Meet Landon Donoho

We recently connected with Landon Donoho and have shared our conversation below.

Landon, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

When we first start out in film-school or making things on our own, SO much of the process feels like delving into this mystical art of lighting, lenses, and vague understandings of what makes a camera good or bad. The deeper you go, the more esoteric things seem like the effect of sensor size, anamorphic lenses, Luts/color science and the whole jumble of technical knowledge seems boggling.

The truth of the thing is you almost never learn all of it, and thats ok! Probably the most important skill in film-making is knowing who to trust that DOES know those things, and then working with them creatively. In a field as vast and varied as film, real confidence comes from knowing what you know, knowing what you don’t know, and, most importantly, knowing who DOES know all the things that are needed. I work as a director and cinematographer and have shot every kind of project from documentary, to music video, to televised ads and each is its own animal with its own set of rules. Spending time getting to know people, learning their strengths, figuring out how and where to lean on them, looking at their past and present work, and then bringing them into your projects over many years is the surest way to have confidence in what you’re creating. If you’re solo shooting, then the knowledge and experience you soak in over many many years from those specialists empowers you in ways you’d never have reached on your own (and also knowing they’re a phone call away when you ultimately realize there is yet another technical detail you’ve never encountered!)

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Storytelling has been my greatest love since the days of my parents reading me bedtime stories. As I got older, I found every art held its own special interest with more to learn than I could in a life time. Film is a medium that ultimately lets me play with every single field of art, from sound and music to lighting and composition, all along with the element of story that pulled me in from the start. I’ve directed a diverse medley of different genres of the last decade including documentary, music videos, ads, and just about everything else! Over the next month I’m shooting a beauty campaign, working with composers and filming their process/orchestras, and directing/producing a vfx heavy music video with fight choreography. The eclectic-ness of all these keeps my work feeling fresh and exciting, and ultimately what I learn from one kind of project finds ways to work itself in to all the rest!

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?

First and foremost, absolutely, is the love and desire to make things. Thats not particularly unique in this field, as theres very little other reason to enter the field.

The second is healthy stress management and realistic goals, and this tempers the first. Because of the desire to make awesome things, often times people try to do more than they’re able with the limited resources they have. Its the reason so many in this field burn out despite their talent. Knowing that things rarely go the way you expect and being ready to pivot creatively or adjust your goal-mark is essential as you build your portfolio and skill set.

Last is working empathetically and thoughtfully with people. It cant be overstated how important patient, useful communication is withe very one from clients, to actors, to PA’s. Creating a set where people are happy and appreciated lets them do their jobs, and, as I mentioned in another section, being able to have confidence in those around you is what ultimately lets you have confidence in yourself. Creating an environment where others can thrive is incredible essential, and also makes your life happier.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

I’m a director and DP, so this is an incredible relevant question! The most important thing is knowing enough to know what you do and do not know. Nothing breaks a shoot like a director micromanaging another department poorly and resulting in a worse product as well as a disheartened peer. Most directors and DPs find they have one or two very particular strengths and lean in to that, but at the same time have enough understanding of all the other elements that they can know who is competent in their preferred styles and to give useful feedback that keeps everything cohesive. Over years and years of work, if you take the time to listen and truly try to understand what people tell you, a lot of this sinks in naturally.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.LandonDonoho.com
• Instagram: @landonson