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AJ Young

@ajyoungdp

2.2K

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1331

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Director of Photography - ICG Local 600
Feature Films: D(e)ad, Somewhere in Montana • Editorial: Vanity Fair, GQ, Wired, Rolling Stone
Los Angeles, CA

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@alwayslolafilm IS COMING OUT ON NOV 28TH…amazon @primevideo, @appletv, and @googleplay WORLDWIDE!

You can pre-order and watch the trailer on AppleTV now (link in bio!). Or if you’re more of an Amazon/google person, they will be available day-of release.

We are so proud of @sagaftra for scoring a historic contract after a hard-fought negotiation, and we’re thrilled to promote this amazing cast along with the release.

Comment below when you pre-order ;)

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Can’t believe the “We Will Make It?” music video has been out for a week! THANK YOU for watching and for all the love 🙏🏼🤍🎥 Huge thanks to @eliotcharof and everyone else who made it possible. It’s inspiring to work with such talented people who match our ambition. 💪

Director + editor @eliotcharof
Producer @cantellmenuffin
Cinematographer @ajyoungdp
1st AC @mollyfarrellwhite
Fight Choreography @vsuccarotte
Stunts + Talent @itsjustchau
Script @hailey.jane
Sfx makeup @bubblyypriyamua
Location @chaseyi_
🙌🏼 @nettwerkmusic @inukaornuka
@laurescottreps

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*Trigger Warning* The future. (@ajyoungdp ‘s last post!)

I went to film school during the DSLR revolution. The industry was rapidly changing from film to digital and I witnessed it first hand as a projectionist at @harkinstheatres. We converted entirely to digital and I was thrilled.

Went I attended Columbia, however, there was a general dislike of digital from a lot of professors…and I’m being nice. I quickly got the sense that a lot of DP’s, at the time, thought digital was still inferior to film. Some even think so today!

What frustrated me at Columbia was opinion getting in the way of progress. I WANTED to learn digital because I knew it was the future of cinematography. Yet, few professors actually taught digital. The rest wanted us to learn the “right” way: on film.

Over ten years later and EVERYTHING is shot on digital. You’re an outlier if you shoot film now, and even then it’s still colored digitally. I spent a lot of my professional career catching up with digital when I should have learned it in school.

(I don’t mean to call out Columbia, they weren’t the only ones. The doc “Side by Side” showed the divide incredibly well in the industry.)

Today, I’m seeing the same vitriol, divide, and fear with AI…so much so that it’s a trigger warning for some!

The thing is, this will become another tool for cinematography. It will only replace cinematographers who don’t know/want to use it the same way digital did with film.

Will AI completely replace DP’s? Probably not. Will it become an important part of the process? Absolutely.

I believe it’s our duty as DP’s to shepherd, shape, and create the foundations and ethics for new technology. Rather than shake our heads at technology that upends decades of precedent, we should be the ones guiding it.

Cinematographers aren’t just artists, we’re vanguards too. It’s time to take charge once again and create the future of cinematography.

#Cinematography #Filmmaking #TheFuture #Film #AI #StableDiffusion

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Imposter syndrome. (@ajyoungdp again)

Nothing exacerbates my feeling of imposter syndrome than a project’s budget. The word “budget” is hilarious. If you have no money, then you’re “on a budget”. If your project has a lot of money, then you’ve “got a budget”.

When I started out, I was always on a budget. A lot of the indies I’ve shot, shorts and features, are considered micro-budget films. Budgets are TIGHT. Sometimes I’m even lucky to get a crew. It was on those projects that I felt like an imposter.

“I’m not really a DP, I’m shooting on a DSLR…”
“I’m such a fake, I don’t even have a gaffer…”
“Someone’s gonna find out and it’s all over…”

When I finally did get a budget, I thought I was no longer a phony…then the film ended and my next project was on a DSLR.

I entered a viscious cycle, one that I’m still struggling to manage today, of feeling inadequate. On one movie I’ll have a full crew, two big expensive cameras, and all the lights I would need. The next movie, the entire GE/camera package fits in a mini-van.

It’s an up and down that really takes a mental toll. I wish there was a magic wand to make it go away. My only tool, so far, is to look at the movie. The audience doesn’t know what happens behind the camera, they only see what the camera sees.

I know that good cinematography is agnostic of format and I’m seeing my craft get better with every movie, regardless of budget. The projects are starting to “look” expensive, even though they’re not.

And with every movie, with every talk with colleagues, and with mental health care, that imposter syndrome pops up less and less.

Who knows! Maybe I’ll still feel like a fraud after a 40 year career…wait, that doesn’t sound right…

#Cinematography #Filmmaking #ImposterSyndrome #Cinema #MentalHealth

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@ajyoungdp here.

“Somewhere in Montana” was the first feature I shot after my son was born. He was a little over 9 months old when I flew out to Montana to shoot. My wife stayed home with him in LA.

I knew it would be hard...I just didn’t truly realize what I would be missing. And, more importantly, the burden that my wife took on as essentially a single parent that month.

The movie was great to work on. I used my ergo rig a lot to save my back (fun fact, you can also hold a baby with it), because now, more than ever, I’m focusing on my health for my son. We shot on the ARRI SXT with @rapido.technologies anamorphic lenses. The camera was sooo heavy and I kept thinking how it compared to him…and what I could do to keep holding him as long as I can.

Physical health wasn’t the only challenge, it was the distance. If the movie was in LA, then maaaybe I could help my wife more, even on the weekends to give her a break. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed being a father until it was “taken” away from me during this movie. We would wrap and I’d find myself lost with what I should do on my free time. Crew members hung out and drank, but all I wanted to do was change diapers, make baby food, or play with my son. But I couldn’t, because I was thousands of miles away. I realized on this movie that I am sacrificing a lot.

Big cameras and amazing lenses are what I dreamed of getting to, but now I’m dreaming of less FaceTimes with a 10 month old.

It’s hard to juggle it all. On one hand, I’m doing what I’ve dreamed up. I’m able to make bigger lighting set ups that turn out amazing! On the other, I just want to show amazing things to my son, like the ocean while riding an old steam train. (Toddlers love trains)

There’s at least solace with my crew. We’re all missing our families. On “Somewhere in Montana”, I met my gaffer’s son (a little older than mine) and it reaffirmed how much we, the crew, are in it together. We all make sacrifices that, to be honest, aren’t entirely necessary.

That’s one of the reasons why I joined the union, things need to change. @iastories is just the tip of the iceberg. I was proud to take my son to the strikes this year.

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Hi Salon! I’m @ajyoungdp and I’m excited to do the instagram takeover this week.

A little bit about me before I dive in, I’m a DP in Los Angeles, CA. Originally from Mesa, Arizona, I first went to Scottsdale Community College for film school before ending up at Columbia College Chicago for my bachelors. After graduating, I move to LA and started working in the film industry.

I’ve been lucky to shoot a lot of independent film. I love indies because everyone involved is artistically and mentally invested. There’s a beautiful feeling of teamwork on those projects that makes me forget I’m at “work”.

My cinematography philosophy is grounded in my experience with improv comedy and acting, particularly “Audition” by Michael Shurtleff. Before film school, I studied to become an actor at Mesa Community College where I discovered I was a far better DP than actor. I never looked back and haven’t regretted.

I can’t wait to share philosophy, work/balance, and my advice…but it’s not really “my” advice, someone else shared with with me.

#Cinematography #Film #FilmIndustry #Filmmaking #Cinema

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Shelane is still going strong! (no dark joke intended but here we are 🤦🏻‍♀️)

We are playing at some strike friendly film festivals next month! 🎞️

Studio City Film Festival, Sept 3rd at 5:00pm
Simi Valley Film Festival, Sept 17th-19th
Lady Filmmakers, Sept 27th-October 2nd

More info on specific times etc to follow. Thank you so much for having us! ❤️

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Today was scheduled to be the world premiere of our award-winning indie film “Always, Lola” on all digital platforms. BUT! Before you pop your popcorn, we‘ve got an update.

In light of the ongoing Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild strikes affecting our entire industry, our team made the difficult decision to hold the film’s release.

Believe me - we are on the edge of our seats, anxious to share the movie with you! It’s worth the wait, and we are so grateful for your ongoing support.

The new release date will be announced soon. Stay tuned here and at AlwaysLolaFilm.com

[PLEASE NOTE: The wonderful distribution company that purchased “Always, Lola” - @GoodDeedEntertainment - is NOT a struck company. We’d like to thank them for their support as we navigate this unique time!]

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When your friends understand the assignment. Hi Barbie! You are Kenough. #barbie #barbiegirl

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hi barbie.

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[work]dump pt. 1

1-2. it’s the laugh 👉🏾 @sethrogen
3-4. I should’ve known @therealcalebmclaughlin’s ball handling skills would be 👌🏾 after watching #shootingstars
5. @skaijackson is the sweetest ✨

@allure #try9 (Caleb & Skai) & @glamourmag #friendshiptest (Seth & Rose) now on YouTube

#prestrike #directedxkrysknight #producedxkrysknight #producer #director #blackdirectors #blackproducers #blackfilmcrew #femaleproducer #contentcreators

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What an amazing wild and chaotic 11 days! BIGGEST SHOUT OUTS to the cast and crew of @cahootsmovie for bringing such an awesome project up to our fun little town! Like holy smokes dude, we made a feature film in Salem Oregon! I cannot think @fyvivi @aptonybravo and the rest of the squad for allowing everyone from @thesalemplayhouse students to some of our really talented local artists the opportunity to work in front and behind the camera! Y’all made a lot of dreams come true! With that said, thank you to all the folks that took time out of their days to come play with us! You guys all did such an amazing job, take a huge W! And finally!!!! lol I promise I’m almost done. Huge shout outs to @taprootloungeandcafe @southsalemhighschool Lol my parents and grandparents and the amazing @mandi_beauty for allowing us into your spaces! This is pretty obvious, but couldn’t have made it without you!

And I have to thank @gregorydeanphotography for coming to set and taking all the amazing BTS footage! If you need any type of photo taken, that’s your guy right there!

Here’s to making more 🤘🏻🤘🏻

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