Audentes fortuna iuvat.
Fortune favors the bold.
Fed by crumbles of courage from nowhere-land and a liberal set of confusions, I did make a handful of bold decisions yesterday and I wouldn't say I wasn't proud. I was in fact impressed by my impulsive composure of such confidence and stubbornness. But this morning feels unlikely. Not that I question the decisions I made, but I'm quite skeptical of my choice of time. The fortuna, I'm repeatedly chanting in my head, is the only odd that can ever be in my favor and save me from spacing out. In my four years of undergraduate studies in Sicily, I have equipped myself with a healthy amount of Roman literature, which included my, sometimes cool, most of the time irrelevant delivery of famous Roman quotes. Hey! I needed to memorize them okay? What else was I supposed to take with me from there? I'm kidding. A lot. A whole lot.
Of course, we all know about Carpe diem. Seize the day. That's what I tried to do, or at least I'd say that's what got over me last night when this idea of making a film, with only two types of shots - tracking and zooming in, occurred to put my cinematic lighting knowledge to test. Perks of being a first AC (assistant camera): Don't bother looking for a soulmate, a camera will do the job. My Fujifilm X-H2S is my constant companion. As someone who constantly works with a camera, it can be evidently said that I possess three eyes. The two of three are stuck with the head and the other one constantly hanging by the belt around my neck. Haters will say I own five of them because of the glasses that I've been wearing since grade nine.
"First AC Baek!", Jungho-nim calls for me rather in a hurried tone. Lee Jungho. Director of Photography, Chief Cinematographer, Division 1, JYPE. He has been calling me by my surname ever since I got into Division 1. And everyone followed likewise. "That's a first'', I laughed at his proud face. "Calling you 1st AC Baek makes me feel like a commander in charge", he said with hands on his hip, chin up, and chest out.
"Here, PD-nim" I rushed to him, almost tripping over a tool midway, restoring my balance in the next second, about to reach the verge of a mixed hysteria listening to the urgency in his voice but stopped when he looked extremely engrossed in thoughts, his intense frown confirmed.
"How long was that training that you did on cinematic lighting?" fondling with his pen, staring at space.
"About 8 months." This training had been the biggest treat last year for my ever-craving cinematic soul.
"And you said you'll work with only two shots? Have you choreographed the blocking? What about color grades?" He fires me with ceaseless questions in a single breath.
I clearly drew a blank. So many frantic ideas in the head, little can be articulated. Rather than surrendering to embarrassment, I take a chance on my longing desire for cinematography, "I'll do creative grading, part vintage, part naturalistic. In the case of blocking I think, as I've mentioned before my wish to shoot slice of life, I will rather let the object lead the choreography. A candid per se. Unscripted, but engaged with a comprehensive story." His curves on his forehead made clearer folds. Come up with something that hooks him, will you?
"For example, Doodle. Changbin's Doodle. He sketches whimsical elements in the song and concludes that his life is like a doodle with creativity that exceeds the limit. Think of the entire film as an amalgamation of doodles like Bin's life and the shots are the elements of it." I blabbered whatever came to my head but did not give up just so he could follow. L-O-L Hwa, you are lost yourself.
"Do it. Show it to me. Unscripted sounds captivating. I am more interested in the story that will come out of it. Fascinating how you drew inspiration from the kids." he smirks followed by a look of uncertainty that both of us share in sync. But at least I can hear the sound of affirmation? Of my accountability?
