American Cinematographer - May 2008 - (Page 84)

Filmmakers’ Forum Teaching Soldiers to Shoot With a Camera by Levie Isaacks, ASC ASC member and Vietnam veteran Levie Isaacks (far left) donates his time and expertise to a 10-week cinematography course offered by the Wounded Marine Careers Foundation in San Diego, California. “I’ve found that teaching the creative process is healing in itself,” he says. “Many of these students have been hospitalized for some time, and as a result, they’ve been institutionally isolated from real life.” 84 May 2008 Photos by Matt Dominguez and Bret Sobaski, courtesy of Levie Isaacks. ne shot, one kill” is a phrase often used by soldiers to describe their ideal objective in a combat situation. As terrible as it might sound, the motto reflects a principle that allowed me to find talking points with U.S. Marines as I taught them cinematography at the Wounded Marine Careers Foundation in San Diego, California. The foundation was formed by New York cinematographer Kevin “O Lombard and his wife, Judith Paixao, to educate returning Marines in media production; their efforts are funded by the Veterans Administration, the Semper Fi Foundation, the Navy Trust Fund and the Bob Woodward Family Foundation. International Cinematographers Guild Local 600 is a sponsor of the 10-week cinematography program. There is also intensive training in writing, sound, editing and stills photography. Classes are held at the Stu Segall Studios in San Diego, a few footsteps from the Wounded Marine Career Office, where students have ample access to rich photographic subjects. The students, who have all been wounded in combat, have varying degrees of physical restrictions. Some are completely wheelchair-bound, while others have physical damage caused by gunshots or IED explosions. The goal of the program is to prepare the soldiers for entry-level jobs in the television and motion-picture industry. After completing the course, students can join any of the IATSE locals. As a veteran of the Vietnam War, I could relate to the soldiers. On my first day of teaching, I explained to them that the job of photographers and cinematographers is to bring back a shot or series of shots. One of the students popped up and said, “That’s just like ‘One shot, one kill.’” His comment reminded me of my own military training and made me realize how well this fundamental combat principle applies to cinematography and photography in general. We began the intensive course by emphasizing composition with stills cameras. The students went onto the lot, a marvelous, old industrial steel yard with rusted machines, a huge crane and dilapidated equipment. The area is a gold mine of graphic images that feed all aspects of photography, from texture and patterns to different perspectives. Armed with a lecture on the “rule of thirds” and “balancing the frame,” the students began shooting stills sequences of objects that caught their eye. I start with the stills camera so students can concentrate solely on composing the frame; I felt they would

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - May 2008

American Cinematographer - May 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Global Village: The Fall Short Takes: ASC Laszlo Kovacs Short Takes: Heritage Award Winners Production Slate: Anamorph Production Slate: Fugitive Pieces Heavy-Metal Hero A Need for Speed Kink and the City Beautiful Minds A Hollywood Homecoming Post Focus: Paramount Restores The Godfather Filmmakers’ Forum: Levie Isaacks, ASC Teaches Marines to Shoot Movies New Products & Services International Marketplace Classified Ads Ad Index Clubhouse News ASC Close-Up: Antonio Calvache

American Cinematographer - May 2008

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