HEY FRANKIE! MUCH LOVE MAN THANKS FOR ACCEPTING THIS INTERVIEW! I PICKED YOU TO INTERVIEW BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN SUCH A INCREDIBLE GROWTH WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY COMPANY MIRTH FILMS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. YOU EMPLOYED A BUNCH OF FRENDS IN THE COMMUNITY. TO BE HONEST YOU HELP CAPTURE THE MAGIC THAT TAKES PLACE IN MUSIC VENUES. I WANT TO ASK YOU A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU AND YOUR GEAR!

1.)MY FIRST QUESITON I WANT TO KNOW. IS THERE ANY MOMENTS WHILE YOU HAVE BEEN ON THIS ADVENTURE THAT STANDS OUT THE MOST?

Thank you Nameer for taking the time to talk, we at Mirth are huge fans of Dr. Remidi’s! I just want to give a huge shoutout to my whole team for the progression that we have made in our initial years. Every day is unique and different and thats what I like most about Mirth Films. Some stand out moments from 2019 include Strange Creek Campout, making new friends with people who we didn’t know prior and weirdly not knowing what to expect next. My favorite thing about Mirth is the spontaneous things that happen along the way. I really like being out of my comfort zone and experiencing new things and with Mirth, it’s all possible.

2.) LETS GET DOWN TO THE TECH QUESTIONS. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT FAVORITE SET UP AND WHAT DO YOU BRING TO FESTIVALS AS OPOSED TO SHOWS TO ASSIST YOU IN AQUIRING THE BEST PHOTOS BANDS AND PROMOTERS USE FOR YEARS DOWN THE LINE?

Frankie: When it comes to festivals, I try to bring every piece of equipment that I have so that no matter what situation the day presents us, we are ready. This usually consists of 5 to 6 cameras, lighting, sound equipment, tripods, live streaming equipment, drones etc.

3.) I SEE YOU HAVE HAD GREAT SUCSESS BOOKING SHOWS NEAR AND FAR. I KNOW THE SHOTS AND VIDEOS YOU TAKE SPEAK FOR THEM SELFS BUT WHATS YOUR TRICK? DO YOU SPEND MUCH ADVERTISING OR IS IT MOSTLY WORD OF MOUTH?

Thank you for the opportunity Nameer. A lot of what we try to do to cover shows is work with the bands management to make sure we are able to get in the door. From there we do our complete best to cover the show/performance. We started off word of mouth, made sure to make use of the connections we had at the beginning to then expand

4.) HOW LONG HAS MIRTH FILMS BEEN A THING AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START TAKING PICTURES AT LIVE MUSIC?

We launched the Mirth Facebook page in April 2017 with a sketch comedy video on skateboarding. In February of 2018, the site was officially launched giving birth to what the company is all about. Prior to doing Mirth Films, I first started shooting for a news outlet called NYS Music back in December 2015. I always did video production, but never really shot photos yet. My first show that I was hyped on shooting was Bela Fleck and the Flecktones at The Egg in Albany, NY and from there I was shooting at least 30-40 concerts a year. Down the road I was trying to figure out a way how to host all the orignal video content that I was making and with that i was thinking to myself “This could be something where we could include music coverage as well to help fill the site with article content keeping everything under one roof.” Now in 2020, I couldn’t be any happier with the direction, especially with a lot of new additions to the team and tweaks in the way we do things. Being able to work with bands that I love and help promote the bands that deserve the light is what I like best about what we do because no matter what outlet your shooting for or even if you are working directly with a band, the end goal is to promote live music. period.

(MIRTH FILM’S SKATEBOARD VIDEO)
HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=T7GKVISHOSE

5.) I KNOW ALOT OF PHOTOGRAPHERS AND I KNOW THEIR LOVE FOR TAKING PICTURES DEFFINEATLY OVERWEIGHS THEIR LOVE FOR EDITING. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO EDIT A SLEW OF SHOW PHOTO’S?

On a typical night it could take me an hour to an hour and a half to edit all my photos, that is if its just a show with an opener and headliner. If its a festival, It could take me up to 6 hours. Editing can be looked at like its a pain in the ass, but its so important. Im guilty of trying to save every photo I shoot even if its not up to par with what I think my work is. I really enjoy the process.

6.) THIS ONE KIND OF CARY’S ON FROM THE LAST QUESTION. WITH SOME BANDS REQUIRING A PHOTO FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE ASAP. IT DOES MAKE HANGING OUT AFTER THE SHOW HARD. DO YOU HAVE A ROUTINE THAT SEPERATES WORK FROM PLAY?

Right now it is hard for me to separate work from play because my favorite hobby at the end of the day is photography. It can be stressful, I need to get better at avoiding burn out lol. Any time that I am at a show without my camera, all I think about is what shots I could have taken. A way that I separate my life at Mirth from everyday me is just trying to stick to the roots. As some may know, I have a lot of pride for my home town of Lake George. Something that I like to do to wind down is just hopping in the car, putting on some tunes and drive around the lake and take photos and various locations with my camera/drone. My camera has taken me places that I normally wouldn’t go so I let it do all the thinking. Other than that, skateboarding is something I also love to do. If it wasn’t for skateboarding, this conversation wouldn’t be possible.

7.) DO YOU HAVE ANY VIDEO’S OR PHOTO’S THAT YOU LIKE TO RELIVE?

I am huge on not reliving the past. Of course there are photos that I took that bring back the best memories, but why not create more?

8.) DO YOU HAVE ANY BANDS THAT YOU LIKE TO FILM/PHOTOGRAPH THE MOST?

My favorite bands that I have photographed include Metallica, Phish, Tedeschi Trucks Band, moe., Formula 5, Primus, Turkuaz…the list goes on.

9.) WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAMERA?

My first photo camera I got was a Canon T3 back in 2012. My first video camera was an old 1980s video camera that my mom gave me when I was 8 years old. From that point on, I knew what I wanted to do with my life

10.) I KNOW ITS 2020 AND THIS TEQNIQUE IS PRETTY OUT DATED. DO YOU EVER USE FILM AND A DARK ROOM IN ORDER TO PRODUCE PHOTO?

I have not ever used a film camera and very happy I don’t have to ever learn it! Maybe one day though lol

HERE IS HOW TO CONTACT FRANKIE CAVONE AND MIRTH FILMS.

Mirth Films: www.mirth-films.com

My Website: fcavoneproductions.com

email: frankie@mirth-films.com

Insta: @fcavone_photos
@mirth_films