𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗔𝗥𝗧
by Gui Lessin 1990
look at the sky frequently
acknowledge animals and plants
celebrate whenever possible
listen to old people’s stories
remember dreams
resist all prejudice
think about the universe
question answers
deny denial
shun elitist silences
move while remaining unmoved
oppose all censorship
go everywhere fearlessly
prepare for imponderable strictures
protect earth and water
open up to unexpected freedom
📷 Fujifilm x100f
🎞️ PROVIA Standard
💾 Digital
🎨 Myself
With my love @kyragracee
#france #fujifilm #fujifilmx100f #photographer #photos
𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙁𝙀𝘾𝙏 𝘿𝙀𝘾𝘼𝙔
𝗔 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗼𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀… 📸
𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿’𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:
Perfect Decay began with a simple question from cinematographer Tucker K Anderson: “Do you and Kyra want to shoot something?” He had a brand-new ARRI Alexa 35 package on hand between shoots. We had no script, just curiosity and a window of opportunity. Within days, we were walking the streets of Los Angeles, letting intuition guide us.
It had been five years since I’d last directed a film. That chapter felt like it had quietly closed: reshaped by COVID-19, industry shutdowns, and personal shifts. I had poured myself into producing, building businesses, supporting other artists. And I started to wonder: Was that it? Had I left directing behind?
This short film, improvised in spirit but anchored in truth, answered that question. It reminded me why I fell in love with filmmaking. Why it still feels like the one thing I understand at a soul level.
The film is a reflection on LA: its beauty, brokenness, and slow unraveling. It’s about how things change, how people change, and what we lose when we stop paying attention. But more than anything, it’s about the artist’s path. Holding on through the impossible—and finding the courage to begin again.
Endlessly grateful to Kyra Grace, my wife, muse, and creative partner. And to Tucker, for sparking this collaboration. Perfect Decay may be small in scope, but for me, it marks something big: a return. A reminder. And the beginning of something new.
𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘁:
Photographer - @kyragracee
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Lost Objects
𝗖𝗿𝗲𝘄:
Producers - @brenpancake@tuckerkanderson
Director - @brenpancake
Cinematographer - @tuckerkanderson
Editors - @lwwyatt@brenpancake
Colorist - @camthecolorist
𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰:
“Sumerian Paradise” - Dew of Light
Music from Epidemic Sound
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀:
@filmmakers_academy@vaultrentals@elementfilters@wearelostobjects
#filmmaking #cinema #losangeles #cinematography #arri #director #actor #film #photographer #streetphoto
Motion Picture Film for Beginners, instructed by filmmaker Brendan Sweeney @brenpancake , watch the first lesson free. Click the link in our bio to explore Celluloid vs. Digital and begin your journey into shooting on film.
For over a century, motion picture film has been the DNA of cinema. From Kubrick to Tarantino, it is the medium that shaped the visual language of storytelling. In this essential course, Brendan breaks down film from the ground up, demystifying the chemistry, craft, and economics behind celluloid, so you can understand why film looks the way it does and how to use that knowledge intentionally on set.
You will move beyond the mystery of analog capture and learn why film’s organic grain structure, highlight roll off, and logarithmic color response simply cannot be replicated by digital sensors. This education does not just make you better at shooting film, it sharpens your instincts as a filmmaker in any format.
The course blends theory with real world application, covering professional workflows, creative decision making, and budget conscious strategies used by working filmmakers today. From gauges and stocks to shooting ratios and processing costs, this is the foundational knowledge that separates good cinematographers from great ones.
Course lessons include:
• Introduction: The DNA of Filmmaking
• Celluloid vs. Digital: The Chemical Magic of Film, free lesson
• From Eastman to Nolan: The History and Renaissance of Film
• Your Analog Toolkit: Mastering Essential Film Gear
• Choosing Your Canvas: Gauges, Stocks, and Creative Look
• Shooting Ratios: The Math of Intentional Filmmaking
• Film Economics: Budgeting, Stock, and Processing
Whether you are new to film or looking to deepen your understanding, this course connects you to cinema’s most enduring tradition, taught by an indie filmmaker who has shot the majority of his work on film.
Watch the first lesson free. Link in bio.
#filmmakersacademy #filmmaking #filmmaker #kodakfilm #cinematographer
Indie Film Guide: Snip Tests 🎞️ Buying short ends and recans can make shooting on motion picture film dramatically more affordable. But second-hand stock always carries risk. That roll may have passed through airport X-ray scanners, sat in a hot trunk, or been accidentally flashed before it ever reached you. Even when it looks fine, hidden damage can fog the negative, kill contrast, and ruin a shoot.
Professional cinematographers follow one rule: never shoot important footage on second-hand stock without testing it first. That’s where a snip test comes in.
How a Snip Test Works:
Step 1 — Find a Lab
Contact a motion picture film lab and ask if they offer snip tests. Labs like Kodak Film Lab, FotoKem, Cinelab, or other regional motion picture labs can evaluate short ends and recans.
Step 2 — Send the Roll
Drop off or ship the reel to the lab. They remove a small strip from the head of the roll and process it to measure the base density of the film.
Step 3 — The Analysis
The lab sends back the results and notes on the film’s condition. This reveals whether the stock is healthy or shows issues like age fogging, uneven fogging, or other exposure damage.
How cinematographers mitigate risk when shooting recans/shortends:
• Slightly overexpose older stock to protect shadow detail
• Use recans on B-roll or inserts first before critical scenes
• Store film cold to preserve sensitivity and image quality
Film doesn’t require a Hollywood budget. It requires knowledge and discipline.
At Filmmakers Academy, we’ve built one of the most comprehensive libraries online for learning motion picture film. Our Exposing Motion Picture Film Masterclass with Shane Hurlbut, ASC, created with Kodak, teaches real film exposure using meters and ratios, while Motion Picture Film for Beginners breaks down gauges, stocks, shooting ratios, and the economics of working with celluloid.
Learn the analog workflow, click the link in bio ❤️
#film #filmmaker #filmmaking #shootfilm #kodak
SIX FILMS YOU NEED TO WATCH & SOME TRIVIA 🎥
This week, we’re switching things up. No single deep dive. Instead, Chris and Brendan are each bringing three films that every filmmaker and cinephile should see. From Michael Haneke’s provocative Funny Games to Ang Lee’s devastating The Ice Storm and Mathieu Kassovitz’s raw La Haine. From Sam Mendes’ gorgeous Road to Perdition to Darren Aronofsky’s brutal The Wrestler and Miloš Forman’s unforgettable Man on the Moon. Plus, we’ve got one bonus pick we’ll reveal live.
Expect honest takes, surprising choices, and a broader conversation about what makes these films essential viewing for anyone serious about the craft.
Date: Sunday, February 15, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM PT / 10:00 PM ET
Films: Six essential films (plus one bonus pick announced live)
🔗 Link In Bio
Hosts: @chrishaighwriter & @brenpancake
You don’t need to watch all six beforehand. Just show up ready to talk cinema.
Let’s hang.
#filmmaking #cinema #filmtheory #livestream #movies
THE FILM HANG: SESSION 04
Can you guess these six films? 🎬
This Sunday, we’re switching things up. No single deep dive. Instead, @chrishaighwriter and @brenpancake are each bringing three films that every filmmaker and cinephile needs to see, plus two bonus picks we’ll reveal live.
Think you know your cinema? Drop your guesses in the comments.
Expect honest takes, surprising choices, and real conversation about what makes these films essential viewing for anyone serious about the craft.
📅 Sunday, February 15, 2026
⏰ 7:00 PM PT / 10:00 PM ET
🎥 Six essential films
You don’t need to watch them all beforehand. Just show up ready to talk cinema.
Link in bio to join us live.
Presented by @wearelostobjects & @filmmakers_academy
All images powered by @shotdeck
Let’s hang.
#cinephile #filmmaking #filmtheory #movies #cinema
Session 03 goes live tonight. We’re breaking down Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET.
This isn’t just another war film. It’s a three hour descent into friendship, trauma, and the kind of wounds that don’t heal. Cimino swung for the fences with this one, and nearly 50 years later, it still lands with devastating force.
Tonight, Chris and Brendan are going deep on what makes this film unforgettable. The bold vision. The performances that burn into your memory. The reasons it still matters.
Seen it before? Great. Never made it through? Even better. This conversation is for anyone who wants to understand what Cimino was actually doing here.
Watch the film beforehand if you want. Join us either way. Link in bio to tune in on YouTube.
Let’s hang.
#TheDeerHunter #MichaelCimino #ClassicCinema #FilmAnalysis #cinemahistory
