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Stephen Wester

@snwester

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Gaffer | Cinematographer
Chicago, IL
Owner @atlaslightingchicago
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5 years ago today, @blamemovie2021 was released out to the world and I still think about the pure craziness our cast and crew went through to make it all happen. To everyone who has supported this little Wisconsin indie film, I just want to say thank you so very much. It means the world to me. Now let’s all celebrate by watching it tonight! 😂
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One of the interesting things about post-production and editing is how it can continue to expand your creative instincts even after filming has wrapped. We started working on rough edits for Chicago Nobodies as soon as filming wrapped. Our editor rough cuts a scene, sends it over, I’ll give him a bunch of notes, and then we go back in and refine it. Then there are more notes. And more edits. And then, usually, more notes. That back-and-forth is a huge part of the process. When you’re filming, you’re thinking about everything you need to capture to make the scene work. But once you see the footage come together, you start noticing things that couldn't be anticipated on set. A moment might need more room to breathe. Something might need to move faster. A performance might play differently than you expected. We’re still very much in the rough-cut stage, but that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be right now: trying things, giving notes, making adjustments, and slowly figuring out the strongest version of each scene. The movie you shoot isn’t always exactly the movie you edit. The creative process continues long after you wrap."
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Wow, these photos turned out great! I just couldn’t help but share some smiles today. 😊 Lights, camera, cocktailes would not have been possible without our wonderful hosts @atlaslightingchicago Special thanks to our photographer Alex! @photographybyalexander
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Welcome to the Fab Shop! Part insert stage. Part workshop. Built for Chicago’s film industry. Rent it by the hour or by the day for a quick shooting space, or book access to design, build, and fabricate. Located inside Atlas Lighting & Studios, the Fab Shop is designed to be a flexible, easy-to-access resource for filmmakers, photographers, art departments, fabricators, and creatives who just need a place to get something done. Part Insert Stage. Part Workshop. Fabricate Anything. Featuring: * Flexible hourly & daily rentals * Insert stage / shooting space * Workshop & build space * Plenty of power * Direct parking lot access * Clean, comfortable break room & kitchenette
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Lights, Camera, Cocktails was a huge success and a ton of fun! Thanks to all who attended. In case you missed it, here is a little recap video! Have a great holiday weekend everyone 😎 Special thanks to @atlaslightingchicago @bada_digital @marsbrewingco @livdproduced @fiveohthreemedia #videoproduction #commercialproduction #sony #delorean
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Who wants to see a magic trick?! CLIENT Kitchenaid DIRECTORS
BreakerBreaker / Samer Almadani & Anthony Tahlier CAMERA DEPT Photographer Anthony Tahlier 
Director of Photography Samer Almadani Moco Programmer Daniel Herman Moco Assistant Jeremiah Bulkowski Gaffer Stephen Wester Swing Matt Hatleberg Key Grip Zayne Van Heerden 1st AC Melissa Revels 2nd AC Patrick Dowdle DigiTech/DIT Jeff Lintz Photo Assistant Charles Bouril PRODUCTION Producer Monica Zaffarano Producer Michael Kaminski Production Coordinator Katharine McLean PA Meghan Shannon STYLING Food Stylist Lisa Kuehl Food Stylist Assistant Kim Reyes Food Stylist Assistant Ashley Brice Wardrobe Stylist Madeline Telford HMU Alisa Radoi HMU Agent - Lab Artists Lily Pike ART DPT Lead Decorator Jen Bukovsky Business Manager - Hero Solutions Peter Fredericksen � TALENT Talent ANGELINA Talent CHARENCE Talent KEITH Talent JANESSA STUDIO Parchment Studio
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Who’s ready to party?! The @marzbrewing x Atlas beer is back, along with all of this year’s merch! We’re looking forward to seeing everyone in just a few days. Let’s party!
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• Children of the Atom • The game is a foot on our latest mission “Chicago Nobodies”, and this one was no sitter. A total football film about an underdog group of kids that team up to compete for the championship. Director @markanthonynathan was challenged with parking the bus for this production, and with help from @snwester behind the lens, we made a worldie of a film. No squeaky bum time on this one as the team executed to defy all odds on the pitch with frames, flags, and rigs allowing us to strike quickly for coverage. Sweat makes the green grass grow, but on our turf, you gotta be prepared. “If only…” are famous last words of people who weren’t! Crew: BBG - Forge @jjlegault Dolly Grip - Bishop @blupchuck Grip - Gambit @tonyflores1123 With Appearances by: Morph resistenciagringolandiense Magneto @captaincam Havok @kitihaha Cable @cehlert120 Beast @crew_parking Quicksilver - Peter David To me, my X-Men! #classdismissed @chicagonobodies
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One of the questions I’ve been getting a lot lately is, “When do you actually start making the movie?” It’s a fair question, especially as we get closer to filming Chicago Nobodies this summer. Most people assume that’s when the work begins. In reality, by the time cameras roll, a tremendous amount of the work has already been done. Development is the part of filmmaking that most people never see. It’s months—and often years—of conversations, research, script revisions, fundraising, partnership building, and problem solving. It’s finding the right people to help shape the story and making sure everyone is moving toward the same vision before anyone steps onto a set. That’s one of the reasons we’ve started sharing more of our process here on Instagram. Education has always been central to who we are as a company, and I think there’s value in pulling back the curtain on what it actually takes to bring a film to life. As we’ve developed Chicago Nobodies, we’ve spent just as much time building relationships as we’ve spent building the script. We’ve met with community leaders, nonprofit partners, sports organizations, and countless others whose perspectives have helped shape the project. Those conversations don’t happen after the movie is made—they’re part of how the movie gets made. Production may be the most visible part of filmmaking, but development is where the foundation is laid. It’s where trust is earned, partnerships are formed, and stories become stronger because more people have a seat at the table. We’re excited to be getting closer to production, but we’re just as grateful for everything that’s happened to get us here. It’s a reminder that every movie begins long before someone calls, “Action.” #FilmDevelopment #ChicagoNobodies #Storytelling #Partnerships #Leadership
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There’s no way a single post can summarize our first year in the building. What started as a fun idea to daydream about became one of the biggest projects we’ve ever taken on and turned into the Atlas we imagined. It’s wild to see how much can happen in a year. Here’s a look back at Year One!
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💓🫶✨
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Third project together… or fourth, depending on how you look at it. When you’ve got a killer team around you, you develop a mutual respect for the skill sets and talents that you each bring to the table - especially when they’re different! You develop a sort of professional shorthand with one another, so much so that solving what seems like an impossible undertaking becomes easy to achieve when you have the right team. We’re looking forward to bringing the band back together for Chicago Nobodies this summer! Stay tuned for more updates… #ChicagoFilmmaking #BehindtheScenes #ComingSoon #InProduction #ChicagoNobodies
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