Today we’d like to introduce you to Lada Egorova.
Hi Lada, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey into filmmaking started with my performance as a ghost in a student short film, I didn’t know much about life and happiness at that time (not that I know much more now) but I was certain of one thing: I HAD to be on a film set as much as possible. But as I worked on countless projects, I quickly realized I wanted to write my own stories and create complex female characters who would be part of extraordinary adventures, have to fight against impressive forces of life and who would be as fun and inspiring to watch as their male counterparts. I interned at various production companies in France and in the US while I wrote and directed several award-winning short films. One of my latest short film projects PAPOCHKA was selected by the French Film Organization Ciclic to be part of a screenwriting residency and later got me to receive a film grant for its production. After accumulating a diverse and extensive body of work at a French film university in Paris and being an exchange student at The California State University, I stayed in Los Angeles where I am currently developing my own projects and helping other upcoming filmmakers to produce their films I was born in Russia, moved to France when I was four. I grew up in the French city Orleans and then moved to Paris to study film at university. I then did two exchange programs, one in New Orleans and one in CSULA in Los Angeles…
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I had to go through many ups and downs, countless times I wanted to give up, I was exhausted but many times I was also reminded why I love being in the artistic fields so much. Filmmaking and photography can feel very lonely at times, particularly the writing part and the editing. You go through lots of moments of doubt. For film production, things never go as expected, you constantly have to solve problems and accept that the vision you have in your head will not always be what the final result be.
Another struggle I had to face with filmmaking is being able to make my projects in a reasonable budget as most of my projects were auto-produced and financed. But it also teachers you to be more creative in the way you make your art, you have to find other ways to find money to create than if you had a big budget.
Many times I had doubts about my skills as an artist but having supportive friends and family is what helped me go through all these hard times.
Finally, I had to learn to accept rejection as part of the artistic process, rejected for grants, film festivals, from gigs, competitions, every win hides dozens of rejections. Being an artist requires to persevere and be patient.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work both as a filmmaker and a photographer. I am a screenwriter, director, producer and often have various positions on film sets such as 1st assistant camera, 1st assistant director, director of photography, script supervisor. Writing and directing is what I love most to do on set, I love working with talent and crew, sharing ideas, discuss the best ways to bring the story to life.
I’m also a photographer who specializes in portraits, lifestyle, and fashion photography. Lately, I’ve been enjoying doing street photography and film photography.
What I’m most proud of as a filmmaker is how my experience on low-budget film sets has taught me how to become a versatile artist, I’m constantly learning new ways to make my projects come to reality, it stimulates my creativity, and challenges me to push the boundaries of my art.
As a photographer, I feel like I’m still searching for my style, still unsure of which direction to take but I’m glad that I learned to train my eye. My best pictures are the ones I took of little moments, details that no one else would have noticed if they didn’t stop to look at the world around them.
I think what sets my artistic work apart is how both in film and photography I enjoy transforming small moments of the everyday life and our mundane world into something unique. I love shining the light on little details and make a big thing about something that might seem so minor.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
As a writer and director, I’m always looking to meet new people, regardless if they’re from the film industry or not, to work with but also to discuss about the world, share views and opinions, hear other people’s stories. I sell photo prints on my website and released a photography book, it would definitely mean a lot if people would buy my art.
But even just following my social media, sharing my work is one of the best way someone could support my artistic career.
In terms of collaboration, I’m always happy to help out and collaborate with people as a filmmaker and photographer, anyone can feel free to reach out and let me know how we could work together. I also offer photoshoots for artists, events, brands and would love to help anyone bring their vision to life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ladaegorova.wixsite.com/website
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lada.egorova_/?hl=fr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003888919534
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI7zb8psjfVFqHV8pHs5Jiw
