So I threw myself into cinematography head first. And over the next two years, I learned a hell of a lot about cinematography and became pretty good at it (at least in my opinion).

Let's jump ahead a few more years, to the present day. At this point, my philosophy on filmmaking has come full circle.

While I love film more than words could possibly express, I’m not particularly fond of the industry itself. I won’t get into my specific reasons, but suffice it to say that I'm not inclined to work in an industry that has a nasty habit of treating its below-the-line crew like dirt.

For that reason, I’ve become one of those people who has a day job (writing about film), and who uses that cash to work on film projects that I actually care about.

On those small sets, surrounded by friends and working on films that are genuinely cool, I find myself slipping back into the role of “jack of all trades,” despite the fact that cinematography is what I know best.

Of course, unlike my thesis film, I’m not doing every last thing anymore. I’m mostly shooting these days, but I still find myself helping with the writing, various pre-production tasks, production design, sound, editing, and color correction.

And honestly, I love it. Filmmaking is a fascinating, complex process, and being a part of a good film from start to finish is a thrill.

Needless to say, this is how I plan on spending the rest of my life, doing something enjoyable (writing) for my income, and working on films that I care about with the rest of my time.

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You might be asking yourself, what on earth does that long-ass story have to do with the question of whether we should be a jack of all trades or specialize in one?

Well, it has everything to do with it. I’ve come to understand that there are two paths through life as a filmmaker, and that it all comes down to this one question: