Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelvin Kataria. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kelvin , thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
My optimism comes from my family and the support they’ve provided me. I’ve always been close to my Peruvian side who have always been incredibly warm to one another. Even today we are all extremely close and now I get to be a positive influence to my nieces and nephews the way my aunts and uncles were to me. Thanks to them I’ve always had a steadfast approach when it comes to my work and relationships. Displaying optimism to the wrong people can be incredibly degrading. In high school, I had a group of “friends” who were quite manipulative and took advantage of me on several occasions. Quite a bit of this is personal and I’m not trying to share my dirty laundry but long story short it led me down a path of addiction, severe depression, and anxiety. Thankfully family never gave up on me, especially my mom who convinced me to go to therapy.
I thought I would have to adopt a cynical/egocentric outlook to protect myself and grow, but I found myself more miserable. My arrogance allowed me to take risks and hone my skill but my standards and untrusting nature made me hard to approach. I was alienating all these amazing people whom I once would have encouraged. I’m not sure when the shift happened but I know it happened on set. I think it was when I stepped back as a cinematographer and worked on set as a Best Boy and AC. I volunteered my labor to work on some passion projects and saw that it wasn’t just a production, it was a group of friends making short films that felt high-level. We had such a loving bond and sharing ideas was the norm no matter where you aligned on set. I realized then that my optimistic outlook was not the issue, it could be the norm and now I’m realizing (at least for quality work) that it often is.
Since then I’ve done my best to curate my communities to have a similar outlook on our craft. I love sharing the room and collaborating with optimistic individuals who fight for passion. This goes from the top down, from directors to my grips. My old mentor once told me “If you’re going to work with someone for a year or more, then make sure you’d be willing to take a road trip with them.” Many of the people I collaborate with are more than just colleagues with similar sensibilities, they’re great friends. We constantly check up on each other and ask about what the other is working on. I’m grateful to say that the people who are excited to work on the projects I shoot are the same people I’m inspired by.
My favorite quote on set now comes from my buddy Michael Cotaya who is also the best Key Grip I know. Whenever Michael is happy and loving the environment on set he starts to sing a little tune “Making movies with my friends” It’s always a joy to hear that on the walkie. The last time I heard that song I started to notice things on that set. My first AC Ethan Tschida and second AC Jacob Mariani are cracking jokes while setting up the camera. My gaffer Harrison Segal and key grip Michael Cotaya deeply focused on where to bounce the mirror to get the best light. The director Gavin Wegener, producer Christian Rose, and Assistant Director Harrison Broker eagerly discussing the schedule and how to tackle it. We had a great script, a decent budget, an amazing location, and a talented cast and crew who truly supported one another. I realized how lucky I was to be “Making movies with my friends” and I was surrounded by optimism so how could I not be?
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Officially I’m a cinematographer or Director of Photography. I’ve always been fascinated with telling stories and have also been drawn to the viewfinder since I’ve been able to walk. Recently I’ve found the magic, while technical, comes more strongly from the collaboration especially if I consider the collaborator to be a comerade. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable with another artist is indisputably the best part of the job but it has to be earned. It’s difficult to open yourself both on an emotional and creative level if your collaborator has no willingness to do so or if you just don’t enjoy them as collaborators. When you don’t have that trust you’re just pointing a camera and doing basic lighting set ups for no reason at that point.
Thankfully, especially last year, I’ve been fortunate enough to find people with similar sensibilities who want to bring me on as more than a cinematographer but as a partner. In turn, I tend to give back the things that inspire me as a visual artist. Usually that comes from art and still photography especially. I’ll often loan my favorite photo books that I find relevant to the project to directors I love and in turn, directors have sent playlists, artists, favorite films, and other inspirations to get a better feel for the story they’re trying to tell. There are a few colleagues I work with who have told me to “Work on the things you’d like to work on in the future” and I think that applies to projects and the people behind them.
Currently, I’m focused on applying for artist grants and mentorships through the American Society of Cinematographers. I’ve also been considering attending AFI for their cinematography program. I have a few projects lined up that I’m especially excited about but am not allowed to discuss due to the stage of development and NDAs. However, there is one that I believe to be a dream project. All I can say is it’s set in my home Texas and it’s a story I’m excited to tell as a Latino. The director is someone I’m excited to work with and we share a love for stills photography which will be an exciting be an exciting look to develop.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
“Work with people who you can see yourself taking a road trip with” The greatest growth has come from people that I agree with on a philosophical level. Nothing drains morale more than working with people who don’t see eye to eye. A simple call or lunch with a director will usually let you know if it’s a right fit.
Having good leadership skills is also quite important and it’s something I’m working on myself. Despite this, it’s rarely brought up as a core tenet of cinematography. In my opinion, you are the technical leader of the set and everything in the frame is your responsibility. Communicating to the heads of your department with clear and concise ideas while remaining collected under pressure is going to dictate how the flow of the set. Being on the receiving end as a Best Boy or Key Grip to a DP who’s anything but concise and prepared is frustrating. You should also involve your crew and trust them to get what you need. It’s incredibly easy to lose trust when you had none to give in the first place
My favorite quote on leadership is from Chinese philosopher Lau Tzu
“When the Master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists. Next best is a leader who is loved. Next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised. If you don’t trust people, you make them untrustworthy. The Master doesn’t talk, he acts. When his work is done, the people say, “Amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!”
Inspiration is another great quality to have as a cinematographer. Many DPs who inspire me are not only influenced by film but also by art and life experience. It’s incredibly easy to fall into a rut of making your films look like other films. Finding other sources of inspiration can bring quite a bit of originality to your storytelling. The best way for me has been through my friends who are also artists and through my own curiosity of various mediums myself. If you have a network who’s curious to check out an exhibit or go to a screening of a film that has inspired your favorite director or DP that helps a lot, but if you don’t seek it out yourself it becomes quite challenging.
A final piece of advice is you don’t have to be serious all the time. I love corny jokes and being silly on set and I believe it creates a more lively set environment!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I’m a big family person. I’m quite lucky that I had family in Orange County when I moved to LA. I’ve grown immensely since my move to Hollywood however when I inevitably feel paralyzed from it I often drive down to see them. I start to feel like a human being again when I see my cousins and get to share dumb dad jokes with my nieces and nephews. I love hearing wise tales from my aunts and uncles as well. They’re the most important thing in my life and it’s because of their unwavering support and warmth.
I also like going to parks, journaling, visiting museums, or taking a trip to a national park. Whenever I need to stay creative but am still overwhelmed I take landscape photos on film or visit a bookstore I love called Arcana.
I wish I had advice to unwind but these are just things that work for me. I would say however in your creative journey that taking a break is essential. Life experience only comes from those moments, so whenever you get the chance, explore!
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Image Credits
Gerardo Velasquez, Cole Falkner, Kaitlyn Pham, Liz Nguyen, Ethan Tschida
