Pictured above: Continuity supervisor and former student, Allie Toman (left) with Jose A. Cardenas, SOC (right) on the set of “Season of Darkness”.
#ThrowbackThursday #TBT Do you remember our Community Spotlight with Jose A. Cardenas, SOC?
Jose A. Cardenas, SOC behind the camera.
“Closed for the Season” Director Jay Woelfel (left) and Jose A. Cardenas, SOC (right).
“I shoot a variety of projects, everything from corporate videos, documentaries, commercials and narrative films. Each project is different, of course, but I approach each one similarly in that I look how best to serve the story and the director of the particular project – and weigh that with budget and time constraints assuring the producers we can make it happen. I shoot in pretty much any format, digital, Super 1 mm, 5mm. My last feature film, Closed for the Season was shot on the RED – first time using that. I have been absolutely amazed by the images. I’ll be travelling to Los Angeles in the near future for final color timing.”
Biggest Challenge:
“My biggest challenge is not enough time, not enough resources, and budget issues – typical on most productions. A lot of my films – we have students on board, which is absolutely great. They get a great experience, but the experience of being on a set, being able to trouble shoot problems, and continuity of working habits come into play.”
Solutions:
“I can’t do anything about the budget. If I sign on, I want to work on the picture, and I believe in it – it’s what we do.
“Time – the best thing with that is pre-production, pre-production, pre-production. I cannot stress that enough, and it is something I constantly tell my students. Being prepared to go onto the set or location is key. You look for any and all issues that may arise, and you think them through – before they happen when you have crew and actors standing around. Going to the location, taking notes, stills and/or video. Make a plan but also be flexible when the day comes to roll camera. “Resource issues – well, that forces you to be creative. I’ve been on many a set when someone may say, ‘Well, if we had a … we can do it easy.’
“My answer is: Don’t dwell on what you do not have. This is a collaborative form. Work it out. [And pre-production!].”
Favorite Tools:
“I have lots of tools I like to bring out – a lot are homemade. My first was a ‘steadicam’ rig I made for a short film at Ohio State in the 0’s. It worked great – used it for some running shots in a cemetery. A year or so ago, I found that the director of that film, my Ohio State classmate, Jay Woelfel, still had it at his parent’s house – that was so cool. I reunited with Jay on Closed for the Season.
“I made a few fluorescent banks that I always bring out and always carry my homemade Chimeras made out of foam core and various diffusion. But pretty much anyone who knows me, knows that I never leave my house and arrive on set without my gels. I gel lights always. For the last couple years, I have used Rosco’s Storaro Colors. They are intensely beautifully saturated colors. I love using hard light with color to evoke the mood of the character or scene.
“This last picture I did, I used a mechanic’s mirror – the small rectangular mirror on a handle that can rotate. I used it to create a slash of light across the actor’s I loved the effect. It’s now in my bag. I carry it.”
Inspiration:
“As far as inspiration, cinematographers who I admire most have been Sven Nykvist, Nestor Almendros, Vilmos Zsigmond, Conrad Hall, Vittorio Storaro and photographer Diane Arbus. Their works are stunning, beautifully stunning and emotionally inspiring. I also look at paintings a lot, Vermeer and Caravaggio – I use images in my classes I teach. In my cinematography course, I have my students use 5mm still cameras for lighting and composition before moving to the film cameras. At a very young age, I was inspired to go into filmmaking, specifically horror genre, by watching lots of television episodes of Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, Dark Shadows, classic Universal horror films, Hammer films and subscribing to Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. It was intensely awesome when I met that magazine’s editor Forrest Ackerman – I was re-inspired! I just knew I had to make movies!”
Filmography includes:
Closed for the Season (Director of Photography/ Camera Operator) Feature Film.
Real Horrxr Show (Co-Producer/Director of Photography) Television Episodic Pilot.
Season of Darkness (2nd Unit Director of Photography/Camera Operator) Feature Film. Live Evil (Director of Photography / Camera Operator) Feature Film.
1- 00-Flowers (Director of Photography / Camera Operator) Commercial.
Hamlet, Director of Photography.
Building Dreams (Director of Photography/Camera Operator) PBS Documentary.
I-280 Bridge (Lighting Director/Camera Operator) Documentary.
The Hines Farm Blues Club (Lighting Director/ Camera Operator) PBS Documentary.
Falcon Basketball with Urban Meyer (Lighting Director) Regional FOX Sports Net.
Journal (Lighting Director) Weekly Talk Show WBGU-PBS.
Inside Schools (Lighting Director) Weekly Talk Show-PBS.
News 6 (Lighting Director) Weekly Series WBGU- PBS.
George Carruth: An American Sculptor (Lighting Director/Camera Operator) PBS Documentary. Eye on LA (Lighting Director/Camera Operator) Weekly Regional Television Program.
Demonicus (Gaffer/Assistant Camera Operator) Feature Film.
Unseen Evil (Gaffer) Feature Film.
Fiesta Broadway (Camera Operator) Live Concert, Los Angeles.
Trackside Live! (Lighting Director/Camera Operator) FOX Network, National Television Show. Operation Restore Democracy (Field Producer) Documented U.S. Humanitarian Aid In Haiti.
International Assignment KABC (ENG News Photographer) Pope’s visit to Mexico City and Acapulco.
Battlestar –2nd Coming (“B” Camera Operator) Promo-Pilot.
Café California (Lighting Director/Camera Operator) Weekly local television programming KWHY-TV.
Mundo De Portivo (Lighting Director/Camera Operator) Weekly local television programming KWHY-TV.
The Schedel Gardens (Lighting Director/Camera Operator) PBS Documentary.
Doyt Perry: A Coach for Life (Field Producer/Lighting Director/Videographer) Telly Award-Winning Documentary.
News Six (Field Producer/Videographer) Weekly regional segment PBS, Two-time regional Emmy nominee.
Abracadabra (Lighting Director/Camera Operator) Children’s educational television show (pilot).
Star 90 (Lighting Director/Camera Operator) Educational Series, Bowling Green State University. Math Tek (Lighting Director/Camera Operator) Educational Series PBS, Crystal Award.
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