We were lucky to catch up with Aldo Widjaya recently and have shared our conversation below.
Aldo, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Being confident in myself is something I’ve always struggled with, especially given my tendency to compare myself to others. I used to feel like I was not good enough compared to the people around me.
But over time, talking to people I look up to and learning that they too had similar struggles really shifted my perspective. Knowing that even those I admired dealt with the same feelings made me believe in the process more and helped me understand that I wasn’t alone in feeling this way.
For the last few years, I’ve stopped comparing myself to others. I just believed in myself and that as long as I keep persisting I’ll eventually reach a point where I’m satisfied with myself. Now I can say that I’m pretty confident in myself and my abilities. It’s taken me a long journey to be able to say that confidently. I still have a long road ahead of me and a ton of learning to do but that’s something I now look forward to.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’ve always believed that film and by extension, cinematography, can convey a story better than any other medium. And I love a good story! So it always felt like a natural and instinctive decision for me to pursue a career as a cinematographer. For the last 5 years, that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Although it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing, the journey and friends I made along the way have been really rewarding and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I would say that my style and approach to cinematography are deeply rooted in my multi-ethnic upbringing in Jakarta, Indonesia. Despite all its chaos, the city has an undeniable beauty and charm underneath it. I take great pride in my ability to look beyond the surface and uncover the story and beauty that lies beneath. Each project I undertake is an opportunity to bring that story to life through my lens, capturing the unique nuances and emotions that make it special.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think the most important skill any good cinematographer needs is good communication. As artists, we tend to have a pretty clear and ideal way of doing something in our heads. But what makes cinematography different is the level of collaboration involved and having a good ability to communicate your vision to others is essential to make it a reality.
Another important lesson I learned from being a cinematographer is to always be open-minded. A lot of people I meet along my journey have this very stubborn and hard-headed mindset and I’ve always felt like that is the wrong mindset to have when you’re working in this industry. Ideas, people, and stories always change. If you close yourself off from these changes then you’re really doing yourself a disservice.
The last thing I’ve learned from my journey is the power of perseverance. I have a long way to go but I am fairly proud of what I have accomplished so far even though it hasn’t been a smooth journey. There are moments when I question my decision to jump into this industry but I never let go of my passion for my work and that has always given me the strength to persevere and keep going.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My parents have always been supportive of my career choices and that is something I will always be grateful for. My dad, in particular, has been a great source of inspiration for me.
Being an architect, he is very familiar with the struggles I face as an artist. He’s the one who’s always reminded me about the power of perseverance and seeing his level of success has always inspired me to do the same.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aldowidjaya.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebastianaldo16/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
