Felix Schafroth Doty Capstone

Film is my life. For the past two years I've been consumed by filmmaking and other related hobbies and they've turned into a career. As a content creator it's hard to kickstart a career without a portfolio. My capstone was to create a 'personal portfolio,' a summary of my work here at SLA, and a representation of who I am as an artist. To present all of my artwork I created an instagram, @SD.THE.DP, and a website.

I love photography. To keep myself constantly taking pictures I tried 'a picture a day.' This didn't quite work out, but I did take pictures almost every single day and I've posted regularly on instagram. Currently I have a portfolio of 16 images that you can find on my website.

I love filmmaking and have become more and more interested in the art of cinematography, so I created a cinematography reel. All of the shots included are mine, and I also edited the reel itself with a little help from Lyle Seitz' music. It isn't so much the reel that's my capstone, it's all of the films I've made over the last two years at SLA. You can find my reel and three of my best films on my website.

Basically, this capstone is me turning my passion into my career, and it's starting right now. Tomorrow I'll use this website in an interview to get a job as a film instructor.

MY WEBSITE (with my cinematography reel and photography portfolio): https://schafrothdoty.wixsite.com/website
MY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sd.the.dp/

MY ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY:


B and H. YouTube, 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIMCFVlbEz8>.


This is a two hour long talk that I watched in chunks to learn every little detail about The Headshot (professional portrait style photograph). This style of photo comprises the bulk of my paid work, so watching this in depth talk by one of the most successful headshot photographers working today was a treat. I got to apply a lot of this knowledge in some of my earlier photoshoots, and cannot stress enough how much this talk has helped me reflect on my own shoots, as well as teach me things independently of my own experiences.


Kenworthy, Christopher. Master Shots. Vol. 1, 2, &3. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2011. Print.


This book was an inspiration. It’s a compilation of cinematic shots and movement. The book is a fascinating translation from the cinema to the page. It’s also a really in depth lesson, and takes me from basic cinematography to something more advanced and applicable.


Nerdwriter1. YouTube, 23 Mar. 2016. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgnNakO6JZw>.


It’s hard to pick a favorite video essay from the channel “Nerdwriter1” but I can try. This video in particular is on Hitchcock blocking a scene. The entire channel is a goldmine when it comes to video essay content and production. There’s a focus on film, but there are also video essays on politics, literature, and other forms of art. I use this channel as a resource but also an inspiration when making my own video essays.


No Country For Old Men. Dir. Coen Brothers. Perf. Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, and Tommy Lee Jones. Paramount, 2007. Online.


This film is another inspiration. I think, personally, that it might be the perfect film. It uses clinical camerawork and reserved close ups and movement to hold the audience at the edge of their seat. I aspire to make something this great someday.


Profoto. YouTube, 26 May 2015. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbPS6-KFStE>.


This is another video/talk/guide from the same photographer who talked about headshots, Peter Hurley. This one is about lighting the face on location, something I have had to do on every single photo or video project, either paid or for school or for fun, and a skill I am learning to master. As a cinematographer and photographer, lighting is one of the most powerful tools in my toolbelt, and I can use lighting of the face to enhance the talent on screen. This video taught me a lot of what I know about lighting the face, and ever since I watched it about a year ago I have put an effort into lighting every single production I take apart in.


Pyter, Mariya, David Greenberg, and Andrew Karasik. "Panel Discussion #3 (Making a Feature)." Rough Cut Film Festival. Philadelphia, PA. 19 June 2016. Lecture.


This panel discussion was centered around the viewing of and discussion about a feature called “Stomping Ground.” The movie was produced in a single day with a shoestring budget (if any budget at all) and was proof to the audience of the lecture that a feature film was attainable. It has been a very informative and influential experience, and while I don’t aspire to create a film like “Stomping Ground,” I learned more from that panel discussion than I have in entire weeks of lecture in other classes.


Pyter, Mariya, Pascal, and Douglas Herman. "Workshop #2 (Directing)." Rough Cut Film Festival. Philadelphia, PA. 18 June 2016. Lecture.


This workshop has been the richest two hours of film experience I have had so far in my career. It was centered around the production of a sample short film, and was guided by a professional Director and a professional Cinematographer. Every attendee at the workshop was filling some required role in the production of the film, and I was AC, or Assistant Camera. The preceding workshop centered on Cinematographer, and these two combined are still my favorite experience in learning filmmaking that I have ever had.


Quiet Cinematography - Floating Weeds. Perf. Andrew Saladino. The Royal Ocean Film Society. YouTube, 2 Feb. 2016. Web. 3 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ra0xEQ8yaU>.


As I enter the trade being specifically a cinematographer, I have had to form my own opinions on cinematography as an art form, and what constitutes good or correct cinematography. This video essay which I saw only recently put a lot of my floating ideas into words, and helped me consolidate some thoughts to come up with a thesis of sorts. This video essay proposes that “good” cinematography and “practical” cinematography are two different things; good is showy and flashy, and practical helps tell the story. Ideally you have some of both, and ideally all of your good is practical and most of your practical is good. I used the ideas behind this video essay to teach a rough cut workshop during EduCon.


Rocket Jump Film School. YouTube, 03 Mar. 2016. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAH0MoAv2CI&t=8s>.


This video essay centers on editing, and specifically cuts and transitions. This, along with another video essay on the same topic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q3eITC01Fg), has helped formed by opinions on editing. It has created a base for a lot of what I hold to be true, and when communicating with other editors or teaching others editing, I use pieces and quotes from these two videos.


Spencer, Jamie. "How To Make A Website - A Simple Guide For 2017." Make A Website Hub. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.


This website is created by Jamie Spencer, a website creator since the birth of the internet. Although I have been using this and will continue to use this as a website creation guide, there are a lot of branches to different incredible resources (slashed prices on website creators and domain names, tips and tricks on the marketing rather than just the website creation, and much more).

This will be my main resource when building (and maintaining) my website. It is a very simple step by step guide, but it’s more than just a recipe. Rather than just telling me what to click on to get a fine website, it’s teaching me about the craft and helping me understand how to make a better website. It’s the perfect blend between a guide for a beginner like myself and an in depth lesson for someone who wants to learn.


The Slanted Lens. YouTube, 05 June 2015. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfFT_8_gpCI>.


This is a video I watched a year or so ago about pricing photo/video shoots, and it’s stuck with me since. The information in here has helped me determine the process for pricing my work, as well as the individual prices themselves. It has been all around the biggest influence on my prices. Another great video by this same channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3su9Xzls7Kg) goes even further into the relationships between pricing and websites.

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