Let’s Get Yared Gear

I went to Addis to shoot a proof of concept for something in September of 2022. I had friends who let me stay with them and introduced me to a few of their crew who might be able to help me out. That’s how I met Yared. He’s a DP who’s lived in the country his whole life.

I’ve never met someone more passionate about filmmaking. That sci-fi movie The Creator was playing in theaters while I was there, so I took him to see it. One week later, he told me he went to see it again to observe from a technical level. I don’t know anyone who saw The Creator twice. All he does is think about shots and watch movies. Every week, he goes to this Internet cafe and gets like 10 new movies pirated onto a flash drive. He spends every moment (he’s not making stuff) watching them, working on getting better. He’s a vital part of the burgeoning young creative scene in Addis. Here are some stills from stuff Yared has shot:

You can see more of his work on his Instagram here

Not only did he DP my proof and get me exactly what he needed, but he also shepherded me around town, making sure I didn’t get scammed.

The average pay in the country compared to the cost of living is insane. People can barely afford rent, let alone buy expensive equipment. When I met Yared, he was working as a camera operator/DP for a TV station and picking up random commercial gigs on the side, but was still barely scraping by. He would not accept my money. My multiple attempts failed, and I finally had to leave some with someone else to give to him after I left. Hopefully they did!

Recently talking to Yared, he told me it’s been hard to grow as a DP because he’s missing a couple of vital pieces of equipment.

1. A monitor so he can see what’s happening in the camera.

2. A scrim/diffuser so he can control the amount of light getting into each shot.

Link to Items here

Together it’s about $800.

The fact that Yared has been able to do such amazing work without even having the tools he needs blows my mind. He won’t take any more of my money, but after some thinking, he’s agreed to let me post this on his behalf. His words:

So please consider donating to this young talent. The stuff that he wants only costs $800, but I’ve made the goal bigger because I know he’s not even telling me everything he needs, plus we’ll have to get it over there in luggage because you can’t order off Amazon in there. Plus, they charge you a luxury tax if they find stuff in your bags, etc.

Yared has been doing amazing work without having everything he needs. Imagine what he could do if he had a Samy’s Camera down the street like we do. Let’s help him get there!