We had the pleasure of a special guest attend BMM on our last face to face meeting before the Corona virus shutdown. Attending at our invitation, we were taken on a journey with young videographer, Bernados Sekadas.
'Know your tools' Ben Sekadas
Born in Lithuania, Ben (as he prefers to be known) has resided for the past two years or so in Brisbane. Whilst earning a living doing uber bicycle deliveries, he has been studying a physical training qualification. In his spare time, he has been focussing on his passion: film-making.
You can see from the links provided on this page that Ben sets an incredibly high standard in his movie production. What was important for us is to learn from the insights and wisdom that this young man had to offer.
Having spent some time making movies with Ben, I have had the privilege of sharing some of his secrets to making quality movies. Let's consider some of these:
He describes his personal development as a circular process of 'Learn, Work, Learn, Repeat'. What he has demonstrated is a mastery of Youtube as an educational source. He searches for the exact thing that he wants to know. Invariably, someone who has mastered this specific thing has a video about how to do it. He watches it several times, then goes outside and replicates it by filming using the exact same technique as the expert. He then learns something else and repeats this process.
'Know your tools' is another of his mantras. Ben has taken the time to know all about his cameras and lenses; how to achieve maximum affect from his gimbal; how to shoot glorious drone footage; and importantly... how to achieve incredible quality through his editing choices.
The way he works is very focussed. Ben plans a shoot very carefully, knowing exactly what he wants to achieve and how he will do it. On set, he is patient and thoughtful, communicating with the director to understand what they want; and yet looking to achieve that higher quality through his knowledge of videography.
It is truly wonderful to share in the work and wisdom of someone who is so passionate and committed to their work. Thanks Ben, come again!
