Syd Sisante

Syd Sisante, is a New Jersey based cinematographer who relies on Core SWX power solutions for his productions.. Take a look below to learn more about his interesting start in the industry, what advice he would provide to aspiring cinematographers and projects he’s worked on.

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in the industry.

My name is Syd Sisante. I am a Filipino-American cinematographer based in NJ. I mainly shoot documentaries, music videos, and narrative shorts. When I was in high school, I played a lot of video games. I’ve always wanted to capture my gaming sessions with friends so I’d record them and edit the clips together using a cracked version of Sony Vegas Pro. I grew tired of video games but was still very much interested in editing. That’s when I started shooting my own little skits with friends and realized that I loved shooting more than anything. I found my passion in cinematography without even knowing cinematography was a thing. I was lucky enough to meet people that would bring me on their sets as a production assistant and slowly moved on to doing more camera work. I haven’t stopped shooting since.

2. What advice would you give to an aspiring cinematographer?

I still need advice myself but my advice to aspiring cinematographers is to keep shooting and to edit your own projects (at least in the early stages of their career). I believe that knowing how to edit to some capacity, as a cinematographer, helps the DoP understand and visualize how each shot will connect in order to tell the story as seamlessly as possible and with purpose.

3. What was one of your most memorable projects you’ve worked on and why?

My most memorable project I’ve worked on so far is a music video I directed called “Missed Calls” by Gridlock. We shot this music video with pretty much an all Asian-American cast and crew which I am extremely proud of. It was really a collaborative effort between the crew, the artists, and everyone involved that made shooting even more fun. Not only that, I’m also a fan of their music and that also made the experience enjoyable.
You can check out the music video here:

4. What Core SWX power solutions do you rely on, and how are they beneficial to your productions?

My go to Core SWX power solution is the NEO 9 Mini 98Wh Gold Mount. It’s the perfect size for my Sony Fx6 and fits perfectly in my camera case. One battery lasts around 4-5 hours and that’s including a wireless follow focus motor, external monitor, and wireless transmitter power. This is beneficial to my productions because it decreases the amount of times I’d have to swap batteries out and this is especially crucial on documentary work. I couldn’t have asked for a lighter and more efficient power solution to pair up with my Fx6. Sometimes when I’m feeling fancy I throw on a shark fin, also from Core SWX.

5. Do you have any exciting projects coming out that we should keep an eye out for?

I am working on a couple of mini-docu projects but every project I have the honor of shooting is an exciting project. You can check out more of my work on my website Sydsisante.com