Meet Freddie Aponte

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Freddie Aponte. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Freddie, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

When I started in the industry as a PA in 2014 obviously everything was a bit nerve wrecking. However I found my stride pretty early on. It took a ton of advice from some of my mentors at the time and that really helped. Shout out to Valencia’s Film Progam. But obviously like most things it gets better over time. Learned over the years is best to be as clear and to communicate as quickly as possible in our industry to make sure we make our day.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Hey. my name is Freddie Aponte and I’m a 1st Assistant Camera & Focus Puller. So I actually have a few jobs on any film production set whether it be a Commercial, Documentary & etc.

First is building and maintaining our cameras on set to the specification of our Director of Photography specifications. Depending on what kind of shot we are trying to achieve that may very from either a standard build where for example means to set up a camera for hand held or over the shoulder shots or even some dolly moves or even just a camera on a tripod. Or perhaps on a gimbal for steady or stabilized shots. It’s my job to know and understand how to not only set up these pieces of equipment but understand how to use them in case for any reason something goes wrong while we’re filming. I need to know as much as possible of all of our equipment to be able to trouble shoot and solve our issue to be able to continue with our day’s schedule from a camera perspective.

However my favorite part of my job is Pulling Focus. Have you ever seen anything on TV and noticed that the focus during some shots are on one subject and all of a sudden they swap to other either Actors or items? On bigger sets that’s usually a 1st AC like myself pulling the focus wirelessly for the camera. Sometimes the operator will pull their own focus depending on the budget of the shoot but it makes the life of the DP or Operator so much better if we can work in tandem if they can focus on the proper framing of the shot and then have a focus puller pull the focus for them.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

First off, you need clear and consise communication skills. While working on set were working with numerous departments, it’s really important to know who your team is on the day. We work with what feels like countless people sometimes so its good to pay attention in the morning safety meetings to know who does what and who do you need to talk to sometimes to get the support you need or even plan for future shots. Camera departments really works with all departments on every shot so keeping your eyes and ears open and staying focused is important.

A close second is moving quickly but safely, There’s typically allot going on. Moving quickly and quietly as possible is usually your best bet on any set. Department heads are always talking about the shot so it’s best to let them talk things out and follow your department heads lead.

lastly I’d say but I don’t mean this in any order since it’s all really important is to know your equipment and capabilities! Sometimes things can change in a split second, maybe that shot you and everyone was working on can’t be achieved because some equipment failed or the weather goes sideways or the Actor couldn’t make the call. Usually this can cause a scramble but knowing what you can achieve incase of a pivot is important. All departments will likely gather and have a chat with their key people so try to find a plan to pivot and move forward with the day if something else could work for the missing shot.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

Honestly I could name too many people, there’s just so many. I personally like to call myself a humble thief in life, take traits and skills from those you respect. But I will say going to Film school was such a game changer for me, shout out Valencia College’s Film Program. Going to film school really prepared me to be on set, they teach you by being on set. They hire professional’s to lead all departments and you get to work alongside the and learn from them while learning to be on set.

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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fredamacine/