My name is Harry Waldman and I am a passionate filmmaker and post production specialist who has been watching movies since as long as I can remember. Some of my favorite films include “Memento”, “The Dark Knight”, The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “Alien”, etc. I have seen over 8,500 films and am as crazy about movies as any individual you will ever meet.
I studied Business at Ithaca College and ironically figured out my passion right as I was graduating. I have worked on a number of various films and have written, directed, and edited “515”, “Enter the Room”, “In the Backseat”, “Bay For Blood” and “The Corridor Crossing”. I also have a few more projects in the pre-production stage.
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Congrats and welcome!
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Hi Harry Waldman! So glad you're here! What are you working on next??
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ALIEN is one of my favorite movies too, Harry Waldman. I'm not sure if I like ALIEN or ALIENS more.
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ALIEN is one of the best!! Great to meet you here in the community, Harry Waldman!
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Hi Harry Waldman, welcome to Stage 32! I'm such a big fan of Memento and The Dark Knight! Good luck on your upcoming endeavors!
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Emily J Thanks! Here is a link with info for my latest project, which is my debut feature film, and is currently in post-production.
"The Corridor Crossing" IMDB Page:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16295514/?ref_=nm_knf_t_4
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Hi Harry, very nice to meet you, welcome!
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You're welcome, Harry Waldman. "The Corridor Crossing" sounds exciting! Can't wait to check out your debut feature film!
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Harry Waldman Hi Harry, how awesome that you count the number of films that you watch! I love Alien and am a fan of my homeboy, Ridley Scott. Well done on your successes.
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Nice to meet you Harry Waldman . Congrats on all your achievements: sending good vibes for a luminous filmmaking future!
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8500 films is so impressive! When it comes to your directing, do you have any tips for first time directors here in the community?
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Amanda Toney Thanks! I actually recently had an interview with a Film Festival that asked this same question, and here is the advice that I gave below.
First and foremost, I would not recommend becoming a filmmaker unless you absolutely love doing this and breathe it day in and day out as I (and a handful of filmmakers I have met) do. It is a long, expensive and stressful journey that often doesn’t come close to giving you back what you put in from a financial/recognition perspective. But if you truly love doing it and receive the level of satisfaction that I do from working on and completing your films, I think you should continue to push forward and hopefully things will work out. Even if they don’t, you will always have something to be proud of and no one can take away the satisfaction that you receive from completing your passion project.
Second, understand how competitive this industry is, never expect anything and never act like you are owed something. Unless they had some incredible connection, even the best and most successful filmmakers on planet earth had to start at the bottom and grind it out in order to rise to the top. Be professional, kind and courteous to others, and always do what you say you are going to do. The film industry is very oversaturated and you need to do everything in your power to present yourself in the best light
Third, just do it. I slowed my career down at times by stressing over trying something for the first time and not taking initiative, giving myself various excuses. Of course, you should plan ahead as much as you can, but studying is never the same as actually getting out there and doing it. Accept the inevitable fact that you will make mistakes, be flexible and move forward and you will learn from your mistakes and improve as you go.
And last, just remember to enjoy the process and don’t focus too much on the endgame. I am currently editing my first feature film “The Corridor Crossing”, which I shot last spring/summer, and post-production is taking me a lot longer than I initially anticipated it would. I could obsess over this fact and make myself go insane, but I have instead decided to understand that this was my first feature film, so it is okay that I couldn’t properly estimate how long it would take to edit the film and simply enjoy the journey, which has been an absolute blast so far, despite all of the unexpected hurdles that I have faced to this point
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Harrison, I loved your response…you should copy and paste it and put it in the filmmaking lounge, I really think it will resonate with a lot of people here.
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Amanda Toney Thanks! I just posted my response in the Filmmaking/Directing Lounge.
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Great introduction and welcome.
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Harry Waldman hi Harry, well, I’m definitely in love with the process. I can’t think of a better thing in life to do as a job. It is tremendously fulfilling.
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Great to have you here Harry, is your production company looking for new and exciting content? I have a few projects that they may be interested in. Check out my profile and let me know what you think and if they may meet the needs of your production company! Have a great day and welcome......
James L.
Hey peeps! What happened to the live chat which there was 7 years ago? It seems like the platform's a little different now?
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James L. Lytle III Thanks! I'll take a look soon.
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Hi @Harry! It's great to meet you and welcome to the Stage 32 community!
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Nice to meet you, Harry! How did you get into being a post production specialist? Any tips for creative’s here who might want to get into a life of postproduction?
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Hello Harry
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Nice to meet you Harry Waldman ! 8500 movies is a jaw-dropping amount. Glad to have you here!
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Love your energy and passion Harry Waldman. Fantastic to have you in the community.
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Nice to meet you, Harry Waldman!
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Great to meet you Harry Waldman. I have seen The Dark Knight Rises so many times, I'm sure I could recite the entire screenplay right here in this comment feed.
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Amanda Toney I started editing my personal projects and then freelance edited for about a year before landing my full time gig as a Post-Production Specialist.
As for advice, a Video Editor who I met at a film screening a few months back recently asked me for advice about breaking into the industry and here is the advice that I gave him below.
1. Create Your Own Website/Vimeo/Youtube Pages with your work:
When video professionals are looking to potentially hire you, the first thing they are going to do is google your name and look for information on your video production services. I would post your films (or a trailer or clip of them) on your Website/Vimeo/Youtube pages. If you need help building a website, I know this guy who helped set one up for me for a very low cost and the website looks pretty professional. A youtube account is free and I believe you can have a free Vimeo account as long as you upload pretty small files. I have a Vimeo Pro account, which has a monthly cost and I think it's absolutely worth it.
2. Build Your Portfolio:
One of my biggest regrets when working as a freelance video editor was that I didn't spend enough time building my portfolio. I would highly recommend making your own videos. I realize that this requires a lot, so I am going to provide more information on this below.
3. Buy A Camera or Use Your Phone:
Assuming that you don't already have one, if you can afford it, I would recommend buying a camera. I am no expert on camera equipment, but could try to give advice if asked. I know that the Black Magic Cinema Pocket has become very popular these days and while not cheap, it isn't nearly as expensive as a RED camera or anything like that. If you can't afford to buy a camera, I have learned the iPhone shoots in pretty high quality footage, especially if the lighting/scenery is favorable. Also, if you can afford it, I would recommend buying a drone. It takes some practice to get used to, but you can pretty easily capture gorgeous footage with a drone.
4. Practice, Practice, Practice:
Go out and start shooting, learn from your mistakes, wash, rinse, repeat. In addition to practicing, I would recommend going to various events to simply record footage, whether it is a video conference, concert, sporting event, etc. Of course, the type of camera you can use will depend on the event (At a crowded concert or sporting event, you may only be able to use your Phone), but just keep shooting in order to build experience and footage.
5. Being Able to Make Videos on Your Own/Editing:
When I mentioned earlier that I wish I had built my portfolio more while I was a freelance video editor, my biggest regret is that I didn't spend more time shooting. I love editing and that is my passion. I am not as big of a fan of shooting, but I lost so many potential gigs (and had a way smaller portfolio) because I was only editing and was relying on others to hire me as an editor, when often they would rather spend less and just edit the video themselves. While I do think that there is more of an immediate demand for videographers/cinematographers, I think it would be helpful for you to learn how to edit if you don't know how to. Regarding editing software, if you have a Mac, iMovie is free to use and can do about 85% of what Final Cut ProX can, and I think Final Cut Pro X is solid video editing software. If you can shoot and edit on your own, you can build a giant portfolio without relying on anyone else, and the reality with being hired is that unless you have some connection or catch a serious break, almost all video professionals aren't going to be interested in hiring you unless you have experience shooting a type of video is related to what they are looking for. If you need more advice regarding how to get started in editing, let me know and I can try to provide more details.
6. Offer to Volunteer:
I know a few video professionals who reached out to Churches and offered to volunteer to shoot for their services free of charge. While I don't recommend working for free in the long run, I think it can be an effective way to get your foot in the door.
7. Be Flexible Regarding Rates/Unpaid Experience Is Better Than No Experience:
My first editing job was unpaid, but I learned a decent amount, made a few fun videos for my reel and was able to tell other professionals about the editing gig I had, which ultimately led to paid work. As for rates, once you get more experience, you will want to write up a contract (I can send an example of mine if needed) and have set rates, but for now, be flexible. Most of the time, you probably won't receive the rate that you hoped for, but it is better to take a low/no paid job, gain experience and footage for your reel than to sit around and do nothing. One thing regarding your rates though, is don't undersell yourself. If a professional asks for your rate, don't state that you will work for free or offer an extremely low rate. Let them know your rate, see how they respond, and go from there.
8. Network, Network, Network:
I was constantly networking, going to wedding networking events, editing workshops, etc. If you meet someone and they like you, they are likely to refer you to someone else even if they aren't familiar with your work. If you do mass google searches for networking events and groups, you should be able to find some. Facebook and Meetup can also be an effective tool for this.
9. Apply to Jobs Online Every Day
Every day, you should go through the main job hunting websites (Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, etc.) and scroll for any cinematographer/videographer jobs. While I spent a few months applying for video editing jobs, receiving very few responses and being rejected often, a cold application through Indeed did lead to the job I currently have working as a Post-Production Specialist at a Video Production company full time that I am very content at.
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Harry Waldman that's good advice for anything you want to do to get ahead in this industry.
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It's always good to see film enthusiasts such as you, Harry. The more we revere and keep alive the classics, the better filmmakers we can be in the future. // That's cool you have a business background as it can be so very helpful in navigating this industry. Wishing you all the very best with all your creative projects.
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8500!?!? How many will you be at when you hit my age? I wish I got into this field 20 years ago when I had the opportunity to work on some shorts some younger fellas were working on in the office. Great that you've discovered your passion and are following it wholeheartedly.
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David Barrett Yeah, I am always watching films!!!
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Always nice to meet a fellow film fanatic Harry Waldman! We have similar films on our favorites list! Great to have you in the community!