An Adventure Filmmaker
Becoming
UNPLANNED AND UNEXPECTED. It just simply happened! My passion for content creation started with GoPros when action POV-style footage was HOT! Those tiny powerful instruments became essential in my skydiving and piloting gear bag.
Soon enough, I found myself struggling with the creative process, restricted from transforming my imagination into visuals, hindering my progress. The lack of finesse in my editing skillset forced me to elevate myself to become a better editor. Thus came the switch to Final Cut Pro X.
The phone call that changed my life! I was contacted by a production house for some collaborative work, And that very first meeting was enough to have me buy my first professional camera and get into cinematography. Before I knew it, projects started pouring in on me.
COMMERCIAL FILMMAKING. Yup! that was an interesting phase. I got to experience what it’s like to work with various clients, from sporting events organizers to the beauty industry, but! It was slowly becoming just another job. Constant interference by individuals with tasteless vision and, most importantly, dragging me away from what I love the most, the mountains. So I gradually started rejecting projects and became selective in what I wanted to produce to have more time doing the kind of work I loved, which was adventure filmmaking.
I was always drawn toward the run-n’ gun style of filming. Uncontrolled conditions, high altitudes, and navigating through rugged terrain never stopped me from thinking about my following composition.
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with combining both cinematography and alpinism. Always on the hunt to find that sweet spot to be efficient in both disciplines.
WHAT’S IN MY GEAR BAG? I always roll with my Sony alpha 7S mark 3. I genuinely believe it’s a workhorse! The best camera in the market for adventure filmmakers, ISO Performance is impeccable, proper weather sealing, and the ergonomics on that thing…
They say your choice of lens dictates the overall look of your footage. Back in the days’ glass was made by hand, not CMC machinery. So a pair of lenses from the same manufacturer do not share similar characteristics. But sometimes I pick efficiency over looks. Fifty-nifty F/1.8 is my go-to mountaineering lens, and a couple of DJI action cameras for the climbing part. For aerial videography, I use DJI Air 2S, which has been tested a lot in harsh weather conditions, and it’s been performing flawlessly so far.
That setup is what I use for climbing, But I do have other lenses that always go in my camera bag for less intense filming. Sony 70-200 2.8 GM and Loawa 15mm 2.0 Zero-D for astrophotography.
Learning filmmaking is a never-ending journey. I’m constantly looking for online sources to educate myself on that matter. The film industry is continuously evolving with creativity and ideas. You’ll eventually get stuck at that mediocre level if you don't keep up.