Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Nordell.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Although I understand the sentiment, I’ve never subscribed to the idea that “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life,” rather, I believe you will work harder because you care much more about what you’re putting your time and effort into. I’ve loved movies since I was a kid growing up in Arizona.
My mom and I would have our “us time” by going to the theater on the weekends. When my mom worked late, my dad and I had our own “don’t tell mom I’m letting you watch these” movie marathons at home, introducing me to some of the best R-rated action films that ever existed: all the “Alien,” “Rambo,” “Die Hard,” and of course “Terminator” films. What struck me wasn’t just the cool stories, but the atmosphere these filmmakers created.
The cinematography, set designs, props, editing, music, all combined in creating a sense that these worlds and characters actually existed. To me, they were pure magic. And I think that’s how every filmmaker enters the business, being captivated by that feeling and becoming addicted to it. These special moments I got to share with my parents had a huge influence in my pursuit of becoming a filmmaker.
This prompted me to “borrow” their VHS camera and shoot my first films with my action figures standing in as my “actors.” Cut to high school. When that final bell rang each day, my A.V. friends and I would gather together, film our own movies, and have family over for “screenings” the next night. Some of our movies were based on history lessons, and our teachers would allow us to turn in the final films in lieu of an essay. That’s when lightning struck. This is what I was going to do for a living.
In college, I pushed myself, discovered new techniques, experimented, failed, learned from my mistakes, rinse and repeat. Over the next four years, my friends and I entered into eighteen “48-hour film challenges,” and our team won over 100 awards. This was when it became clear to me that who you choose to work with directly affects the end result. It’s vital to build a “family” of colleagues that you both trust and admire regardless if it’s a “no budget” or big budget production.
Likewise, you must be an invaluable member of the team yourself. Filmmaking is a business, let’s not forget that. But it’s also equally important to realize it is truly a privilege. Where else can you work in such a creative environment, form a family of crew from all different backgrounds, experience locations you never would have visited otherwise, and by the end of the day, have created something that never existed before?
There is no better job in the world! If I could tell young filmmakers anything, it would be this: never lose that magic feeling. With focus, a great attitude and a stellar team, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish. These core values allowed me to shoot 96 pages of an episodic show in four days for Nerdist, and with a skeleton crew, shoot a feature film at Sundance in four days that is now in the festival circuits.
Throughout my career as a cinematographer, I have been fortunate enough to shoot hundreds of projects including features, shorts, documentaries for Marvel, standup comedy specials, and a Hulu original show called “Spoilers with Kevin Smith.” I come to set loving what I do and ready to work harder than anyone. When not behind the lens, I am an editor of feature films, music videos, and trailers.
In my opinion, learning both skills have improved the other exponentially. Whether shooting or editing, I bring producers the most respectful and qualified crew to ensure the smoothest possible production. Unforeseen setbacks may come up, but it should never be at the expense of personality problems.
Remember, despite the financial obligations; we are all here to create cool stories that inspire audiences as we were once inspired.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I always refer to them as learning opportunities, but yes, there have been quite a few.
When I moved to Los Angeles, I essentially had to start from scratch. Despite my filmmaking experience in the past, my affiliations with film organizations, or the film festival I created and maintained for three years, I realized quickly that nobody really cared who I was or what I had done prior to moving here. Thus began the updating of resumes, reels, scouring online for opportunities, and building new relationships.
For the first six months, I barely made enough money to live on. The whole “Ramen noodle story.” It was a grind, but eventually, things did turn around, momentum picked up, and my job was now to maintain that momentum. You have to push through the dark times. You may have to adjust your strategy, but you have to keep going. Any day that you are not working towards your goals is another day you are delaying your dreams.
Another important lesson: respect your fellow crew, I don’t care who you are. I worked on smaller projects as a grip or electric to survive the first year out here. What shocked me, was seeing some of the attitudes from department heads on set. Some productions would go off the rails due to bad personalities. I would be talked down to, or witness other crew members being disrespected by our bosses and it really got under my skin.
I never told anyone that I was a DP when taking these types of crew jobs, it’s tacky, and it didn’t matter, instead, I kept cool, “stayed in my lane,” and vowed to never be like those guys. All the projects, money, or opportunities in the world wouldn’t matter if I was despised on set like they were.
A bad production team can make a wide-eyed, enthusiastic new filmmaker hate their dream and turn their prospects of a career into a nightmare. I’ve seen some of the most talented friends of mine quit the business because of this type of emotional abuse or harassment. It’s unacceptable in my opinion.
And to anyone who has experienced those types of productions: don’t worry, those are amateur sets and trust me when I say it will get better when you start working with real professionals. I kept at it, stayed focused working on smaller projects, building relationships with level-headed crew members, and soon referrals started coming in.
After a year and a half of hitting the pavement, I no longer relied on scouring the internet to find opportunities. These referrals were coming in from the crew members on those nightmare sets, not the disrespectful bosses or department heads, but all the hard working crew that saw and appreciated how hard I was working.
Lesson learned: your actions, good or bad, are always noticed, and they can either help you or bury you. The lesson that took me the longest to learn was despite your bank account, saying “no” to a project is never a bad thing if you sense red flags in the early stages of pre-production. Likewise, when you do say “yes” to a project, you need to be there and give 110%. You chose to be there.
So keep your word and be there. Be present. Be a team player and maintain a good attitude. Any drama that happens on set leaves it at the door when you get home. Good things never come from knowingly walking into a disaster just for the money, but what’s worse is bailing on a promise you made and leaving the crew scrambling. Learn to say “no” when your gut tells you to and trust that something better will come along.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
Working as both a cinematographer and an editor has been a dream come true. Doing both has sharpened my instincts and skills immensely, and it allows me to problem solve quickly when schedules or budgets are limited. Because of these dual positions, I’ve seen my fair share of what works and doesn’t work on a film set, and I steer my producers and crew away from as many pitfalls as possible.
Any chance I have to talk to new or inexperienced filmmakers, I tell them several truths of the business I learned along the way. Respect and a positive attitude are essential.
Disrespect on set from anyone is a huge pet peeve of mine. You must be a team player, or don’t join the team in the first place. Negative attitudes can derail a project. Attitude is everything on set, and that will be what everyone remembers you for, and either help lead you to your next job or put you on a “do not call” list.
Problem-solving is key. It’s a waste of time when an apparent problem on set, like a blocking issue or the fact that the sun is setting on your day exterior is pointed out without any suggestion of a solution. It’s obvious, everyone can see it. Your job is to help think of solutions that will work for the current situation that can keep the day moving forward.
Your work ethic is your real resume. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to build lasting relationships and work on some of my biggest projects thanks to the referrals of crew members I met on disastrous projects. Realize that if you’re in a situation with a producer or director that is sinking the ship because of their lack of leadership or personal mistakes, that those people won’t be the ones you get your next job from.
They will still be recovering (usually trying to save their project in post-production). Keep your head up. Stay focused. Do the best job you can despite the circumstances, because it will be all the surrounding crew that will be watching you and referring you to other projects based on your steadfast work ethic and attitude.
Every single set, good or bad, is a chance to build new relationships and I enjoy being an active participant in the process and setting productions up for success. I bring a “support system” structure to my filmmaking and to me the next job is never just a transaction, it’s a collaboration and a chance to expand the film family.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Anytime, I see the finished product of what my crew and I put our blood, sweat, and tears into on a theater or television screen, I get that same magic feeling I did when I was a child. To see the fruits of your labor are always satisfying. I also love any opportunity to help my crew members with their goals in this business.
Whether it’s a grip who wants to be a camera operator or a gaffer who wants to DP, I try and find projects where I can use them in those capacities or refer them to other productions, so they have that opportunity to prove to themselves and everyone around them, that they have what it takes to achieve their dreams.
I challenge my crew but also support them any way I can. That’s what family is for, and the end results are always better for it. If times are tough and you’re struggling, don’t quit. Quitting is the ONLY way you won’t achieve your dreams. Instead, remember to work hard and stay humble. I assure you great things will happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.austinnordell.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austinnordell/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/austin.nordell
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Austin_Nordell
- Other: www.therawnegative.com
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