Geek of the Week: H.R. “Roach” Crystal
H.R. “Roach” Crystal is a self-described Camera Jockey in the independent film industry with numerous credits in production, direction, and management, and who loves the editing process. And that’s just *officially*. You can find out more about Roach from her site, www.roachsrealm.com. Roach was kind enough to answer a few casual questions. Don’t let the laid-back tone fool you - this woman works hard, and has the credits to prove it.
1. May I call you a geek?
I’d wear it on a hat with pride if I didn’t have three already to pick from. ( “Crew of One”, “GTTR - Goddess to the Rescue”, and one that says “Seconds” on the front and “WWKA - Women Who Kick Ass” on the back.) I’m a huge geek, and darned proud of it!
2. Tell me about your early geekdom. What first attracted you to audio/video stuff?
I’ve been attracted to it since I first saw it. But to narrow it down a little — VHS tapes (first adventures truly with my geek skills) in 1991-92. I got my first computer 1994-95 — oooh, editing audio was fun. (Still mocking Macrovision!) Video would have been in about 1996-97.
You know, until you’ve deconstructed a video clip downloaded on a 14.4 modem on a 486-120 still running Windows 3.11, pulled it apart frame by frame, laid it to music and [made] a fully functioning video, I will never consider you a TRUE video editor. I got my first video capture card in early 1998, and for the next 9 years, I “abused” what most people take for granted. Did you know if you’re geeky enough you can record/capture/encode up to 6 or more TV stations at once?
3. What was your very first A/V project?
That’d be “The 3rd Party”. [More on that below. ]
4. When and how did your A/V interests get serious? How did your work develop from a hobby to a career?
A friend of mine in New Zealand (Barry Duffield) challenged me one day to get out and work as a PA on a movie set. So I did. Jumped on with some friends of my husband. That was in 2003, and I became their camera operator, bought “One-Eyed Willy” (my Canon XL1s) a month later, and the name “Camera Jockey” came to be. (That camera is like my third child.)
I walked off of that shoot (”Feral”) and onto another feature film shoot, “Crit Sit”, in November. I was just finding my groove and started shooting theatre here and there. After a year of that, a friend of mine
(Danielle Reierson) called me up in early January, 2006 and asked me if I’d be interested in sitting in on a free class called “Directing the Actors” at 911 Media taught by Staci Bernstein. Sure, why not. I like free stuff. This was 13 days after I’d made a New Year’s resolution to “not work so hard this year”. Well, I blew that. Staci and I really hit it off, and she asked me to be volunteer crew on “The 3rd Party”.
5. How do you go about learning new things?
Generally [when] I run across something I don’t know, or can’t figure out, I usually start with on-line research, or basic troubleshooting stuff. I read a TON! And things stick in my mind and I start making correlations. But generally speaking, I learn how, say, effects in Premiere Pro CS3 [work] by just playing around with them, reading up on their help files, dinkling around some more and then suddenly, creative
fun-ness.
6. What’s the best way for someone to get started in film?
Volunteer as a PA (Production Assistant) on some indie shoot. And I’m talking a really low budget (no budget) indie shoot. It’s trial by fire. Find someone who’s in the “educational space” that is either producing or directing, and not just a boss-you-around type. I say this because if you want to know certain aspects of film, you could go to film school (and spend lots of money) or read a ton of books (but they’re books) or get a camera and go play, but the real experience comes when the pressure is on. If you can survive a true indie shoot with no budget, and be flexible in that environment, as well as solve issues (techie, geeky or not), then you’ve got what it takes to survive.
7. Where are some places folks can check out your work?
I’m actually all over the place, but the easiest way is to hit my video gallery pages at www.roachsrealm.com . It’s got a couple of my theatre engagements there (just the ones I really like for various reasons), some of my old fun music videos (mostly just [practice for] editing skills) and a handful of the short films and productions I’ve done through the NWAS (Northwest Actor’s Studio, which went under in May 2007).
Or if you’re a YouTube surfer: www.youtube.com/camerajockey
I’m also on MySpace at: www.myspace.com/camerajockey
8. Do you have recommendations that will help other women avoid any pitfalls?
More than I could list in an answer to this question, but my biggest piece of advice, is, “If you don’t know, ask. If you don’t get an answer you understand, ask again.” Don’t pretend to know what you don’t, and if you’re curious, be curious and ask. Most indie filmmakers are more than happy to share what they know. Oh, and another one: put the ego aside. Filmmaking is a collaborative effort, so respect your crew above all else, because while the actors get to be “SEEN” by everyone when it’s finished, the crew gets their name in rolling credits that a few people might read and remember. Respect your crew and your film project will be smooth, easy, and FUN!
9. What’s been your biggest challenge?
A HUGELY loaded question. I’d like to say money, but I’ve always found a way around that; what I’m good at is making things look like they cost a million or two when in fact I fed the cast/crew for a couple of days and they were *happy*. Given the last few productions, though, I would say the biggest challenge is split between two things:
A) Delegating. You know, I’m not egotistical, but it is hard to find people who work as hard as I do and I trust to get the job done. I found a TON of them on “Seconds” which is why that film basically was a feature shot in 12 days. (And ask anyone, that’s insane!)
B) Personal relationships that cross into business. Friends do not make good business partners. Do not cast them in primary roles because they’re your friends, and surely don’t let any of that get in the way of the business aspects of the film. Contracts are your friend, not the people poking you from the sidelines.
10. What do you think is the coolest thing about being a woman involved in this particular industry?
Had to think on this one a little bit, because for about the last 8 years, I’ve been “masked” in whether I was male or female. H.R. Crystal doesn’t really let you in on my gender. I learned that quickly when
teaching martial arts in college. It held strong getting into this field (of film-making and theatre) that if they didn’t know I was a guy/girl until I showed up and they were only running on my resume and recommendations about “Roach”. It was golden. Not to say this is the best for everyone, but I do
enjoy the surprise of “Wow, Roach, you’re a chick!…<insert pause then a smile> Cool!”
11. What are a few things you know nothing about, but want to learn?
Jill of all trades, I know a lot about a lot of things but would never consider myself an expert in any of them. I know that didn’t exactly answer the question…let me try here. I’ll venture into knowing MORE about some things, like anything Adobe software oriented (Go Live, Illustrator, After Effects, even Premiere). I’m always seeking knowledge. I would like to play around with Flash and while I’m good with 3-D animation, I just haven’t found the time to really focus on it as much as I’d like. I found my love behind a camera. I don’t like directing, but I do love light and editing — Oh wait! I’d love to know all there is about lights! (Though I know a ton, but there’s always some secret some gaffer can drop on you.)
12. What’s your biggest pet peeve about what you do?
The perception that anything that comes out of Hollywood is good, and if not, it sucks. That short films aren’t marketable (no one wants to rent something that’s only 30 minutes) and that film festivals are
considered artsy-fartsy venues and people don’t go because of that, when in reality there’s so much better entertainment there!
13. How can folks get updated about your work?
Join my MySpace as a friend. I always drop a blog or something now and again. My website gets updated occasionally, but since I’m also a web admin I take care of everyone else first before my own site. And as you can imagine I don’t get to it often.
14. How did “The 3rd Party” project start?
It was part of the NWAS “Acting for the Camera” course which was part of the conservatory program, a two-year intensive acting program. Staci (noted above) recruited me as volunteer crew for the class. I think on that one I was the AD (Assistant Director) - I tend to forget, because I did so many projects for those classes and filled all sorts of roles.
15. What’s changed since then about the way you approach film?
I approach it with confidence now. A very “in charge” attitude. That’s not to say I’m bitchy. I always bring in new people on my crew, because I want to give them the same experience I had, a fun friendly environment in which to learn, like and excel without the massive pressure some crews have.
16. How did that affect the work you did on “Seconds”?
This is a novel in and of itself. Let’s put it this way. After working on 3 feature films (One being “Awakenings” which was my “film school trial by fire”), fourteen short films (one of which was “The 3rd Party”), and( I just recently added these up) 52 theatre engagements over 2 years, four fundraisers for the NWAS (bands and film screenings, or one man shows, etc.), I took on “Seconds” knowing that I had
picked up something from each and every one of those productions. It didn’t matter what role I was playing. It ranged from how to “get a good solid cast” and “how to get amazing audio, or what’s acceptable”, “how to make a contract fair and stick with it”, and “how to find and maintain locations,
schedules” etc., to some of my faves — ask me about gaffers tape triangles. (Picked that up from a sound guy on “Crit-Sit”).
Those who had worked with me before “Seconds” were dying to get on that crew with me in the lead. I know, again that sounds egotistical, but I’d never let them down, and they knew it’d be awesome. And it will be! One of our cast members, after just hearing me and Staci talking light design, wanted to come on as a PA just to see how we’d pull it off. And all but two of the cast members of “Seconds” have pulled me in on other projects (usually in emergency situations, but they know I can and will adapt to anything).
17. Any other technical stuff you want to get involved in?
Like I don’t deal with enough already? Cameras, computers, A/V, web server. I’d have to say, not right now. I’m still back (don’t laugh) on a phone that doesn’t take pictures, and is pretty hard to send text messages from, since it doesn’t have the full keyboard. So I’m blackberry inept! Some geeks just have limits!
18. Do *you* have any questions for other women who are geeks?
A million and one! But the biggest one is… “Where the heck are you when I need you!?” “Seconds” was female heavy, and loved it. And I’d like to continue on with such things. I’m always looking for writers, Photoshop masters (or amateurs who want a shot), and especially some website designers who’d toss something together for a portfolio.
19. What kinds of things would you like to see on .51 ? What would an ideal “geekspace” be like for you?
I’d really like to see it grow with a message board, and an e-mail list.
20. Other than what we’ve talked about here, what’s the geekiest thing you do?
Does reading tech manuals count? Like the huge “Bibles” while I’m waiting for a show to start?
For more information on Roach and her current and upcoming projects, visit her website.
Related posts:
- Geek of the Week: Drupal Developer Angela Byron
- Geek of the Week: Katherine Druckman of Linux Journal
- Geek of the Week: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
- Geek of the Week: Selena Deckelmann
- Geek of the Week: Sarah Sharp, The Geekess
May 10th, 2008 at 9:46 am
[…] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt […]