Students from the Digital Film and Television course attended an industry talk by award-winning Australian Director of Photography Laurie K. Gilbert on 7 September 2016.
Laurie K. Gilbert is a free-lance cinematographer and Director of Photography with unique off-shore marine and helicopter aerial expertise. In the last 30 years he has won multiple awards for motion picture imagery that were shot for feature films, commercials, documentaries, television sport and corporate communications.
Gilbert is the owner of Aerial Marine Media, a multi-media production company that provides aviation companies with global aerial photography and motion picture cinematography. They regularly provide air-to-air imagery services for Airbus, Augusta Westland and Robinson Helicopters.
In the talk, Gilbert talked about the realities of being a professional free-lance Global Cinematographer. Among others, he dispelled the myth of the easy and free lifestyle connotation of a freelancer, saying that experience, discipline and professionalism are the foundations of the industry.
He urged the students to train and practice until they are a master craftsman in whatever they chose to do. Without mincing his words, he told the students to, “Operate to global standards in everything you do, or get out of the industry. If you are a freelance, you have to be very good indeed.”
Before ending his talk, Gilbert reminded the students that to work successfully in a foreign culture, they have to leave their own culture behind at home. “Know and appreciate global geography, languages, cultures, history, literature, music, art, global politics, and peoples,’ he added.
One of the advantages of being in Limkokwing University is its international composition of student population. With over 150 nations represented on campus, students have the advantage of learning other cultures that will benefits them from the moment they start their study. The University’s multicultural environment was designed to be conducive in broadening students’ outlook and awareness, and to let students have the added advantage of international networking by making friends across the world right on campus.