Today we’d like to introduce you to Omer Lotan.
Hi Omer, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Tel Aviv which is also where I studied film. Filmmaking is something I sort of always knew I wanted to do so the decision to go to film school was natural. In my second year at Minshar School of Art, I decided to take the Cinematography path which is what I have been doing since then. Most of the work I got right after I graduated was shooting music videos, live music performances and second camera gigs. From there, I slowly worked my way up the ladder. A couple of work opportunities led me to LA at the very end of 2019, just before Covid hit which messed up most of those. Fortunately, in the last few months I found myself involved in other interesting projects. On top of that, I really like living in this city!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
So obviously the first thing that comes to mind is Covid… You are landing in a new country, settling in, finding your spot and just as you are about to start working everything suddenly stops because of a worldwide pandemic! When the first Stay-at-Home Order was issued, I realized I could not just sit at home and not do anything. I started catching up on old films I had never watched before, watching creative conversations with filmmakers, learning drawing and French online, worked out in and outdoors, went hiking and developed my cooking skills 🙂
When it was possible, I initiated a couple of passion projects with friends and other artists I connected with online – One of the great things about this city is the amount of talent and creativity around you alongside a variety of amazing locations. So all those things kept me active and productive as I looked forward to the point when I could start going to sets again.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a director of photography. I shoot narrative (and sometimes also documentary) films, commercials and music videos. Although my real passion and the thing I like doing the most is cinema, I am definitely grateful I have the opportunity to work on all those platforms. I think it enhances your tool kit as a DP and an artist, this way you are able to explore various styles of lighting and camera set-ups, work under different kinds of pressures and collaborate with many different artistic professionals – You are developing your craft and diversifying your network.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I wish I could say I’m generally a risk-taker… I usually like being in total control about things happening around me, but sometimes I do decide to get out of my comfort zone to shake things up. I was at a quite convenient place back home so coming all the way here was definitely a risk for my career over there. I had a couple of small opportunities to come here before but it didn’t feel like it was the right time. This time I realized that I should just go for it regardless of how well it might go or where it will lead me, at the end of the day I will return home with better skills, a wider network and an overall adventure. I can think of a few professional decisions I’ve taken through the years that might be considered as risky but ended up being beneficial – Led to recognition, future projects and in some cases even awards.
Contact Info:
- Email: omerlotan@gmail.com
- Website: www.omerlotan.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/omerlotan
- Other: www.imdb.com/name/nm3888040
Image Credits
Yarden Stefansky Dana Litvin Yarden Malka
