Things I’ve Learned as a MovieMaker

The Job to Friend Ratio

I’ve learned that the surest way to ensure employment
or a career in the movie business is to have a friend or friends
that will give you a job. I have had numerous conversations with
crew people on how they got their start in the industry. The majority
of these chats have included the sentence "well, my friend
got me a job as a…". I believe that the more friends you
have is directly proportionate to the number of job opportunities
available to you.

The Personal Becomes Professional

I started out shooting video "behind the scenes"
press kits on studio movies. And, of course, I got that job from
a college buddy. I now shoot studio movies for the friends I made
while shooting press kits. I am lucky that my friends transitioned
from interviewing the stars to directing them.

The Importance of Luck

Luck has a large part to play in one’s success. I
am lucky that I have successful friends; their success is in some
part due to luck.

The Downside of Luck

It helps to have a supportive spouse
to help you through the times when you’re not so lucky.

In Summation

To sum it up, it helps
to have lucky successful friends in the biz and a good wife. And
it doesn’t hurt to be talented.

Shawn Maurer Filmography
as Cinematographer
Like Mike (2002)
Academy Boyz (2001)
Bring It On (2000)
Lost Cause (1999)
Show & Tell (1998)
La Cucaracha (1998)
The Big Empty (1997)
Bandwagon (1996)