Andrew Reid AMA

[Neumann Films]

Long time member, infrequent communicator here.

I got into it a bit with Mr. Reid the other day for the first time. After discussing it with him privately, I found that he and I were much more similar in our views than I first thought. He and I both just had bad days...on the same day. So that got me thinking...I spend time here, it has been a resource for me in the past (whether educational or casual reading/browsing). I think it's easy to take a site like this for granted. We tend to just assume there's a team or that it is all automated. It's not, it's one guy and it takes time from his day and other things.

So, I wanted to do an AMA and get to know him a bit more. I will start it off. Please post questions in bold + italic and tag "@Andrew Reid".

@Andrew Reid What art form interests you the most outside of film? Also...what is your favorite CURRENT local restaurant (no chains)?

PS...I know Andrew is too humble to make this sticky or pin it. But I think it should be. If it is sticky or pinned it's because I'm requesting it. 

I think it would be good for the health of the site for people to have a better sense of who is behind it. It would add a personality that would make things more civil and you would probably notice that you don't get stressed as much. 🙂 

[Itu]

I think this is a great Idea, I never write in the forum but I love reading it, both Andrew's articles and member's comments are enjoyable and very helpful. I think Andrew is very honest and straightforward when he writes, not caring too much about what other people might think or even how it could impact to his page, which I always have thought is a sign of someone with a good heart. My question to @Andrew Reid is: did you attend any film school? Which one?

[Video Hummus]

Since Mr. Nuemann started off with a Softball question to warm things up.
 

@Andrew Reid, having run EOSHD solo for so many years where you have routinely written about your frustrations over and over again about the same persistence and repeated short comings of every brands cameras, would you consider yourself a masochist? If not, what kind of mental health problem would you say you have?

[Mr. Freeze]

@Andrew Reid 1. What moment/film was your motivation to pick up a Camera to create films?

2. Being able to travel back in time, let´s say 1920-2000, what decade/year would you like to visit and film in?

[Neumann Films]

@Video Hummus To be fair, continuing to be involved in any form of social media and/or filmmaking requires a little bit of masochism.

[PannySVHS]

@Andrew Reid Hallo Andrew, hope you enjoy the summer pleasures and don´t spend as much time with your social media device like we do. Not into italics or bold fonts, so here my question:

Will you do your beautiful vignettes again, like you used to do back in your Berlin days? I know, Iggy Pop left the city 30 years ago. But he is still rockin. I loved and love your stuff like so many people do. You made the cams shine! Would love to see vintage classics make a comeback for these vignettes or even shortfilms, like 1DC or Digital Bolex. Your are right about putting tripods, monopods, walls and laps to good use instead of floating around like an ibis maniac.

 

[MrSMW]

@AndrewReid will you be getting the Panasonic G-100 for vlogging and agree it is the greatest camera launch of this year? If not all time. 
Or do you think the Canon R5 will be the ‘hottest’ camera of COVID-2020?

[Andrew Reid]

@Neumann Films a Reddit style AMA is a great idea for the forum. I'll do my best to answer what you guys asked above. We should do this with you Neumann some time too, and some camera companies. I have some interviews coming up on the blog. Sigma's CEO Kazuto Yamaki and the Sigma Fp product manager got a book-length of questions from me and are very kindly working on some answers! Fujifilm also in Japan. I think the camera companies are always shrouded in mystery so the more they talk to their users, the better. We can send our suggestions their way!

@Neumann Films

What art form interests you the most outside of film? Also...what is your favorite CURRENT local restaurant (no chains)?

Music. I like how you can choose to be a solo artist or be in a group. Filmmakers don't quite have the same luxury if we want to make really good stuff 🙂 We need actors, writers, at the very least an interesting model or subject to shoot. Musicians just pick up an instrument, and write music.

Also writing, I think that's fascinating as well. Whether it be fiction or writing down ideas, I think filmmakers who can do this well have a real advantage over the pack.

Favourite restaurant in Berlin is the Japanese BBQ "Ushido" and back home in the UK there's a great one in Manchester with a cocktail bar, called "Room".

@Itu

did you attend any film school? Which one?

Not really but went to university and made artistic video pieces, music videos and some short films (in the Mini DV era)!

@Video Hummus

having run EOSHD solo for so many years where you have routinely written about your frustrations over and over again about the same persistence and repeated short comings of every brands cameras, would you consider yourself a masochist? If not, what kind of mental health problem would you say you have?

Addicted to buying new cameras. It is interesting to follow the flow of technology and innovation but with the camera industry being so dominated by the Japanese, I feel it could benefit from more multi-cultural ideas and designers. It's becoming a bit like the Japanese car industry where all the different models are homogeneous.

Well done to Sigma for trying something different with the Fp!

@Mr. Freeze

1. What moment/film was your motivation to pick up a Camera to create films?

Koyaanisqatsi.

Never seen reality in such poetic form, and the synthesis with the Philip Glass score, just amazing. But what's inspiring is it's basically one cinematographer and a camera, long, long takes. Each one hypnotic. No actors, no big crew, no writers, just the music and images.

Hitchcock, now there is an inspiration too.

2. Being able to travel back in time, let´s say 1920-2000, what decade/year would you like to visit and film in?

I think late 70's, early 80's. The auteur era in the US. And 60's France.

I've heard many of the younger pros say Jurassic Park is the "classic" that inspired them to be a filmmaker. It's great fun, but popcorn fluff... How times, and people are changing.

[Andrew Reid]

1 hour ago, PannySVHS said:

@Andrew Reid Hallo Andrew, hope you enjoy the summer pleasures and don´t spend as much time with your social media device like we do. Not into italics or bold fonts, so here my question:

Will you do your beautiful vignettes again, like you used to do back in your Berlin days? I know, Iggy Pop left the city 30 years ago. But he is still rockin. I loved and love your stuff like so many people do. You made the cams shine! Would love to see vintage classics make a comeback for these vignettes or even shortfilms, like 1DC or Digital Bolex. Your are right about putting tripods, monopods, walls and laps to good use instead of floating around like an ibis maniac.

I moved on from the vignettes and mood pieces in Europe / UK because of the way the streets now look and the way people aren't so eccentric. I find there's less interest in the everyday. And sometimes people are downright hostile towards camera users due to personal privacy obsessions.

I would like to do some again, but maybe in Japan or India.

[Neumann Films]

17 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

It's becoming a bit like the Japanese car industry where all the different models are homogeneous.

This is a really interesting take that I haven't heard or thought of before. 

Quote

Music. I like how you can choose to be a solo artist or be in a group. Filmmakers don't quite have the same luxury if we want to make really good stuff  We need actors, writers, at the very least an interesting model or subject to shoot. Musicians just pick up an instrument, and write music

Have you ever thought about or pursued orchestral/electronic stuff with samples? That's my real passion (for similar reasons to you) and it's easier now than ever. Such an instantly expressive and creatively satisfying thing compared to film!

[mercer]

@Andrew Reid 

Aside from running and growing your site, and presence within the community, what are your goals as a filmmaker?

[Andrew Reid]

Going back all the way to the move to Berlin 10 years ago, I started off with the intention to do commercial work with eventually building up enough contacts and money to film my own stuff. I did a bit of that but EOSHD became my main income, which I now use to make my own stuff happen. Not as often as I'd like at the moment, because of how much time is taken up by EOSHD! This year I planned to do some short films at motorsports events like Le Mans, The British Grand Prix at Silverstone and film the Goodwood Festival of speed. But the pandemic has seen a lot of people in the same position as me. Everything cancelled!

[IronFilm]

@Andrew ReidWhat did you study at Uni?
 

10 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Going back all the way to the move to Berlin 10 years ago, I started off with the intention to do commercial work with eventually building up enough contacts and money to film my own stuff. I did a bit of that but EOSHD became my main income, which I now use to make my own stuff happen.

Do you still do commercial work now, or plan to?
(also, what type of commercial work? That's an extremely broad area)