Listen to the LOST // DISCOVERED Spotify playlist while reading 🙂
Man… it is absolutely insane the journey it has been to get here today. Â I will spare all the nostalgic blah blah blah stuff and just say I am beyond grateful to even have opportunities to create something like this.
LOST // DISCOVERED: Arizona started as an idea of just me and a few friends going around Northern Arizona to see what all out state had to offer. Â Holy cow we were blown away. Â Jumping fences, hiking in the snow, not sleeping, and driving non stop. Â It made for such an incredible trip. Â Great memories and moments that will last a life time.
Going into filming this trip, I honestly had no idea what I was doing or what vision I had for a film. Â I just went in, observed, and documented. I was nervous and even timid with my filming. Â One of those things where I wish i could go back in time and poor a jug full of confidence down my throat so I could tell an epic story. Â Regardless of my inexperience, I was excited to put myself out there. Â That is truly the best way to learn.
Here is a breakdown of the gear I used for this film:
Canon C100 Mark 1
Sigma Art 18mm-35mm 1.8
Rokinon 35mm 1.4
Canon 50mm 1.4
Manfrotto Monopod 56BHDV-1
DJI Phantom 2 with Hero 4 GoPro
A photo posted by Jay {Everly Films} 🎥🎬 (@jmworsley) on
What’s interesting about the DJI Phantom was at the time I didn’t set up any sort of live view. Â When it was flying in the air, I just kinda hoped what I was getting was good. Â I had gotten the drone only a week before leaving on the trip. Â I had no idea how to even really use it. Â I actually didn’t even know till half way through the trip that you could move the gimbal up and down to change the angle of the camera. Â My mind was blown once I figured that out.
Photo by Andrew Fleming
Photo by Jason Williams
Photo by Mike Olbinski
As the trip went on, the story started to really tell itself. Â All I had to do was document it. Â This was a defining moment for me. Â It made me truly realize how I love documenting “real” things. Â Not just nature, but real emotion. Â My other business I film weddings and I always love the real emotion you get from couples. Â However this was different. Â It was like emotion had to be forced out. Â Weddings are such a vulnerable day so its easy to catch that. Â However just out and about in real life, people are guarded. Â They try to act cool. Â Try to be something else. Â Catching that REAL emotion is something I love doing.
Given that this was my first film, I wanted to submit it to film festivals. Â I was hesitant at first but new if I wanted to be a filmmaker, I needed to get the film out there. Â I submitted to maybe 20 festivals. Â Out of the 20, LOST // DISCOVERED: Arizona was accepted into 5! Â And one some awards! Â I couldn’t believe it. Â Even went to the Sedona Film Festival with my buddy Mike Olbinski who had a film in the festival as well.
To me this was something that proved more that I need to create authentic films that meant something to me.
Moral of the story, you’ll never know if you never do. Â So go do. Â You have no idea where the path will lead you. Â What doors will close and what doors may open.
Enjoy my very first official independent film:
LOST // DISCOVERED : ARIZONA from Jay Worsley on Vimeo.
[…] to the story. Â After our first trip for LOST // DISCOVERED: Arizona, we all knew we had to do another trip AND I had to make another film. Â I mean how could we not!? […]
[…] which isn’t even close to being done. Â After getting a drone for my first film LOST // DISCOVERED: Arizona, aerial cinematography became addicting. Â It became a passion. Â It was something that I loved […]