FilmingLife® Member | Marlene Sayson
Today we speak to family filmmaker and FilmingLife® Academy member Marlene Sayson about how she got started in films and what motivates her to keep creating…
Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m 33. I'm married to my high school sweetheart and have 3 babies. When I was little I could always be found drawing or making story books and so I guess that means I’m a creative, right? I’ve always loved and appreciated all forms of art.
Tell us about the kind of photography & films you create (style/genre/pro or hobby)…
To be honest, I am still trying to figure out my ‘style’. I guess I just want my work (and hobby/personal projects) to be honest and emotional and make people feel the moment when they see it. I want people to laugh when they see laughter, cry when they see tears and feel all the feels.
How did you first get started in photography?
When my second son was born, we had some professional baby/family photos done. I watched the photographer and thought, ‘I can do that!’ Ha! Little did I know!
One of Marlene’s first assignments for FilmingLifer, putting in to practice some of the things she learned from the core curriculum
What made you decide to learn video? What was your motivation?
I have followed Courtney’s work for a long time. When I first started seeing her films I just thought ‘WOW!’ It just reminded me of when my family and I would watch old footage of my parents when they were younger and of us when we were younger. I want that for my kids. I want them not only to be able to see what we all looked like, but how we sounded, our personalities, etc and I think film just has that extra element and goes that step above a still image.
What was your biggest challenge when you first started learning video and how did you overcome it?
Hmmm.. This is a tough question because I feel I am constantly learning and being challenged so there isn’t one particular thing.
When shooting photos, the editing process is much quicker and easier. With film, you need to find music to suit the mood and style of the film, time the clips accordingly and it all takes time. So a huge challenge is finding the right music, because I feel as you’re editing, you’re playing and replaying the music over and over to get the clips right and if it’s not the right music, you just won’t enjoy the whole editing process.
Tell us about your favourite film and why it's special to you
My favourite film is probably the forest one of my family. It was our first time visiting the Redwood Forest in East Warburton, Victoria, and I was blown away. We were there for hours and it was so easy to get lost in all the serenity. It was so easy for me to shoot, being my own family, and also the amazing, picturesque surroundings.
Marlene’s favourite film
What is your best piece of advice for those just getting started with films?
Join the academy! I thought it would be easy enough just to learn on my own but when I joined the course, I knew there was no way I could learn all of that information that they had to offer, on my own. Everyone is so supportive and amazing. There are always new courses getting added and I couldn’t speak highly enough of the whole thing!
