I started working for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in February of '09. While I am a staff writer, my main responsibility is directing and shooting all the short films and roll-ins for the show. It's been over a year now, and I've shot 70 short films. In case you were wondering, that's a fuckload of shorts. I have selected just a few to showcase on this site. I am insanely proud of the work I've done at Fallon. The pace has been grueling and gratifying. Mostly I'm thrilled to have a job, but to have a job where making silly things is taken so incredibly seriously is a lot cooler.
A couple years ago I was fired from a job because I was told that my stuff was not slick enough. Since then I've had something to prove. I also went through a couple years of work where some people were telling me I shouldn't be my own DP. Their thinking was that a director belongs at the monitors. This was coming exclusively from executives and producers, and I think they were more comfortable with this configuration because then I would be standing next to them during takes. I totally get the value in that. So I thought long and hard about it, and shot some of my biggest (from a budgetary standpoint) shows this way. I think when a production gets past a certain size it is necessary for the director to sometimes be free of the camera (see how I hedged there?). But since day one at Fallon I've been directing and operating on almost every shoot. I am delighted with this arrangement and do not plan to deviate unless it's necessary.
Being right there with the actors makes the shoot much quicker, and I can make instant adjustments to my shots without having to speak.
One notable exception was the Tu-Spock shoot which was DP'd by Aaron Phillips. Also, Brian Hwang has been on most of these shoots with me, and Brian is an extraodinary shooter/gaffer. I lean on him constantly and he operates a second camera at all times. He deserves a great deal of credit.
In a very short time I think we have managed to set a look and feel for these filmed pieces that I am very happy with. We continue to experiment with different cameras and gear. So far we have shot with Canon, JVC, Panasonic, and Red. I learn something new with every shoot.
I need to acknowledge the other writers on the show. They are all filmmakers in their own right, and intensely collaborative when working with me. They are on set talking to the actors with me, and reminding me to get certain bits of coverage.
Jimmy Fallon is amazing to work with, and I am self-conscious about saying that only because it makes me sound like such a suckup. The fact remains that I find him hilarious, and he has earned my respect and devotion. Hopefully the work speaks for itself, and watching these pieces you will understand why.