In this episode of Crew Tales, Life in the Circus, we sit down with Adrian, an actor and “accidental producer” whose path into the industry took a refreshingly pragmatic route: choir and school productions as a kid, an engineering degree, a full-time IT career, then a deliberate leap into Vancouver after one life-changing question from a coach: “Why not you?”

Adrian shares how producing started as a pandemic-era throwdown, how meeting the right collaborators snowballed into making short films, and why the motion picture world keeps pulling him back: there’s no ceiling, only curiosity, craft, and constant exploration.

We also talk representation and typecasting, the pandemic-era shift in auditions for performers of color, and why building your own creative team can be the difference between waiting and working.

Topics include:

Becoming an “accidental producer” (and why it started with self-tapes)

From engineering and IT to acting in Vancouver

The role of coaches, timing, and taking the leap

Representation in casting and how things changed during the pandemic

Theater that challenges audiences (and the night someone yelled and walked out)

What’s next: a funded 6-episode web series in development

AI and the industry: what Adrien is (and isn’t) seeing so far

https://www.instagram.com/ebonyskygod/?hl=en

In this episode of Crew Tales, Life in the Circus, Dustin Trernard sits down with cinematographer Christopher Charles Kempinski (IATSE 669) to talk about the real job behind “making pretty pictures”: translating script into visuals, servicing a director’s vision, and leading a team with clarity and calm.

Chris traces his path from skate videos and high school projects to major studio sets, commercials, and award-winning web series work. Along the way, we dig into why old movies still hit, what modern filmmaking sometimes loses to formula, and the gear (and principles) Chris keeps coming back to, from the Sony VENICE to lenses with character, to the Hudson Spider REDBACK.

Topics we cover

Turning words into images: what a cinematographer actually does

Coming up through lighting vs camera department (and how it shapes your instincts)

Learning by watching great DPs work (and why you shouldn’t rush to “the chair”)

Spielberg-style audience perspective, and the psychology of framing

Film vs digital: highlight roll-off, shadow detail, and why film still feels like magic

Go-to tools: Sony VENICE internal ND workflow, character lenses, REDBACK, Titan tubes

Guest

Christopher Charles Kempinski

Cinematographer (IATSE 669)

Links

Official website:

- Chris Kempinski | Cinematographer: https://chriskempinski.com/

IMDb:

- Christopher Charles Kempinski: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1922590/

IATSE Local 669:

- International Cinematographers Guild (Local 669): https://www.iatse669.com/

Riese / Streamy reference:

- Streamy Awards (Craft Awards “Best Cinematography” clip): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_3w3yD7yY0

- Streamys “Craft Awards” archive (Riese listed): https://www.streamys.org/history/

Subscribe for more conversations with the crew behind the camera: cinematography, lighting, sound, producing, and the wild career paths that keep sets moving.

#Cinematography, #Filmmaking, #FilmCrew, #BehindTheScenes, #IATSE669

What does it really take to put a camera underwater on a film set?

In this episode of Crew Tales, Life in the Circus, Dustin Schnart sits down with Aiden Zanini, an underwater camera operator and cinematographer, to talk about the niche (and wildly technical) world of water work for film and TV.

Aiden shares his long road into the industry, from being an AV kid in the 80s to broadcast school, narrative film work, and years on cruise ships where he earned his dive ticket and started shooting underwater. They dig into what changes when you add water to a set, why it multiplies time and complexity, how actors perform underwater, the safety systems that keep things from going sideways, and the practical “tiny tools” that save massive amounts of time.

They also get into career advice for anyone curious about underwater work in Canada, including the realities of commercial dive training, and why relationships and reputation matter as much as skill.

Guest: Aiden Zanini

Underwater Cinematographer, Camera Operator

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiden_zanini/

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0998401/

#CrewTales, #LifeInTheCircus, #UnderwaterCinematography, #UnderwaterCamera, #UnderwaterCameraOperator, #Cinematography, #FilmCrew, #BehindTheScenes, #FilmIndustry, #VancouverFilm, #BCFilm, #WaterWork, #DiveSafety, #CommercialDiver, #FilmProduction, #OnSet, #IndieFilm