Alex Leo Garcia on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Alex Leo Garcia. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Alex Leo, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
Disciplined & intentional dedication to the craft of cinematography.

I feel pretty strong about the systems of production I’ve been able to create in order to keep me both focused on the tasks at hand while also making the barrier to achieving said tasks as easy as possible.

The less friction I can create between myself & the art, the easier I’ve found it to be to get into a rhythm of creation.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure thing! My name is Alex Leo Garcia, a mexican cinematographer with an incredibly strong eye for visual storytelling with a creative style founded in atmospheric and dynamic imagery.

Throughout my working career, i’ve freelanced working for brands such as Top Dawg Entertainment, LA Dodgers, Apple Music, Def Jam Records, and Flight Club. Developing my voice in music videos, i’ve lensed for artists such as Los Tucanes De Tijuana, Regulo Caro, Ray Vaughn, and Joony.

This combined with my lensing for short films (with several having won film festivals), i’m looking to create with some of the top talent of this new generation.

Beyond my on-set contributions, I actively engage with fellow creatives on my podcast, “The ALG Show,” discussing experiences in the film industry as well as what goes on in the day to day of creative individuals.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I think for a long time (even still now) I feel like I hold the art of cinematography very precious & something that needs an extra level of attention, like some porcelain glass or something.

I feel like when I started out I felt like technical prowess was the only thing that made a cinematographer great & making technically perfect images were the main/only thing that drew the viewer in.

Over time and with years on set, I’ve learned how much more goes into the image and the project as a whole and i’ve become more likely to take a risk with an idea and see where it goes from there rather than playing things so textbook.

I think by allowing myself to openly experiment more has really allowed my work to evolve in a way that I don’t think I would have otherwise with my old mentality.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely, I feel like there’s been a level of imposter syndrome just kinda lurking in my subconscious but it really started to reveal itself especially for a majority of 2023 for me.

With the strikes that had happened for the writers and actors, it really limited the type of work that was happening, therefore limiting the crew being hired. So while I was seeing a lot of my peers/friends being hired, I wasn’t. During that year I kept thinking “This isn’t for me” & questioning myself and whether this was something that I should keep pursuing.

The main thing that really allowed me to shift this mentality was my community. I vocalized how I felt and they were the ones who ignited me and gave me perspective outside of my own for myself and my work. Those conversations with friends/collaborators really allowed me to re-wire my thinking & move forward with 10x the confidence I had before.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Being Mexican, family and community have always been something I hold close. I think if you can find that for yourself, blood related or not, they’ll be instrumental to your success in your career and in life.

Blood is thicker than water yes but so is maple syrup and I happen to think it tastes better.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
A guy who tries his best to really understand/be a should to the people around him while using humor to keep a light and open demeanor in any setting, advocating for open conversations regarding mental health.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Jonathan Chan & Kenneth Brossoie

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