Inside the Camera Department: 1st AC vs. 2nd AC Roles | Erjol Muarem

In this episode of Talking Sensu, we sit down with Erjol, an Albanian-born filmmaker and 1st AC. Erjol shares his story from the quiet neighborhoods of Hakone to working "pirate" jobs at Tokyo Tower, eventually landing at Capsule Rentals where he handled $90,000 cinema cameras. We dive deep into the technical jump from vlogging to feature films, the logistics of 15-camera concert productions, and his debut documentary "Living Art."We talk aboutthe culture shock of moving from Albania and Korea to Japanthe “Pirate” era: Working at Tokyo One Piece Towerhow a chance meeting with a neighbor launched his film careerthe technical differences between 1st and 2nd Assistant Camerasessential advice for aspiring ACs entering the industrymanaging 15+ cameras for massive 8K concert productionsdirecting “Living Art,” a documentary on bonsai master Daisuke MarikoCHAPTERS00:00 Intro01:32 Why Japan?05:02 Survival jobs16:17 Vlogs and Photography18:47 First time on set20:57 Capsule Rental27:40 First job as a 2nds AC30:34 Stepping up to 1st AC32:27 Difference between 1st and 2nd AC38:45 Focus Pulling47:28 Camera Chief: managing large-scale concerts53:53 Documentary “Living Art”01:04:19 Future projects01:08:21 OutroWATCH “LIVING ART” HEREhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbVTTiSdz68ABOUT TALKING SENSUTalking Sensu is a relaxed, long form podcast hosted by Hai & Jeremy and produced by Sensu Studio. We have conversations with filmmakers, photographers, actors, and other creative professionals working in Japan, focusing on personal journeys, creative work, and the realities of building a career in the creative industry.SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/you_need_an_ac/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ERJOLTalking SensuInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingsensuHosts Hai: https://www.instagram.com/timpas15/Jeremy: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyhannigan/, https://www.youtube.com/@jeremysnaps_______________________________________________________________________________________________PRODUCED BY SENSU STUDIOSensu Studio is a Tokyo-based creative production company specializing in video and photography that helps brands and organizations tell their stories, connect with audiences, and bring their vision to life through engaging content and rebranding projects.If you’re interested in working with us on future projects, check out our work at https://sensustudio.com/.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensustudio_______________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe for more conversations about creative life and work in Japan.