[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: What do you love more, cinematography or the gear and tech that brings cinematography to life?
Illya Friedman, Founder of Hot Rod Cameras, Entrepreneur, Inventor, Podcaster: I’ve gone back and forth with that several times throughout my life because I started off as a cameraman, as a camera assistant, camera operator and eventually a DP. I thought for a long time that was what I loved and that was what I was most interested in but I also really love the technology. At some point I think I discovered that the technology and what’s involved in that is more perpetually interesting to me.
In order to be a good cinematographer or the best cinematographer, you need to be part artist and part plumber.If you’re too much of an artist and you don’t have the technical chops, you’re going to have problems. If you’re too much plumber and you’re just technical and you don’t have artistic chops, there will be problems. You have to have a good blend of those two things. I’ve met hundreds of DPs over the years and some of them are all artists and some of them are all plumbers but definitely I feel like most people lean toward…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
About:
Illya Friedman is an entrepreneur, inventor, cinema technologist, studio builder, podcaster and producer. A renowned camera technologist spanning the eras of film, video and digital cameras, he worked on the team that invented the world’s first 4K cinema camera. Illya got his start working professionally in the camera department in Hollywood in the early 1990s, and is the inventor of camera, lighting and optical products used by filmmakers of every level. Upon opening his company, Hot Rod Cameras, Illya became widely credited as a pioneer in the ‘DSLR Filmmaking Revolution’ and his L.A. based brick and mortar store sells cameras, lenses, lighting, grip and workflow tools to professionals and aspiring professionals alike. Hot Rod is a primary supplier to both the traditional entertainment industry, the new creator economy, and even performs full studio build outs. Along with co-host Ben Rock, Illya created the weekly Cinematography Podcast, which features interviews with hundreds of cinematographers, directors and filmmakers. Notable guests include Academy Award-winning DP’s, such as Robert Richardson, Linus Sandgren, Robert Elswit and Vitorrio Storaro. The show also features prominent directors like Ron Howard, Antonie Fuqua, Ruben Fleischer and Randall Einhorn. Many guests of the podcast are also clients of Hot Rod Cameras. Occasionally, Illya produces feature films, his most recent is a fictional story about young skateboarders in Los Angeles, entitled Concrete Kids. It’s streaming on Amazon Prime, Vudu, Roku, Tubi and other platforms.
CONNECT WITH ILLYA FRIEDMAN
LISTEN TO ILLYA’S CINEMATOGRAPHY PODCAST
Advertisement – contains affiliate links
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)
Check out Film Courage on Patreon!
More affiliates:
Camera we use for interviews – https://buff.ly/3rWqrra
Sound we use for interviews – https://amzn.to/2tbFlM9
Other books on Amazon that Film Courage recommends – https://buff.ly/3o0oE5o
