LIVE AMA with Andrew Geraci

[alpha-jessica-a]

Sony Brand Ambassador Andrew Geraci (@Drew_Geraci) is one of the world’s leading timelapse filmmakers. Geraci has shot timelapse projects all over the world for major brands and Hollywood productions.  You can check out some of his work on his instagram.

We’re excited to have Andrew Geraci in the community for this live AMA today. You can ask questions about how he got to the level he is at today and any tips and tricks you’d like to know.

[alpha-stormy]

We’re excited to have Andrew Geraci in the community for this live AMA. This is a great time to learn and connect with Andrew on his work, ask questions about how he got to the level he is at today and any tips or tricks you’d like to know! Please be patient, as he will be typing responses out as questions come in.

[nodav]

Excited to be here!

[Drew_Geraci]

Giggity!! Hey everyone, I’m Andrew Geraci (@drewgiggity) – I am an award-winning photographer and cinematographer. My timelapse work has appeared in shows and advertisements produced by the NFL, HBO, Redbull, Apple, Nike, Discovery Channel, and more. I am a Sony Brand Ambassador and I’m thrilled to be chatting with the Sony Community today. I am happy to answer any questions you might have. I will be typing these answers in real time, so please be patient. Let’s kick things off with the first question! 

[alpha-jessica-a]

Starting things off with a question that came in via email:

Can you share a memorable client project or collaboration?

[Drew_Geraci]

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Can you share a memorable client project or collaboration?

One of the best client/projects I've worked on had to be a very recent one with Steven Spielberg - he's been my Hollywood idol as a director for my entire life and getting the opportunity to work with him was pretty incredible.

It's not every day that you get to work with these elite guys and working with him and the rest of the team on Westside Story was a thrill.

[Drew_Geraci]

Excited to be here!

Great to have you here!! What's your favorite thing to shoot?

[alpha-jessica-a]

Another question from email: How do you stay updated on industry trends and technological advancements in timelapse photography and videography in general?

[Drew_Geraci]

From Instagram: "Any wild moments while filming the House of Cards intro?"

[Drew_Geraci]

Another question from email: How do you stay updated on industry trends and technological advancements in timelapse photography and videography in general?

Staying up with all the digital trends is one of the most challenging but also most fun aspects of the job! I make an effort to see what trends are happening in the industry and then find ways to adapt my projects to those trends, keeping them up to date

[Scott Balkum]

How do you find “that right location” for a TL?

[Drew_Geraci]

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How do you find “that right location” for a TL?

What's up Scott! 😉 Good to see you mate. Finding that right timelapse location is all about finding (3) elements of motion. The more motion and more complex the scene is the better it will read on the big screen. I'm a huge fan of reflections and symmetry so that's what I look for a lot when I'm out shooting.

Appreciate you taking the time to stop by and asking a question 😉

[nodav]

Excited to be here!

I love shooting landscapes, but I'm really trying to get into timelapse this year so I am excited to learn from a pro like you!

[Garrett]

Any tips for longer form TL's? Like a building being constructed.

[Drew_Geraci]

From Instagram: "Any wild moments while filming the House of Cards intro?"

Wildest moment for me was when we did a setup in front of the US Capitol and we had an entire tour group swing by and watch us film for the entire 3 hours which was fun. We had an audience the entire shoot! They even applauded when it was completed

[Drew_Geraci]

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Any tips for longer form TL's? Like a building being constructed.

The best tip -- run! Hahaha, just kidding. The best tip for these kind of shots is making sure you have an enclosure that's water proof and has continuous power (and a stable/steady) place to film from. A lot of times if the camera is placed on a structure it will absorb and show vibration which is bad.

I'm a big fan of digging holes, putting in a large wooden pylon, and then setting up a Photo Sentinel for shots needing to run longer than 2 weeks.

[Scott Balkum]

What’s the longest TL you’ve done and how much work was it to accomplish?

[Garrett]

Any tips for longer form TL's? Like a building being constructed.

Thanks so much! Is the frequency at which I should check on it based on when my card would fill?

[Drew_Geraci]

What’s the longest TL you’ve done and how much work was it to accomplish?

The longest shot I've done has been 18 months working for Apple... and it looked amazing until the entire project got canceled, haha. No one will ever see the shot unfortunately :(

[alpha-jessica-a]

Another question via email: Are there any dream collaborations you would like to pursue in the future?

[Drew_Geraci]

Any tips for longer form TL's? Like a building being constructed.

I usually do weekly or bi-monthly checkups on long-term systems. I also make sure to utilize remote monitoring so I know that camera is good to go and still operating even when I'm not there.

[Drew_Geraci]

Another question via email: Are there any dream collaborations you would like to pursue in the future?

My dream collaboration would be to work with a large group of like minded timelapse shooters to create one epic film and then to have it released on the big screen. I've already worked for my idol (Steven Spielberg) so that ones been checked off, haha

[nodav]

How do you juggle your business projects with your passion projects?

[Drew_Geraci]

How do you juggle your business projects with your passion projects?

As of late business has been pretty awful thanks to the Hollywood shutdown so working on the passion projects is where it's at! In the past it was very difficult to do but with how slow in the industry is now it makes it much more convenient to work on them... Just wish there was more funding out there!! hah

[avmil]

How do you find clients?