STACK #210 Apr 2022

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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THE

B y definition, Sydney director and photographer Billy Zammit is a jack of all trades, carving his lane through the music industry photographing artists like Childish Gambino, Bring Me the Horizon and Halsey; fashion and commercial video and stills; film portraiture and, most recently, director of photography (DOP) for the ABC TV show, The Sound . We caught up with Billy to talk content, balancing formats, and how to get into the industry. BILLY ZAMMIT Q & A with

How did you start filmmaking? I come from a stills background. I was super fortunate to have a creative family upbringing and somewhere, subconsciously, I'm sure it was an influence! I started filming my friends painting/graffitiing and some skating stuff just to try it out, then I started offering it for work and have been shooting stills and video ever since.

How do you balance video and photography together? It's definitely taken some time to find some semblance of balance. With photography, currently I'm focusing on portraiture and editorial pieces with the sprinkle in of live music and festivals. For anything video related, I'm working in music videos, commercial TVCs and some fashion. Shooting stills and video in tandem at a festival is crazy,

Which pieces of work (video/ photo/directors/artists) inspire your work? This is tricky. There are so many incredible artists worldwide doing amazing works right now. I feel that Australians are such incredible artists and there's so much talent here. But lately, it's been cinema and music. Trying to capture something emotional and create visual intrigue. What draws you to working in the music industry? The music industry in all facets is an incredible creative field. Working with an artist to correctly capture their energy and presence on stage, or building a world for music videos/portraits that wouldn't exist outside of their music. There's a responsibility and trust to be vulnerable in sharing a vision, and the music industry is all about that. Additionally, the ever-shifting dynamic and growth within the community. Everyone is getting so crazy good at live music photography and with the world allowing shows and festivals, it's been such a pleasure watching everyone make cool sh–t again.

but it gets a super dynamic mix of content and still builds the narrative of the experience. However, it's sometimes inconsistent unless you know the bands' cue points and set lists. It's a gamble having the right camera on you at the right time, but intuition kicks in sometimes and you're lucky enough to capture something exciting! How have you seen content change recently with the growth of YouTube/Twitch/TikTok/ Instagram, etc? I've definitely seen the growth in user- generated content and the accessibility to incredible creative tools. I love that everyone can buy a camera and express themselves through so many mediums now. It's definitely opened the market to creatives and given a new perspective on how crazy talented you can be with the equipment you have. Do you have any advice for young filmmakers like yourself? Definitely shoot as much as you can with

whatever you can – phone, camera, film, point and shoot. Experiment with different looks and shoot styles to make your own identifiable visual aesthetic. Also, cut yourself some slack! I used to go so hard on myself thinking I wasn't doing enough, but stay motivated and just keep doing your thing, it will all work out! If you got the opportunity to remake a classic, which one would you go for? I would love to have been in a recording session with someone like Queen or Biggie. Witnessed and shot Live Aid or Woodstock. If I had to remake something, I think it would have to be the Oasis Be Here Now cover. That goes hard!

You can find Billy’s work at billyzammit.com or on Instagram @billyzammit

54 APRIL 2022

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