sure that you come away with good photos that capture the dramatic point
of each scene, that tell the story. Good portraits of all the main people, espe-
cially the actors. I always try to shoot a poster, too . . . A lot of times they'll
hire a special to come in, just to shoot the poster. Having been on that side
of the fence, as a special, I kind of know what they want, so I always set up
a little portrait session and try to capture the motif of the movie so they'll
use it as a poster. You get paid extra when you get a poster."
Special Skills
"First of all, you have to be a good photographer," says Hamill. "You
have to have a good eye. You have to be very perceptive and alert when
you're a still photographer. You have to have eyes in the back of your
head. You also have to know when to get in and get your photographs,
when to get close enough to get good ones, but at the same time be unob-
trusive. You almost have to be invisible. You have to not be afraid to get
in there and get the pictures--you can't be intimidated by actors--you
have to cover the scene. The people at studios don't want to know what
happens in the trenches, they want results. It's up to you to work at the
top of your talent as a professional and do whatever that requires."
Advice for Someone Seeking This Job
Hamill advises aspiring unit photographers to find someone who
works on movies that can get you on a set to observe what goes on and
watch the still photographer at work. To gain some experience, he says,
"Try to find a low budget, nonunion production and volunteer to do
some pictures for free. If I was doing it all over, I would work for free to
get on a movie set and get some experience. Shooting pictures in a
fashion studio is so much different than shooting movies. There are so
many people. You can be in the way, especially with delicate love scenes
or scenes involving anger or tension. You have to tiptoe, but at the same
time, you have to get the work done."
Professional Profile: Brian Hamill, Still Photographer
For Brian Hamill, filmmaking was not the outcome of a designed plan.
"I wanted to be a photographer. When I was 16, my older brother bought
me a little brownie snapshot-type camera and I started taking pictures of
my friends that I hung out with in Brooklyn. They were kind of graphic
and design-looking pictures."
Prior to leaving New York to study art at the University of Arizona,
Hamill decided to see if any colleges offered a degree in photography. He
discovered Rochester Institute of Technology, not far from his home.
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