Meet three women who have
embarked on careers in the film
production industry. This program
profiles Vali Fugulin, a director of
short films and documentaries;
Braydon Haggardy, a camera
assistant specializing in underwater
cinematography; and Cynthia Greer,
a technician who repairs and
maintains movie cameras. Remarks
from
co-workers and supervisors provide additional
layers to the descriptions of each job. View a preview video clip and read below
for descriptions of each segment, or scroll to the bottom to order!
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Vali Fugulin is a director of documentaries
and short films. She was motivated to
make films as the ultimate creative
expression. While being a director is very
creative, it also requires business sense.
Unless you have a big team behind you,
there is a great deal of time spent on
organization, funding submissions,
budgets, contracts and personalities.
Vali encourages other women to enter the film industry. She says it’s important
that women express themselves through film so everyone can benefit from the
female point of view. It gives the world a chance to see life in a different way.
Vali isn’t sure what she wants to do in the future, but she does know that she
wants to stay involved with the creative side of the business. “What appeals
most to me about my job is the creativity, imagining things then translating
them into images.”
There’s a lot of work that goes into just getting
ready to film. Once the prep work is complete it’s
finally time to shoot. Shooting can be simple or extravagant depending on if you’re producing a
fictional film or trying to capture reality with a
documentary.
The hours Vali works vary depending on what projects she has on the go.
Production, for example, can be very time consuming and somewhat
unpredictable. When Vali isn’t heavily into production or post-production, she
directs her time and energy to her young son, Leo.
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Camera assistant Braydon Haggardy works
regularly on dry land but is also one of only a few
women who specialize in underwater camera
work. She parlayed her love for scuba diving into
this unique focus on the film industry with some
specialized training and a lot of hard work. While
the film business keeps Braydon very busy, she
also has her own company Turtle Films, which
produces underwater documentaries. All that and a family too!
Although Braydon likes her job, in the future she wants to do more acting and
go on to produce underwater documentaries. Her advice to others is to be
patient. Sometimes it takes a while to get into the film industry, but you just
have to remain focused. “This is a great job. You go places, meet interesting
people and you work around a flexible schedule.”
Securing a position in the film industry can be
difficult, but when the demand for production
people is high, odds are good you’ll get a shot. You
usually begin as a trainee through the union and
work your way up. Whatever experience you get
prior to that, however, is really an asset.
To do her underwater filming, Braydon has to wear all the dive gear plus deal
with a camera or lights, depending on her role in the filming. Working
on-set as a camera assistant pays the bills in a big way, but her passion lies
underwater.
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Camera technician Cynthia Greer’s original
goal in the film business was to direct
meaningful movies. Her hands-on
experience in film equipment rentals,
however, evolved that goal into something
she could really hold on to - camera
equipment repair. While Cynthia likes the
regular employment and reasonable hours
her job offers, there’s still more than enough production pressure to deal with.
Camera equipment has to function properly or there’s a lot of high priced talent
on set waiting around for Cynthia to fix it or bring another camera.
“If you like cameras, there are lots of opportunities
in this field. This position also offers job security,
which is important to women with families.”
Cynthia usually works a regular 40 hour work
week, but in the summer the hours are longer
because that's when the film industry is booming.
Then she can work up to six hours of overtime a
day.
Cynthia has to be meticulous when it comes to making sure the camera is in
proper working order. And, since the cameras are so crucial to production, the
inspections don’t stop when Cynthia’s done. Next, the customer comes in and
double checks all the equipment again.
To be a camera technician you need to pay close attention to detail. Cynthia is
good at her job because she is a perfectionist. She enjoys going over every
detail until she is satisfied that the camera is in proper working order.
Click the image to the left
for a preview video clip!
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Developed in 2006 in Canada, the Career Options for Women series is an
outstanding resource for schools wanting to attract women and girls to Science,
Technology and Trades!
Please Note: These videos are an excellent depiction of women in these jobs
and are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are
similar to the numbers in the United States. As there is a no-return policy on
these publications, please make sure to look at the preview video clip for the
DVD(s) you are ordering.
Pricing - Career Options for Women: Emerging Technologies DVDs
