Career Path: Cinematographer Ruairí O'Brien

Name: Ruairí O'Brien

Occupation: Cinematographer.

Education: I passed my Leaving Cert in 1990 but didn't have enough points to get into university.  I wound up instead going on a Post Leaving Cert course in TV and film production. That led me to the Institute of Art, Design & Technology in Dún Laoghaire where I graduated in 1996.

What was your first start in the business you are in? I got a job early-on cleaning the sets on Far And Away. The crew shot at night and myself and a Spanish guy cleaned up in the morning. My first proper job as a cameraman was on documentary in Romania. But I had to do a huge amount of no-budget and low-budget grunt work for years, just to break into the industry.

What were the biggest barriers you faced when you were starting out? I think the biggest barriers were my own fears and insecurities. One day a friend of mine said "tell people you're great and if you don't tell them I will".  He started getting me hired on shows he was directing. His advice was that a lot of people get ahead because they stick their necks out. The TV and film business were very restricted back then but that closed shop mentality is gone now.

How important were your qualifications to you in terms of how you developed in the business? To be honest not one person has ever asked me about my qualifications or for proof of graduation. I think that if you are going to college, don't go for a degree, go for the sake of learning and experimenting. Go to make mistakes and learn by them. Unless you want to be a doctor or a lawyer, in that case get the degree and don't make mistakes.

What would you say is the single most critical talent you possess in your role? Communication and the ability to let go.

Communication- I work with the director and to get what he wants on the screen requires me to work with my camera team, grip team and electrical team. It's taken me a long time to get the hang of communicating with so many people under time pressure, giving them all disparate instructions and at the same time, trying to be three steps ahead, so that I am not just planning the current shot but also the following three and at the same time fielding questions about other sets and location that might be happening later in the day.

Letting Go- You have to plan and problem solve all day and while the actors are acting and the camera is rolling you have to watch out for microphones dipping into shot, stray reflections, shadows, and a host of other things. But if you can do all that and let go a bit and just feel what's happening in front of you and enjoy it, it makes the job much more rewarding. And that's why one should pick a career, because it's rewarding.

Any recurrent frustrations along the way? Constantly. A lot of scripts that are sent to me are awful. They are just people talking. A lot of writers don't write visually and you realise that you could watch certain shows with your eyes closed and not miss a thing. I spend half my time begging for sunshine to give the day sparkle and the other half pleading for cloud when the light is too harsh- but the frustrations reality don't come close to the rewards.

What would you do differently if you could travel back in time and start again? I'd be braver. When I was in college it was before the era of the digital camera, so every picture was expensive and a ten minute roll of film cost £120 and had to be couriered to a lab in England for processing. It made it difficult to experiment. So like everybody always seems to say- I'd take more risks.

What are the primary skills or talents you look for in prospective hires? 1. Good humour. I really haven't the time to deal with grumpy or sour people at 6.30am. 2. The ability to communicate simply and efficiently. I don't have time for the details. If an assistant comes to me with an issue, I need them to be able to express themselves clearly. I can ask the relevant questions from there. 3. Initiative and a passion for the work- When people love what they do it elevates the experience for everyone around them. 4. Oh and you've go to be good at the job- but technical stuff can all be learned.

How important, in your view, are qualifications? In my field they mean nothing. I've never even asked in an interview, to be honest. But film-making is not like engineering or accountancy.

Graduates are often in the difficult position where they have no experience - what would your advice be for them? Ring anybody connected with what you want to do and ask if you can meet them for a coffee. Have a chat for half an hour. Probe them for information. Those things do pay off in time. Don't sit around and do nothing. All experience is good experience and a prospective employer will be more interested in somebody who has had a few adventures than somebody who didn't.

If you were to set up a new company and had to pick a team of 3 people to help you run it, what characteristics would they have? They'd all need to be fun, smart, loyal and punctual. The american film crews have a saying - if you're not ten minutes early, you're ten minutes late.

What advice do you have for others who are starting their own businesses? Meet a lot of people. There is a theory that lucky people are successful people. If you want to find something and you look in your own home you might not find it. If you ask on Facebook then you suddenly have a network of people looking for that thing for you. Be helpful and burn no bridges.

What do you wish you had known before you had started your business? I wish I'd known how unrelenting the hours are. I often leave for work at 6am and won't make it home before 8 or 9pm. In Ireland the film day is usually ten hours of shooting and an hour for lunch. Most people have to be in half an hour early or more to get ready. So that means you work from 7.30am to 7pm. I do often wish for nine to five hours. it must be so liberating to finish work at five.