Nick Gaven
Camera assistant, Operator and Drone Pilot
Miles:
What was your road into to film?
Nick:
I was always pushed to do something that is a traditional life.
My Grandad was always telling me I needed to be an engineer, or something like that. Throughout school, I'd always be clearly in love with English and acting.
I was always in plays and singing. Joined a band too.
For my A-levels though, I'd do really well at the humanities … and struggle all the way through the rest. I did physics and maths and I just hated every moment of it.
Miles:
I believe you.
Nick:
The realisation of what I wanted to do came about from studying philosophy at university.
I realised that I could find a path that doesn't have to immediately make me money or get me or be a ‘good’ prescribed job.
I told myself ‘you can find your own path and do what makes you happy’ and it became clear my work needed to be something creative, artistic.
Despite this, I didn't really know at that time what I was going to do, so I decided to study more and do a masters.
More and more, films became a focus in my studies.
Nick (cont.):
Growing up, I'd always been taking pictures and making little films, even when I was 10.
I made a little pilot TV series with my mate.
I wish I could find those tapes. They were so funny.
Miles:
Shot on mini DV?
Nick:
Yeah!
Miles:
So what did you watch as a youth? What inspired?
Nick:
I come from quite a censored background. My family were really Christian and mom was always terrified of anything that had ‘bad family’ values or violence. She hates swearing as well..
Although I wasn't allowed to consume much of that sort of stuff, I always found a way - going round to mates ‘houses…
I always really loved Airplane! And Naked Gun. As a kid, those were the ones that really stood out to me. Those and other really good comedies.
Miles:
[Appreciation] loved those growing up.
Almost died choking on spaghetti, watching ‘Airplane!’ for the first time. I was a mess.
Nick:
Because of the censorship. I remember watching the exorcist for the first time and it really traumatised me [Nick laughs]. I was completely terrified, like, to the point where I swear I was almost crying… but at the same time - really enjoying the experience.
Something that can terrify you and really make you feel something - is powerful thing.
Miles:
Did your tastes change at all?
Nick:
During my mid teens and stuff I discovered Kubrick.
I remember watching 2001 For the first time when I was 15 or 16.
It just… blew my mind!
I don't think I probably didn't fully understand that at that point. But later I wrote about it in my dissertation - ‘Confronting the Sublime’.
The concept of the sublime is this confrontation of something existentially terrifying but that we can't immediately understand.
My masters was in ‘film aesthetics’. And while I was writing essays, I knew I could apply this stuff and actually make something.
Nick (cont):
After uni, I thought I could go for it.
While living in Oxford, there wasn't really much of anything going on but I started working for a motion capture company - working on the Spielberg film - setting up these motion capture cameras.
Later, I did loads of running jobs for music promos and fashion things.
And when I relocated to Bristol - I worked at Plimsole, helping build their rental business.
To get where I am now - it was just a lot of it was down to talking to people and eventually getting someone to trust me - to take a punt.
I think that's the hardest thing at the beginning of your career - for someone to take a risk on what you say you can do, when you don't necessarily have it down on paper.
I got a gig where a production manager told me “you can get on this job, but you have to stop this DOP using any kit other than what is on this list! He's going to charge me for every slider he gets out!’
I decided I'd help him set up the slider. It wasn’t my job to stop the DOP using the gear he needed.
And yeah, and then we just got on like a house on fire and we've been working really closely for the past year and a half.
Miles:
What kind of work do you enjoy the most?
Nick:
All of those little bits and bobs and working on smaller crews.
I like to do a bit of lighting, producing, ACing, operating and more.
I get really bored if I'm just doing one.
I still like to keep my fingers in multiple pies, doing various different things rather than being pigeon holed.
Miles:
What have you been working on?
Nick:
Have been working on this documentary series in the Middle East, mainly around Saudi Arabia. And it's been a complicated one.
Initially, when I was asked to like work in Saudi Arabia, I was like “Shit, I'm not sure”.
It wasn’t somewhere I’d jump to go to but it's been a really interesting experience.
I couldn’t care less about meeting the big diplomats and stuff but it's been really eye opening to meet lots of everyday-day people who aren’t apologists for what the state has done.
The average Saudi Arabian is a lot like you and me. They're subjected to these power and ideological struggles that to a certain extent - we experience as well.
Miles:
Any other stand out things or moments in your work?
Nick:
We did this interview halfway up the mountain where the sun was setting. There was this beautiful landscape with these high mountains. And had a moment to sit on a rock and look around and think ‘my job has brought me to this place’.
It was a sort of semi-spiritual moment where I recognised how all the struggle and hard work brought me to a place that I wouldn’t have otherwise got to see.
Every so often I have those moments and think - ‘this is pretty cool’.
I'm sure you can find it in other jobs but maybe not an office job - for me at least.
Miles: [Laughter]
https://www.instagram.com/nickgavenfilmsthings/
