Cassius Rayner, Multi-Award Winning iPhone Filmmaker at Gofilm It
Cassius Rayner has twenty years experience as a Camera Operator and Director on documentaries, drama, music videos, branding and corporate.
In the last six years, Cassius has been dedicated to creating content using an iPhone to film with and has shot various projects across the world.
He has worked in the USA, Chile, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Europe and Hong Kong. Since 2017 Cassius has received 12 international film awards for his films.
He has also spoken at the MoJo Fest in Ireland about smartphone filmmaking and Featured In 15 in London.
"Take my filmmaking cap off, and I believe in the grassroots community and supporting disadvantaged and marginalised young people in film production."
He has spent a number of years running projects for local and national groups offering mentoring and training.
“This isn't a 9-5 job, it's a way of life, your work is apart of you, and you are apart of it. Never reach perfection - to me, the word doesn't exist, until I retire or drop dead on a film shoot I will never stop learning and so never reach perfection - because of what's beyond that - embrace your flaws, mistakes and always move forward.”
Cassius Rayner
Nowadays, he is living exciting times in this area. As smartphone's technology and its capabilities in supporting young people to learn not just filmmaking but personal development skills.
He uses smartphone technology to shoot not only commercial work but to provide affordable services to charities and education. Check out a few of his fantastic iPhone shooting down below or access Gofilm It.
Tell us about your current role and what you like about your career or areas of focus.
Currently, I am an iPhone Cinematographer/Filmmaker and lecturer. There are many aspects of my role that I really enjoy.
Apart from filming projects around the world, I like lecturing in smartphone filmmaking in leading UK film schools, being a guest speaker at conferences including Vidcon, is great fun.
I love sharing my knowledge and skills with others at events and workshops - you can't beat that interaction and energy.
What inspires you, motivates you, helps you to make each day count?
My wife and children motivate me each day. I'm very easily distracted with multiple projects, and my family helps me to stay on task and complete projects step by step.
Inspiration comes in many forms for me but what mostly inspires my stories are the everyday heroes, the untold stories of communities, individuals who fight against the odds and to be honest Ted talks which I find fascinating.
Outside of your professional work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Outside of work, I love walks in the countryside doing photography. Community is very important to me, and so I volunteer and offer my skills and knowledge to the community on a variety of youth, and adult projects. I'm not driven by work, I enjoy my work and so being connected with the world around you is important to me and makes me feel whole.
When it comes to your life chosen, career is there a phrase, quote or saying that you really like?
"What is the word given for one's mistakes in life - experience, just don't repeat the same ones?"
What are you most proud of in your life?
My children - giving life is the ultimate for me.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
Nothing - The journey I experienced has made me who I am today. If I had known different things at the beginning, my journey would have been different or even not started.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles?
I admire a company called Filmic Inc based in the States. I like their ethics, and they don't try to pretend they are something they are not: genuine people who support, mentor and respect others.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Very difficult question as it depends where you stand in life on branding, products, etc. But as for institutions, I would say the UN, Red Cross and Chain of Hope, to be honest, I could write an endless list of organisations around the world that are making a difference for all people.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Never get angry. It consumes your energy, your mind, and burns valuable time. Nothing good comes from anger.
What drives or motivates you each day in a work environment?
To get the project right. My films tend to convey important messages that tackle a variety of social issues and so what drives me are the people that are involved in my films.
The people who allow me into their private spaces, who open themselves up to me and who trust me. When I'm filming or editing those things drive and motivate me to get it right, to do it justice and that those involved will be proud as much as I want to be proud of the work.
What are your thoughts on the future of social media?
Massive question. At some point, I feel it will just implode on the basis of how it functions right now and just become overloaded for everyone.
The future of social media is important, but maybe it should be broken down more into specific areas - a bit like the way LinkedIn works now, those that use the platform are driven by work, projects, job seeking, business knowledge and so on.
I'm a heavy user of twitter, but everything and anything is thrown into a huge melting pot making it harder to find the things you need or are of interest, so who knows maybe platforms like twitter will split into several platforms.
If someone had said to me 20 years ago when I was filming with large camera systems that in the future I would be filming on a smartphone, I would have laughed my head off - so who really knows, I'm not an expert.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
As mentioned, I'm a big user of twitter. It's not something I chose or decided that that was the platform to put my energies into, but it seems what I do has had the biggest response and interaction via twitter.
So I wouldn't say it's my favourite, but out of all the platforms out there it seems to be the one that works for me and it's easy to navigate.
How do you network? What is your prefered way to network?
I network via social media, but I also do a lot in person, especially when I'm a guest speaker. My preferred way to network is in person, at events, conferences or festivals.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work?
Do it because you are driven by passion and need to do it. If you don't have those feelings towards the film/video industry I work in, don't waste any more time on it.
If you get into my area of work to make money, that's fine, but if it's just the idea of making lots of money, don't waste your time. Less than 10% of all the filmmakers in my industry become very wealthy.
Most of us do it because we love it, and if it pays the bills, that's even better.
This industry can beat you mentally and physically very quickly, and so you have to have the right mindset before you begin the journey. This isn't a 9-5 job, it's a way of life, your work is apart of you, and you are apart of it.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
I don't think anyone fails; people leave or give up for a variety of reasons. In most cases, it's a lack of earning - not being paid on time.
Film productions are going bust, leaving debts and the endless pressures of the job and responsibilities.
Many people go for as long as they can and then decide that they need something different in their lives as they get older.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever been a mentor to anyone?
I don't have a mentor. I spent ten years mentoring disadvantaged and marginalised young people and did everything possible to support them and get them started on their journey into film and television and further education.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience?
Success is different for everyone, and I'm not a fan of the word as I sometimes feel it can have a negative impact on people. I do my projects to the best of my ability.
Success for me personally is when I finish a job, and I know in my heart, I did everything possible to make it as great as possible. With every project or job, you gain experience and its experience that defines me and my work.
Always be open-minded to others, always be honest, and when you get it wrong or make a mistake, do the right thing and accept your responsibilities. People and teams you will work with will always respect you for that.
Never reach perfection - to me, the word doesn't exist, until I retire or drop dead on a film shoot I will never stop learning and so never reach perfection - because of what's beyond that - embrace your flaws, mistakes and always move forward.
What skills do you feel have helped you to become successful?
Success is an ongoing experience that I don't define myself by, and as mentioned before, it's not a word I would use in my work.
My skills improve with each film/project I undertake, and I would say the key to improving, learning and getting better at what you do is always show respect towards others.
So I would say the way you communicate in a positive manner is key to your journey.
Is there anything new that you are working on or involved in that you would like to share?
I have several projects in development, including a social impact story. A documentary on a children's heart surgeon, a new mobile video academy and more I could list, but it's all top secret. 😁🤫