I love my role as unit stills photographer. What I don’t love is the fact that there is very little information available on this important craft in film making. There are no specialised courses and little other available information sources, until now!
Here is a collection of my articles about how a photographer can make the most of every moment they spend on a film set.
Tech Talk Articles by Angus Young
- TT 01 Why you need to have a stills photographer on a film shoot
- TT 02 5 crucial on set relationships for a Production Stills Photographer
- TT 03 5 Mistakes made by on set photographers
- TT 04 Copyright and the Production Stills photographer
- TT 05 Three Important Publicity Shots for a Production Stills Photographer
- TT 06 Call Sheets. Why I love them, and why you should too
- TT 07 Delivering production stills to the people who need them
- TT 08 5 tips for working with actors
- TT 09 The best movie stills resources for the on set photographer
- TT 10 Film set jargon for unit stills photographers
- TT 11 Make the crew look good!
- TT 12 Getting work as a stills photographer
- TT 13 Q&A on shooting film stills
- TT 14 Choosing your projects
- TT 15 Sound blimp round up
- TT 16 3 More crucial on set relationships for stills photographers
- TT 17 After the show is done – after care for unit stills photographers
- TT 18 5 Great ways to spend your on set down time productively
- TT 19 Making yourself useful on set.
- TT 20 Inspirational Movie Stills
- TT 21 Film marketing pitfalls and great examples of productions avoiding them
- TT 22 Film marketing and publicity links
- TT 23 Book review: “Movie Photos” by Alex Bailey
- TT 24 tips for actors to get the best working with a stills phographer
- TT 25 Innovative use of stills in movie marketing
- TT 26 Camera Sound Blimps – An update
- TT 27 Run a film and TV “Specials Shoot” – Part 1, Planning
- TT 28 Run a film and TV “Specials Shoot” – Part 2, The shoot
- TT 29 Hollywood Unit Publicist Ernie Malik interview
- TT 30 Aquatech Blimps Version 2 – Preliminary Thoughts
- TT 31 Tips for setting up an Aquatech Blimp with the BT145 Lens tube for Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L II
- TT 32 Three unit stills shooters compare Aquatech “Scout” Sound blimp to the Fatboy
- TT 33 Unit Photographer’s Laptop Workstation Hack
- TT 34 Negotiate Your Rate For Unit Stills Photography
If you have a question that you want me to address in my postings please drop me a line.
Sound Blimp Manufacturers
- Aquatech Sound Blimp designed by fabled US underwater housing manufacturer
- Fatboy Sound Blimp Norwegian-designed sound blimp for grip less dSLRs
- Jacobson Sound Blimp The original sound blimp for stills photographers.
- Shutterbubble Sound Blimp US designed sound blimp launching 2012
Unit Stills Photographer Profiles
- Alex Bailey – Behind the Curtain [PODCAST] PLINK’s 45 minute podcast Interview
- Alex Bailey – Nikon Europe Interview Alex Bailey on life as a Nikon shooting stills photographer
- Alina Gozin'a – Exposure Pro Intimate artists’ interview with Alina on the creative process and directing actors for portraiture
- Angus Young – profiled by Phil Arntz A chat about the equipment and skills needed and how to get started for working as a production stills photographer
- Angus Young – Want to work in TV Interview with Angus Young on shooting publicity stills in TV
- Barry Feinstein – Unseen Photographs Shooting stills for Steve McQueen on “Bullitt” and knowing exactly when to press the shutter and more importantly, as he said himself, ’knowing when not to’.
- Brian Hamill – State University interview the joys of shooting stills for the likes of Woody Allen, Barry Levinson, Martin Scorsese and Sydney Pollack
- Bruce Talamon – The Unit Stills Photographer [VIDEO] A profile that includes a demo of the Jacobson sound blimp and a brief history of the product
- Chris Large – AMC Q&A Interview with AMC’s “Hell on Wheels” unit stills photographer, Chris Large
- Clay Enos – interviewed by Ain't It Cool News On creating the first look images for Zack Schneider’s Wonder Woman and Batman Vs Superman and being always on the lookout for the next shot
- Clay Enos – Interviewed by Exposure Guide On working with Zack Snyder on Watchmen, 300: Rise of an Empire, working spontaneously and “In service to the film”
- Clay Enos – Interviewed by Junsiu Films On making stills on Man of Steel, Suckerpunch and Watchmen, shooting on location and working with Zach Snyder and Christopher Nolan
- Clay Enos – interviewed by The Source On the getting his first break and the challenges of shooting great stills on a mostly green screen set
- David James – Society of Camera Operators [VIDEO] Profile on Life Time Achievement Award winning Unit Stills Photographer
- Douglas Kirkland – Cinematic Photography 60 years as an entertainment photographer and over 100 film sets.
- Frank W Ockenfels III – Popphoto interview On shooting publicity specials shoots for AMC’s Breaking Bad and Mad Men, shooting medium format and lighting tips
- Fu Jan – China Daily very candid profile on the life of a Chinese stills photographer
- Gene Page – Gainsville Sun interview From photojournalist to Walking Dead unit photographer and the life aquatic.
- Helen Sloan – Nikon Europe Interview Detailed interview with thePrincipal Unit Photographer for HBO’s epic Game of Thrones
- Helen Sloan – Winter Is Coming interview Insight into the career and techniques of Game of Thrones still photographer
- Helen Sloan- interviewed by Tech Insider Series 6 preview interview with Game of Throne’s Northern Ireland-based lead unit still photographer
- Hopper Stone – Adorama Interview On IATSE Union shooting in the USA and life as a stills photographer
- Hopper Stone – interviewed by Matt Granger In depth discussion on Hopper’s transition from photojournalist to unit stills photographer and why he’s an artisn, not an artist. (Two Parts)
- Hopper Stone – Nik Radio Interview [PODCAST] LA based unit photographer talks through his career from photojournalism in war zones to on set photojournalism
- Jack English – Fuji Film Exposure Interview On being discovered and recommmended by Gary Oldman and working on Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Fifth Element, The Transporter and many others
- Jaimie Trueblood – Interviewed by Junsui Films On shooting the Amazing Spiderman and his love of documenting the humour of Americana
- James Fisher – Baz Lurhmann's Set to Screen [VIDEO] The director profiles unit stills photographer James Fisher and the importance of stills to film publicity
- Jasin Boland – Capture People Magazine profile on action movie unit stills photographer Jasin Boland
- Jasin Boland – Movie Poster Photographer [VIDEO] SBS Australia interviews Jasin about his career as unit stills photographer
- Jasin Boland – Movie Stills Photographer [VIDEO] Profile on action movie specialist unit stills photographer, Jasin Boland
- Jasin Boland – Sydney Morning Herald interview On movie sets as a photographer’s game park, shooting Mad Max: Fury Road and working on The Matrix trilogy
- Jasin Boland: Interview by Video and Filmmaker Magazine In depth interview with Australian based unit stills photographer on why he shoots Nikon and what his typical day looks like
- Jonathan Olley – Time Lightbox Interview Photojournalism from conflict in Sarajevo to the sets of Green Zone, Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty
- Jose Haro – Interviewed by Junsui Films On the value of the actors trust and creating a reality of fiction
- Justin Lubin – Interviewed by AICN Meet SMPSP unit stills photographer Justin Lubin on equipment, working with the talent and how he got his breaks
- Karen Ballard – The Digital Journalist Unit Stills Photographer on Stephen Speilberg’s “Munich” recounts her experience
- Kimberley French – Interviewed by Junsui Films On shooting in a competitive market and a unit photographer’s day
- Larry D.Horricks – interviewed by Junsui Films On working on Coriolanus and trying to bring art and points of difference to unit stills work.
- Leah Gallo – Mizzou Mag Interview on joining the family. Working with Tim Burton on Alice in Wonderland and Sweeney Todd
- Louis Goldman – NYT Profile He’s “Still” while everyone else is in “Motion”
- Murray Close – Leica Blog Shooting unit still and special photography on “Free State of Jones” with Leica’s S medium format system and developing his craft under the eye of Stanley Kubrick
- Murray Close – UK Professional Photographer Interview On working with Stanley Kubrick, sound blimps and sensitive actors
- Niko Tavernise – Fstoppers interview On shooting for Aronovski
- Phil Bray – Interviewed by Juinsui Flms On shooting sensitive sets and green/blue screen unit stills work
- Rafy – interviewed by BitDepth Strong opinions on how to succeed as a stills photographer from one of Canada’s most successful unit stills shooters.
- Sebastian Solberg interviewed by Digital Photographer Magazine DIY blimps, getting started in unit photography and establishing a career as a unit photographer
- Tim Palen – Lionsgate Films interview by Jacqueline Miró with Lionsgate Chief Marketing Officer and specials photographer, Tim Palen.
- Van Redin – Digital Apple Overview of the role of s stills photographer
- Wilson Webb – Interviewed by Junsui Films On being a “Stills ninja” and shooting for the Coehn Brothers
- Wilson Webb – Twin Cities interview Minnesota-based photographer discusses his “On Set” exhibition and talks about shooting stills on Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Carol and Inherent Vice
Product and Service Reviews
- Aquatech for Canon – Review by Michael DeLeon User review of Canon fit Aquatech Sound Blimp, by LA based photographer Michael DeLeon
- Aquatech for Nikon – Review by Preston Mack User review of Nikon D3/D4 fit Aquatech Sound Blimp, by Orlando-based photographer Preston Mack
- TT 15 Sound blimp round up
- TT 23 Book review: “Movie Photos” by Alex Bailey
- TT 26 Camera Sound Blimps – An update
- TT 30 Aquatech Blimps Version 2 – Preliminary Thoughts
- TT 32 Three unit stills shooters compare Aquatech “Scout” Sound blimp to the Fatboy
Blogs, Articles and Resources for Unit Stills Photographers
- 5 Elements to being a good stills photographer – Kevin L Powers A photographer’s overview of how to shoot stills on movie sets
- Alex Bailey – Movie Stills Blog Film set photographer and author of “Movie Photos”
- BBC Publicity Stills Guide Detailed information about how to deliver to the BBC publicity department the stills that they need to market commissioned television.
- Chris Jones' Top 14 Tips How to get the publicity stills that will help sell your film
- Hollywood Still Photography – Shutterbug Shutterbug magazine feature on production stills (US perspective)
- Independent Magazine – Don't overlook production stills! Photographers, journalists and film makers talk about the importance of unit stills to marketing film projects
- Making of a One Sheet Rodriguez’ Rico Torres talks us through how he managed to capture the image that later become an iconic movie poster for Roberto “Sin City” featuring Bruce Willis.
- Q&A – Cineformation Film Publicity & Photography Q&A with David Appleby & Susan d’Arcy
- Rico Torres Blog Seriesof articles giving insight into Rico’s highly stylised approach to gallery and unit still photography
- SETIQUETTE for Camera Crew Kim Gottlieb-Walker has edited this comprehensive IATSE600-endorsed resource for various crew on how to conduct themselves on set. There is a thorough and well written section devoted to unit stills photographers and is a must read.
- The role of the Stills Photographer – Skillset thorough article on the role of the stills photographer
- The second most important photographer on set – Photopreneur On Set Photography article
- Want to work in TV? Shu Richmond’s excellent great career advice blog
Blogs, Articles, Interviews on film marketing and publicity
- Alternative Magazine interviews Ethelmae Sylverster Stallone’s unit publicist Ethelmae shares her story
- Film Independent – Do you need a unit publicist? YES. Here's why Excellent article outlining why all feature films can and should benefit from having a dedicated unit publicist
- How Movie Marketing Works A great overview of a typical feature film marketing campaign, with lots of great examples
- How to design a movie poster – Chris Jones An overview of the dos and donts of great movie poster design with excellent examples.
- How to make great movie artwork – Nadin Hadi A former sales agent and now producer discusses getting the best visual assets for marketing a feature film
- Independent Fim PR – Jeremy Walker Excellent article on publicising independent films
- Making of a One Sheet Rodriguez’ Rico Torres talks us through how he managed to capture the image that later become an iconic movie poster for Roberto “Sin City” featuring Bruce Willis.
- Movie Marketing – How Stuff Works Introductory article on the intricacies of movie marketing
- Publicity – Dov S-S Simen Independent film publicity beginning to end
- Q&A – Cineformation Film Publicity & Photography Q&A with David Appleby & Susan d’Arcy
- Sheri Candler – Film marketing and Publicity Expert This one is a must read for anyone interested in indy film publicity
- The Film Collective – Rethinking your Key Art game plan (Part 1/2) The practicalities of ensuring a production has sufficient high quality stills for creating advertising materials from both a technical and creative perspective.
- The Film Collective – Rethinking your Key Art game plan (Part 2/2) Giving your key art team the images it needs to make great key art.
- The Independent What does a publicist actually do?
- The Making of 7 Iconic Movie Posters Art Director Tom Martin talks about the creative process behind some of his legendary movie posters
- The role of the unit publicist: Skillset Interview with Susan D’arcy
- Tim Palen – Lionsgate Films interview by Jacqueline Miró with Lionsgate Chief Marketing Officer and specials photographer, Tim Palen.
- Want to work in TV – Nuala Giblin Experienced UK television Press Officer on the highs and lows of UK TV publicity
Video Resources
Jasin Boland: Movie Poster Photographer SBS Australia Interview
Cnet Exposure Pro profile on Australian stills shooter Alina Gozin’a
2011 Society of Camera Operators Lifetime Achiever, David James on learning from everyone he works with and producing stunning publicity stills:
The magnificent Jasin Boland talking about his favourite gear and the joys of working alongside a talented DoP. Jasin is an amazingly engaging speaker, really knows his stuff and creates sensational movie stills. Jasin works predominantly on action films so talks about how lucky he is to often shoot without a blimp on film shoots. This interview was recorded during the making of Aeon Flux.
Baz Lurhmann and his on set photographer, James Fisher talk about the importance of the role of a photographer on a film shoot, in particular about the making of Baz’s epic feature film Australia.
Torchwood: Up Close – The Photographer Adrian Rogers talks through life as the stills photographer for BBC’s science fiction series Torchwood
Bruce Talamon – Stills Photographer includes demo of Jacobson sound blimp and a brief history of the product.
John Platt – Australian cinematographer turned unit still photographer talks of his unit still photography using Fujifilm’s mirrorless X-T1 camera.
Know of other good resources? Drop me a comment or an email and I’ll include it in my list!
Looking forward to learning a lot from you and thanks for sharing…
Daniel Hagy
aka k a i t o o of kaitoodesigns
Thanks for the feedback Daniel!
You have some great resources listed here! I have used some of them on my site, and I also have some links that you may want to check out. Also, here is a good interview with Canadian stills photographer Chris Large, who has been very helpful in giving me tips over the last year or so:
http://digitalanimate.com/interviews/chris-large/
Thank you for this! I am currently studying a photography degree, with the intention of working in unit stills one day. As you said, there is very limited resources out there for people interested in working on film and TV! So it’s always wonderful when I come across so much information in one place.
Regards,
Stephanie.
Thanks for taking the time to give me feedback, Stephanie. All the best with your career. If you have any questions you don’t see covered, please feel free to put them to me any time and I’ll answer as best I can.
Hi Angus – thank you so much for putting all this information together in one place its great – will you be updating your blog soon again? I am graduating from my photo course next year and definitely want to follow you into film stills photography.
We had a course visit from a British photographer who is Clint Eastwoods stills photographer, it was very inspirational
Thanks again
Geoffrey
Hello. Thanks for including my story on Rafy in your listing. The url changed recently to this for anyone who’s interested in reading that story: http://lyndersaydigital.com/bd/archive/13_files/BitDepth906.html
My pleasure! Thanks for letting me know the link has been updated!
[…] for aspiring unit stills photographers that is out there on the internet. (My web site’s “Tech Talk” page is a great start). Learn the language of film sets, the conventions, etiquette and social […]
Cannot believe you have no interview or reference to the biographical video of David James receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for Stills Photography from ICG. Google/imdb’….
I’m really sorry my website is such a disappointment to you. The video you mention is linked off my Tech Talk page at http://www.production-stills.co.uk/tech-talk. All the best. Angus
Hello Angus, thank you for your site and all the information in it, I am finding it a great resource – I am trying to break into film stills photography and your work is inspirational to me. Last month I read a very good profile of Keith Bernstein who is British and is Clint Eastwoods stills photographer, it was in Amateur Photographer magazine and had lots of good advice for people like me
Thanks again
Fahtim
Many, many thanks to you for making all this info available.