Today we’d like to introduce you to Fletch Power.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Ever since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated by my shadow and how it would shrink or grow throughout the day. Every summer, I’d try to race my shadow. If the race was at noon, I’d win. But if the race was at five? My shadow became Usain Bolt. Twenty years later, I now realize that my childhood fascination with my shadow was not about light so much as it was what the lack of light created.
It wasn’t until I had graduated high school that I discovered that a career with cameras was possible. I was working for Americorp as an HIV Awareness Educator for their City Year program when a friend noticed me carrying a camcorder. I had just moved to Washington D.C. for the job and was using it to record all the new sights I was seeing. He asked if I’d be interested in creating a documentary with him, and that became my first gig, which led me to becoming my program’s official videographer.
After working for City Year and living in DC for about two years. I decided to move back to Florida to attend Full Sail University. Living in D.C. had shown me the disparities in neighboring communities due to a lack of knowledge and resources, something I was already aware of having grown up on the Westside of Orlando, Florida. But seeing this at the Capitol felt different. Places like where I grew up, they only give you two options: go to college or go to jail.
With only three months left of college, I decided to take a trip out to California to see what the hype was about. I remember someone on campus running up to me and saying, “You should go to LA if you want to work on the camera team!” My original plan had been to go to Atlanta or New York since I had family there, and it would’ve been an easier transition. But once I stepped off that LAX tarmac, I knew there was no turning back. It hadn’t even been a month since I had graduated when I packed my bags and booked a one-way ticket to LA.
Fast forward to six years, and I’ve worked some pretty cool jobs… For companies like Panavision and Light Iron; platforms and productions for Netflix, Lions Gate, and Warner Brother’s. Now, I’m currently a freelance cinematographer and a scholarship recipient and participant of the American Society of Cinematographers’ 2020 Master Class.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what did you learn?
Moving anywhere to follow your dreams is never gonna be a smooth road, but it’s 100% worth it. My parents are from two separate islands in the Caribbean. My mother from Trindad and father from Grenada immigrated here when they both were teenagers. They came here to better their lives and mine, so the least I could do is carry that baton and not be afraid to chase my dreams wherever they may take me.
Change is always a challenge. But change is inevitable, and we must always be ready to change.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What sets you apart from others?
While at Panavision, I worked as an on-set DIT Technician and was able to fine-tune my knowledge of cameras and lenses. I know how to work with a wide range of cameras and how to pick the camera system that is best suited for each job. I’ve also been in the same room as some of today’s top cinematographers and ACs as they were prepping for shoots for movies and TV shows, like Sicario, Wonder, The Good Place, Queen of the South, and Veep to name a few, which was an invaluable education in pre-production.
At Light Iron, I was on the opposite end of the spectrum, working post-production. I got to sit in on late-night color sessions with the cinematographer and director as they went over colors and the look and feel of a show or film. I know how to process, color, conform, and deliver footage as well as how to get the best look out of your camera, and most importantly, how to protect your data.
Because I not only understand the scope but also the role camera technology plays in production, I am able to take a project through each phase of production while maintaining a broad view of what’s needed and staying on budget. I take pride in being able to look at the whole picture of production and how I can contribute to create a collaborative working environment, especially with directors, so that the project excels.
I’m always looking for like-minded collaborators, so if you’re interested in working together, you can always reach out to me on Instagram @Fletchpower or via my website www.fletchpowerfilms.com.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
When I was in third grade, I had to do a book report on Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl, and I came up with the idea to do a stop motion claymation video for it. I enlisted the help of my uncle because I knew if there was anyone who could help me make this video, it would be my Uncle Aaron. While everyone else was watching TV or playing computer games, he was using that same technology to create digital content, like music or graphics before self-producing digital art was a thing. Any time I’d go over to his house, he’d show me how to use his computer or let me listen to the latest track he was producing as a DJ.
So when I asked him to help me with my book report, he pulled out his miniDV camcorder and helped me write, shoot, and edit a 30-second video… right in my own backyard! It was the first time I had ever made something from start to finish, and it was super cool to see how something we had made in real life could be turned into something we watch on a screen or TV.
He’s lived many lives—in addition to his DJ nightlife, he’s also worked as a graphic designer, TV director, and now teaches media studies at my old middle school in Orlando. He’s never been afraid to dive right in, no matter what anyone says. His fearlessness and entrepreneurial spirit have always inspired me, and it makes me proud to be walking behind him on the path less taken he’s blazed in our family.
Contact Info:
- Website: Fletchpowerfilms.com
- Email: fletchpowerfilms@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fletchpower/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fletch.power
- Demo Reel: https://www.fletchpowerfilms.com/cinematography-reel-2020/
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