Every so often, we’ll be spotlighting alumni and what they are up to these days. These Q&A sessions will give you a bit of insight into where the world has taken them since graduation.

This week, the spotlight is on Nicholas Wiesnet (BFA/Film Production ’11).

DODGE COLLEGE: Share your career path with us – how did you get where you are now?

NICHOLAS:
I knew I needed to graduate Chapman with a reel good enough to employ myself after graduation. Four years later, with so many mistakes under my belt and a handful of short films I was proud of, I had a reel that did just that and got the attention of music video directors and producers, which is where I first got my start. The documentary work I did in school got me quite a lot of documentary work my first years out of school as well. Both formats are so incredibly different from each other and they greatly influence my narrative and commercial work today.

nicholas-wiesnet
DODGE COLLEGE: What was the biggest adjustment you faced after graduation and how did you overcome it?

NICHOLAS:
My biggest adjustment after graduation was knowing that I didn’t have the safety net of being in school where mistakes didn’t count. I also knew I only wanted to be a director of photography. I didn’t want to become an assistant camera and work my way up the ladder. I refused to take any job other than DP because I didn’t want the production teams to think that’s what I did or wanted to do. This meant a lot of time not working. My bank account was constantly hovering above empty but I didn’t let that discourage me and I always stayed proactive.

Even though I’m freelance, and at the time went as long as a month without a single day on set, I treated cinematography like a 9-5 job and spent my days in cafes coming up with looks, doing research, and coming up with lighting designs. When I was lucky enough to finally land a project, often times unpaid or for very little money, I gave it everything I got. I think passion goes a long way. Luck too.

DODGE COLLEGE: What is the best advice you have received and/or what advice would you give current students?

NICHOLAS:
Always think 4 years ahead. How are you going to get there? What do you need to do to get there?

DODGE COLLEGE: What is your favorite memory from your time at Chapman?

NICHOLAS:
Traveling to Cameroon my sophomore year. It was my first time in Africa and really got me interested in documentary work.

DODGE COLLEGE: What have you taken from the classroom and applied to your career?

NICHOLAS:
Being an attentive listener, there’s so many distractions these days it’s easy to miss crucial details.