We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful David Watson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with David below.

David, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I don’t have any formal education in cinematography. I’m what many have come to know as “YouTube” educated. I had an interesting photography which led to me realizing that my Canon 6D could do 1080p video and I could actually make a movie. At that time I became obsessed with filmmaking but I didn’t know anyone that made movies. I ended up doing wedding videography for a couple years. I did about 50 of those and during that time I met some people who were into filmmaking and since then (that was about 8-9 years ago) I’ve been making movies. For me, being a DP (director of photography) I think understanding light and learning to shape it is more important that the camera you use. We live in a wonderful time where good cameras are much more affordable. Find something that shoots LOG at the very least, preferably RAW, and then focus on learning to light and spend your money on lights. The Black Magic 6k cameras shoot 6k RAW and run around $2,400. It’s insane. And LED lights are becoming much more affordable. That’s where I’d put my focus if I was starting out again.

David, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As I said earlier, I didn’t go to film school. I am YouTube-educated. A lot of searching on my own to find out how to do things then simply going out and trying them. I started off doing photography in about 2014. I still love doing it, but it’s definitely something I just do for fun. During that time I was using (and still use) a Canon 6D. I knew that these new DSLR’s would do 1080p video, but one day as I was scrolling YouTube and I saw a video about someone who had made a short film with his 6D and I watched it and was blown away. I had always, like many people, been fascinated by how movies are made, but never saw it as something that was available to me. But after seeing that film it sent me down a rabbit hole of what people were doing with their DSLR’s.

At the time I knew no one who was into filmmaking so I naturally progressed over to doing wedding videography. I did that for a couple of years or so and during that time I found out a buddy, Thomas, I worked with (my full-time job at the time) was going to make a movie so naturally I asked to help and the rest is history. I was hooked. I actually ended up being the DP on his feature film that wrapped last year. I was lucky for my first set experience to be with him because he had friends from college who actually did the jobs as a career that they were doing on that set. So it was a well-run set and a huge learning experience for me. I literally knew nothing about making a movie other than I desperately wanted to.

From there I met another filmmaker on that same set named Ducon who was an aspiring filmmaker and I helped him on some projects. My first film that I DP’d was with him and my friend Thomas, and my first feature film that I DP’d was Ducon’s feature film. That also was an amazing learning experience for me. that’s where I really cut my teeth with lighting. After that film, I became totally obsessed with lighting and learning to light. I think that was good for me. I wasn’t concerned with the camera I had I wanted to learn to make the images look as cinematic as possible. I’ve since gone through my camera obsession, but I’m glad lighting came first.

I have since then gone on to DP 5 feature-length independent films. Three are complete and 2 are in post-production. I’ve been blessed to have won several awards for my cinematography, but I have been more blessed to have run into Thomas and Ducon when I did. If not for them I don’t know that I’d have had any of the opportunities that I have.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Since I didn’t take the film school route I really do understand the importance of having a film group or film alliance of some kind even in small towns. I think they are an amazing way for people like me to find other filmmakers. I probably would have been making movies a couple of years earlier. We do have them hear, but I just wasn’t aware of them and honestly didn’t know I should be seeking it out. So if you want to discover your film community don’t be afraid to jump on Facebook or Google or even call your local Chamber of Commerce!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

As a filmmaker, it’s getting to bring together a group of people from different backgrounds and to see us all work for one goal and get to see that process come to fruition and enjoy what we made together. Filmmaking might be the most collaborative thing you can be a part of and it’s so amazing. So many lifelong friends have been made! Being in the trenches of a feature film with a group of people is a shared experience like no other.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.valleyhighpictures.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valley_high_pictures/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJFfmgIVenoaNBeDVrKcnKw
• Other: My Cinematography Reel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVP_O5PG2mM

Image Credits
Aging Predators – Written/Directed by Thomas Turbyeville Happy Halloween – Written/Directed by Brittny Greer Finding Joy – Written/Directed by Valeri Kaiser (Bates)