We call it the #ICMEETSERIES and thought it would be interesting to find out a bit more about the people behind the disposables. We asked a few IC contributors to tell us a bit about themselves and this is what we got in return…

IC MEET SERIES – Q+A with…

MIKE CALVINO – Gold Coast, AUS
Producer / Director / Cinematographer / Editor
www.mikecalvino.com | INSTAGRAM

Who are you? What do you do for a crust?
My name is Mike Calvino, I produce videos for a living. All sorts of stuff, but mainly Fashion and Athlete character related stuff. I like to take a documentary approach and try to show the inner workings of subjects and also to just enjoy the art of making nice images.

Where’s home?
I live on the Gold Coast and its awesome, although there are many place I would also like to live, places like Marseille, Barcelona, LA, New York, Paris, all amazing, but for now GC is home and Its great and getting better all the time.

Where did you shoot this portrait roll? ( Check out the roll here and his other portrait roll here ).
I cant really remember. As I travel a lot for work I decided to just leave a disposable camera in my kit for a few months and just snap off a portrait here and there.

Was there a theme or a particular series or look you were trying to capture?
Basically the people I get to meet and hang out with along the way. I really do believe that meeting people along the journey of life is something special. They say a ‘stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet’ and I believe this and so try to get to know the people I bump into along the way.

Explain your style/approach with this portrait roll.
Symetrical. Medium Shot. Straight down the Lens. But apart from that, I was actually not thinking to much about it. As i’m usually holding another camera at the time spending hours and days setting up shots, I usually just bring out the disposable on whim and snap a shot and then just wait and see what happens, but mainly just a record of that time and place.

How would you describe your photographic style?
Cinema Verite Documentary with some nice Portraits. This has always been my approach.

Who or what influences you creatively?
Literature (Marias, Camus, Murakami, Coetzee) French Cinema, travel, conversations, the seasons, fashion photography, music, the pain and suffering of being human….thats all.

Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere but Instagram…

You work a lot in the realm of video/motion, how do you incorporate that style when capturing a still moment?
Composition, Light and Mise en Scene are everything.. mainly I just try to let things happen and find the best way to capture the moment but I also have in my mind what I want the shot to say, and so with that I can add emotion, wether its the idea of adventure or happiness or some other feeling…sometimes is just trying to focus on a product as well of course…thats the commercial reality.

Why film?
I think we all ask that question and I don’t think we have an easy answer.. that thing that film captures, that unexplainable element that film inherently expresses is undefinable but we all know its there and its a magical thing.

Fave place to shoot?
Its always about the light…and so Probably Los Angeles ..there are many other places I love working in for example Moorea, Tahiti, just because it is the most beautiful place ever but also so many places I want to go and shoot. Especially would love to shoot in northern Europe the endless soft and cool light is on my dream list

5 at 5… (For lack of a better name)

5 photos from history you wish you’d taken?
The whole Slim Aarons’ poolside coffee table book.

5 people you’d like to photograph?
1. Takeshi Kitano
2. RZA
3. Jacques Cousteau
4. Haruki Murakami
5. My late grandfather

5 movies you wish you had directed?
1. Le Mephris
2. The Seven Samurai
3. The Croupier
4. Amorres Perros
5. Three Colours Blue
6. The Godfather
7. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind
8. Birdman
9. Donnie Darko
10. Kids
11. Fight Club… sorry thats more than five

5 people you’d invite around for drinks and dinner?
1. 1 x French Chef
2. 1 x Pastry Chef
3. 1 x Cocktail Barman
4. 1 x Beer Brewer
5. and my wife…

5 go to songs to get you in the mood?
1. WuTang
2. The Doors
3. Beastie Boys
4. Mile Davis
5. Lazerhawk….
depends on the mood