#RaymondTuquero #AssociateMemberCSC @rayt_visual
Stack Your Skills and Test Yourself
Our skills grow each year. Yet, I hear, “I don’t do that”, “I used to, but a waste of time” or “No skills are involved”. But, I beg to differ.
I love participating in timed film events, creating a film in 24/48 hours, or a feature in a weeks. These challenges are not just filming, but writing, filming and editing within tight deadlines.
5-7 years into my career I felt the need for a scripted narrative approach and sought advice from someone whose work I admired. When I asked how they reached their level, they simply replied, “Practice. Keep doing it and do it often.”
My journey started at broadcast school in TX. In the following yrs, I was focused on editing, lighting and video capture from sports, live events, runway, award galas, town halls, in-studio productions and live-tv. Though 8-10 years, I hadn’t really dived into the more creative scripted narratives.
These timed film projects were my only glimpses into that world. Each yr, I took the skills I developed in broadcasting and incorporated them into my creative endeavors.
A decade since I first engaged in timed film projects in various cities, I found myself in Toronto, a very vibrant hub for narrative creativity. There, my crew and I won Best Cinematography. I felt both honored and humbled by the award committee. I do recognize this was still just a step forward, a skill added to my growth, and I still needed to maintain my momentum.
So, if you dismiss any experiences as “a waste of time,” I encourage you to shift your mindset. Ask yourself, “What did I learn?” and apply those bits of learning into your next few projects and repeat. Even in the most challenging, your not good enough or discouraging situations you encounter (and you will), reflect on your experiences and take any learnings to guide your next steps in your creative visual journey.
#csc #CandadianSocietyofCinematographers #Cinematographer #Filipino #FilipinoAmerican #Journey #Canada #opportunity #learnings #shiftmindset #timed #challenges #adversity #success #BIPOC #justmakeithappen