What was your biggest break?
In 1994, I came to Vancouver from Belgrade, Serbia. I had already graduated with a degree in cinematograpy. The first job I got in Vancouver was as a full time photographer and cinematographer at a busy local portrait studio. A colleague from my art school in Serbia got a job at MV video, one of the pioneers in video editing and duplication production in Vancouver. He introduced me to the owner of the company and I began working there as a cinematographer on infomercials, industrial films and documentaries. We were using D-30 Betacam cameras rented from the well-known company The Eyes (now Great Pacific Media.) In those days, it was hard to get a resume to the right people in production. So I seized my chance when returning the camera and politely asked if I could leave my resume. In no time I was filming in all kinds of projects produced by The Eyes — small projects at first, then bigger and biger. I was in! You never know who you’ll meet on a project and what your next job will be.
And what has been your greatest mistake?
If you are working on tight schedules, in unpredictable weather, and balancing the different interests of the people involved around you, it’s ineviable that mistakes creep in from time to time. Sometimes you are not even aware of a mistake that you’ve made. But, in order to correct it, to learn from it, to improve, it’s essential to have good communication with your production and client.
The greatest mistake I’ve ever made was when, after working with a great team on a great series for three years, I let myself become too confident and allowed myself to believe that show was going to continue for another season before it was actually greenlighted. Of course, in the meantime, I turned down an opportunity to work on another show! I now believe that in our industry it is of the upmost importance to never take for granted the opportunities presented to you!
**Photo Credit: Milos Gazdic**
