Featured work: NoMBe – “Gold” (Official Performance)
1. What first drew you to cinematography? Was there a moment or project that made it click for you?
I was drawn to filmmaking in general since I was around the age of 10 or so. My father showed me Indiana Jones and Star Wars and I would just watch those movies over and over again. Since then, I’ve been finding ways to make movies and tell stories with cameras. I believe my fixation specifically on cinematography was when I noticed that the driving force for all of my projects is the visual language and the worlds I get to make with lighting, framing, and lensing. That is such a fascinating exercise, and I just wanted to dive completely into that and support fantastic directors’ visions through that skillset.
2. Who have been your biggest creative influences—filmmakers, photographers, or even artists outside the film world?
This is a difficult question for me because I feel like I’m constantly inspired by many things every day. I see still photography on Instagram from other creators I adore. I watch a movie from the ’70s from the likes of Néstor Almendros and Robby Müller and I am blown away by the techniques being developed in real time from each new film coming out in that time. And I see that happening now with filmmakers like Greig Fraser and Autumn Durald Arkapaw. There’s inspiration everywhere for me. Lately, I’ve been purposely researching paintings to draw inspiration for framing and blocking. I feel like I’m just scratching the surface on my knowledge of the arts of all mediums, and a huge goal of mine is to keep filling that cup.
3. When you’re approaching a new project, how do you begin shaping the overall feel? What guides your earliest decisions?
Depends on the project. For music videos, it’s how it sounds. Is this song going to be an intense, filled-frame, handheld vibe? Or is it going to be a steady, slow-burn, omniscient camera peering into the story?
With narrative, I go partially off what the director wants to pull out of it. And I’ll bounce ideas from that. Some discussions I like having with directors that really help shape the visual language of a project are: what camera moves are we not going to do? Which kinds of frames are we going to avoid? What are the factors that will hinder the story being told—and can we do everything in our power to cut that out? Essentially, editing in pre-production.
4. For creators trying to build more intentional visuals: where should they start? What part of the image is most important to get right early on?
Lighting—and if I can cheat a little—framing. Screw the camera. Screw the lens. Screw your color grade.
In the beginning, just focus on light, shadow, and framing. And don’t get in the way of the story.
5. How do you approach creative collaboration on look—especially with directors or clients who may not speak the same visual language?
Depending on the project—if me and a director aren’t going to mesh with the visual language, I’d say that’s a sign to not do that project. There’s nothing wrong with creative differences and seeing the world in a unique perspective. But a DP and a Director need to be in lockstep throughout the entire process. It’s important to find that out early, and if it’s not the right fit, it’s not the right fit. The magic of working with a director that not only you see eye-to-eye with but also challenges you to go even further than you originally thought possible—that’s what I’m looking for.
6. What’s your approach to developing a cohesive visual language across a piece—are there repeatable steps or does it shift with every project?
I’ll take extensive notes on the script. From there, I’ll discuss with the director my ideas for shots and approaches and pitch them essentially. At which point the director will either be on board or not. That discussion will usually guide me to the true north of where the project needs to go, and then we’ll finalize the shots from there. I’ll then take it into Set a Light or Shot Designer and make diagrams for the scenes. When it comes to lighting, I do lens/screen tests beforehand to dial in your look and feel and show LUT for the shoot. Then just keep your ratios consistent for any given scenario. Your nighttime should be the same nighttime each time within that movie. Remember your gels or your HSL color values. Keep in close contact with Production Design so your color palettes are baked into the image. Cut out anything that is not “the look.”
7. Can you share a time where a visual or creative risk didn’t go as planned—but still led you somewhere interesting?
I’d probably say any project, really. This happens more often than you’d think—at least for me it does. I like to overplan everything but always leave room for improv.
8. What are you currently experimenting with—whether it’s a new format, lighting idea, or a totally different way of seeing images?
I’m currently attempting to integrate more hard light into my scenes. Hitting talent with it directly. Messing with more “dirtier” environments of light. Trying to find ways to make it “fucked up” a bit. I want to discover how to create these surreal worlds that are stylized and kind of a “heightened reality,” but I want it to feel grounded in something—and adding in imperfections is a great way to blend that together. It’s just significantly more challenging than it would first seem. So, that’s my playground right now.
Ryan has been a quintessential part of the creative conversations at Colorist Foundry—offering thoughtful, intentional input that always pushes the work somewhere deeper. Beyond that, he’s a good friend. I’ve long been intrigued by the way he sees—how his visual instincts seem to come from a place that’s both deliberate and instinctual. So it felt only right that this first feature would begin with him.
Ryan runs a production studio called 5Echos, and you can follow more of his work and behind-the-scenes process on Instagram: @ryanjosephdp.