?!. Because it has managed a tour de force of technical or artistic, but we keep it for us, even if nobody tells us that it is top, it re-boosts and it makes me love these special moments ;o) And love this job.
Tom Weil : is there a time that you will never forget ?
Julien Richez : We live moments that a lot of people do not live, or in addition to, we are paid for !! Plans for a helicopter, shooting in the back of a audi TT launch at more than 250 km/h on the circuit of Magny-cours. There are surely others…
I hope that this first part of the interview : Julien Richez you liked it. Here is the second part of the interview ;o) Julien we will explain its role on a plateau of shooting, his career, his training. But also what he thinks of the métier…de its business ;o)
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Soon,
Tom