Latent Memories

When I was first approached about this project, I wanted to make sure I prepared well and collaborated closely with the director so we could align on a shared vision. I spent time in prep creating mood boards and lighting plans, which gave us a clear baseline to start from.

This was the first time I wasn't multi-rolling across five different roles. I was just DP. Having a solid AD kept us on schedule while allowing for creative negotiation. My AC worked directly with me on technical execution.

Everyone respected each other's role and collaborated on the creative side. That efficient crew and clear collaboration made the tight timeline not just survivable, but actually productive. Being able to do one job well beats doing five jobs halfway.

We did pre-visualization and planning, but we couldn't get the kit on location for testing beforehand. That's where the gap was. On set, I ended up experimenting with different lighting styles to see what worked and what didn't, rather than doing it practically in advance.

If we'd had even one dedicated prep day to test in the actual spaces, I would have known exactly what to prepare for. That's the lesson that stuck. Prep isn't optional when you're moving between locations every day.

Syncing timecode with the sound department to accommodate handheld sequences.