Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chris Whalen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Chris, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
The major risk I took was with my first feature film. In the past, I’ve only done short films. When writing the script, I went back and forth with what needs to be said. The film, Glitter Tang, is loosely based on my past relationship. Glitter tang is about a young woman who becomes a physical monster and tries to recruit her old friend in the murders. I calculated the amount to do the film which it wasn’t Marvel size but it still was a chunk of change but I did it since I had a dream of doing it since I was a kid. Plus a learning experience as well. Something I may want to continue doing and lead into a new fun path. I’ve taken risks with multiple things in my life, even doing photography which you rent studio space & pay models. What would it be for? May not mount to anything. I’m very thankful for that since I networked with a lot of great people, gigs , and met the most important person in my life. You never know what will come your way until you try and go with your gut.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
When I was young, my brother taught me how to do stop motion with a still camera and bring them into a computer for a movie clip. From there I downloaded Flash and Photoshop which I created whatever I thought of. Over time I started to understand more about storytelling & shot angles. For college, I went to SCAD with bachelors in film making. I learned early on, it takes patience to create something remarkable. Can’t rush whatever you do. Another thing that excelled me was my college drawing teacher. I was failing and only had two options, he’d teach me on the weekends or fail so I figured, why not try. It was hard to understand the geometry, proportions, shading, all other drawing techniques but once I took the time to practice; I learned more about what makes something interesting in a frame, such as rule of thirds or the golden rule. I carried design fundamentals & patience with me from my first job as a watch photographer to my first feature.
Any advice for managing a team?
What I’ve learned is to treat everyone as an equal even when roles are different. You’re no better than another person. Everyones sh++ stinks. You must be direct with what is needed. If someone keeps messing up, take them to the side to figure out how it can be fixed or is it not a good fit. I learned the hard way and too late when I hired an actress who wasted the cast/crew’s time when she’d be late or take too long on her role or talk to much, delaying a shooting schedule. Later in the film, I was direct with her faults and she needs to learn to improve. If she didn’t then nobody would want to hire her again. Harsh but sometimes harsh is good if your not stepping your bounds and wording things properly.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding would be creating whatever you think of or dream. That is why I do a range of art mediums. I can express what I want with the perfect art material Also, ideas come randomly and sometimes nonstop so the cliche of an artist always having a pen and pad, is for a reason.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cmwhalen.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmwhalenphoto/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmwhalen/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZ_EuEK6JtsVOhJeU6WEJg
Image Credits
@sierrafav https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15514604/reference