Author Archives: Stefan Sargent

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. February 1968. I’m in a phone booth at sunset in a government farm and training facility for native aborigines. I get through to Dick Mason, my producer at Film Australia in Sydney, 1,000 miles south. “Dick, this is … Continue reading →

I’ve landed the job, shot it, edited it. Now it’s time for the big client screening. Watch them watching. When the lights come up, will it be? “Oh my God! It’s freaking awesome! Capital-A amazing! You rock!” OR… “It’s good.” … Continue reading →

We all know Moore’s Law and Murphy’s Law, but how many of you know Sargent’s Law? Hmmmm… I thought so. Time to put that to rights. Sargent’s Law simply states, “The quality of a production is inversely proportional to the … Continue reading →

London, U.K. Winter, 1972, 4:30 a.m. The worst thing about filmmaking is getting up before dawn and driving through the slush to a distant, even colder, location. My best client, Herb Kanzell, has landed a job for the Rank Organisation. … Continue reading →

A Family Outing 101 South from Corte Madera, Calif. March, 2002. George, my son-in-law, is driving his ginormous Ford E-350 Super Duty Extended wagon. It’s crammed full of cameras, tripods, lights, lights stands, sand bags, you name it. I’m chattering … Continue reading →

Way back in 1958, Bert Stern had a multicam shoot at the Newport Jazz Festival. Jazz on a Summer’s Day took just a few days to shoot, but six months to sync up the cameras and the sound. It was … Continue reading →

FIRST BLOOD. Sydney, Australia, 1968. “Here’s the deal Stefan. I’ve got this weekly report from the markets which you’ll shoot and edit. It should be $750 a week but I can make it a grand. Send me a credit note for … Continue reading →

London, Soho, February, 1999. 8:00 p.m. Boooom! I’m in my edit room-cum-office at the rear of The Soho Screening Rooms. Derry, the projectionist, is showing the director’s cut of Das Boot. Every time the U-boat is depth-charged, my adjoining wall … Continue reading →