American Cinematographer - May 2020 - 12

SHOT CRAFT

By Jay Holben

t Seen through the cockpit while filming Fail Safe (1964), Gerald Hirschfeld,
ASC (right) was a mentor to future Society member Owen Roizman (left,
peeking in). Roizman's father, Sol, served as Hirschfeld's operator while
shooting for the latter's commercial production company, MPO
Videotronics. It was Hirschfeld who gave the younger Roizman his first job
as a camera assistant, then operator, and then director of photography.

This is a question I've been asked at least a hundred times by
aspiring cinematographers eager to learn more, advance their
careers, and receive guidance from someone who is already established - especially someone they aspire to emulate.
It's actually a fairly easy question to answer, but it somewhat
falls in line with the old joke:
"Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?" asks
the young man hurrying down the street.
"Practice, practice, practice," replies the sage.
How do you find a mentor?
You don't. One finds you.
Yes, I can hear your groans from here. But bear with me while
I explain.
To do so, I'm going to talk about my own experiences as a
mentor and what that word means to me, personally. I did not have
a mentor in my career. Although I've had friendships and connections with many extraordinary filmmakers and cinematographers, I
did not connect with one individual who "took me under their wing"
to help guide me through the treacherous waters of this business.
The way that I mentor individuals reflects how I would have liked to
have been mentored by someone and the guidance that I wish I'd
had.
I'm also going to make some suggestions as to how to follow
some "rules" and improve your chances of acquiring a mentor.
Caveat: I am not currently in the market for a new
mentee/protégé.
12

May 2020

I need to know the mentee personally
If I don't know you, why would I make a commitment to
dedicate years of my life to forming a bond and a relationship with
you? What would motivate me to share years of hard-earned
knowledge and experience; to answer questions of all kinds; to
spend hours, days and months sharing the craft and helping you
hone your own skills and talent? This is key, and it is not something you can skip over. This means I have personally known every
individual I've taken on as a mentee. I have an idea of their
personality, and they are someone I like and don't mind spending
time with. They are someone I respect. They are an individual of
good character, generous heart and open mind (more on this
later).

Tips
If you're looking for a mentor, you need to get yourself into
situations where you can meet and get to know the individual you
hope to be mentored by. Show up to events they attend and be
sure to make contact. Ask insightful and intelligent questions.
Research the individual and find something you have in common.
Are you from the same hometown? Did you attend the same
school? Do you have the same personal interests? They love to
sail? So do you!
And don't lie about this; don't fake it. Find a genuine
personal connection if you can.

American Cinematographer - 100 Years

Photo courtesy of the AC Archive.

How Do I Find a Mentor?

What is a mentor?
To me, a mentor is someone who takes another person
under their wing and not only teaches the person, but also influences and guides his or her path. Different people interpret this in
different ways. For some, a mentor might mean someone you get
to sit down and have lunch with once a year who gives you advice
and answers questions. To another, a mentor might be someone
you can call or email periodically to get advice/answers. To
another, it might be a more formal teacher/student relationship
at an institution, with that teacher dedicating more time to the
student and staying in touch outside of class and after the student
has graduated.
To me, mentorship is a lifetime responsibility. It's the
mentor's job to help shape the individual, teach them what they
need to know, and guide them on the perilous path of this industry. That's a commitment of years, and it's no small ask. In order
for me to take on a mentee, several factors have to be in place
first.

American Cinematographer - May 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - May 2020