Daily Inspiration: Meet Kahlo Gradillas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kahlo Gradillas.

Hi Kahlo, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Think as a kid, I was always very attentive to my surroundings. I remember being told I stared too much at people. I didn’t go to an art school growing up; I was surrounded by it, but art felt more like background noise to the sports I was enjoying. My first transformative experience with film specifically was in a high school film class, where the teacher was probably there for no more than 20 days in the year. The one time she was there, we watched the original Nosferatu. We had a sort of a older theatre; it must have been the combination of the cold, damp air and everyone falling asleep that really transported me somewhere else for that brief class period. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for a while, and I remember I was the only person who answered questions; eventually, I was picking the movies we watched. After graduating, a friend of mine convinced me to study abroad with him in Italy. There I had the privilege of thinking about what I really wanted to spend my time doing, because before I wasn’t passionate about anything. After three months abroad, I realized that art really meant something to me; it became the coolest thing I could ever imagine. I felt my world expanding around me; I could taste food better, music sounded louder, I think I even grew a couple inches taller, but I felt like I was becoming myself.

I came back very determined to self-reflect and figure out what I wanted to say and how I wanted to contribute. After isolating and, in all honesty, going through a breakup, I came out fascinated with story telling and cinematography. It all clicked in my head after seeing 12 Angry Men in a theatre and feeling like I wanted to be a part of something like that, and just the sheer drive that overcame me to pursue that feeling or goal. After that experience, I told everyone around me I was interested in cinematography, and lucky enough, my brother’s friend heard and asked me to AC a short with him. It turned out to be around a 16-hour day, and if I did this every day, it would feel like I never had to work again. There’s a phrase my dad and Mark Twain say: “If you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life.” I guess that was kinda the genesis of my journey into cinematography.

I spent that summer working on music videos and learning the craft. I then decided to go to film school at CSUN. I met people there who wanted me to shoot their projects, and since then I’ve been working with interesting people and projects that push me every day!

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?
Yeah, I think one of the hardest things for me is the time away it causes from your life. It’s hard to maintain friendships, relationships, and time for yourself. It’s easy to create a super unhealthy balance, and it can become so time-consuming. The best advice other filmmakers give me is that finding a work-life balance eventually helps the work. I’m still super young myself, so I think it’s still good to build those healthy habits now rather than struggle later.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Yeah, I’m a cinematographer, which basically means I help translate the director’s vision or goal visually through a variety of tools and decisions. It’s my job as a cinematographer to help visually convey and execute a tone, feeling, atmosphere, kinda whatever the project entails. It’s always slightly different working with directors, which keeps the work super engaging and forces you to be your best self constantly. One of the worst things you can do for yourself as a cinematographer is not being present and creatively attuned; that’s why I mentioned earlier how important self-care practices are.

There are a fair number of technical and managerial challenges to it that I personally enjoy (I mention it cause I know most cinematographers feel the other way). What keeps me super inspired by other cinematographers and the craft in general is how you can interpret and feel people’s emotional instinct to a topic, situation, or character, how soft someone’s eye can be toward thier subjects, or how stark and colorful. I sometimes drift into thinking about everything someone might have felt with their first breakup and how that translates to how you photograph someone, or maybe your best friend and the first time you realized they were your best friend and your photographic instinct. I love feeling how other artists can take us through their experiences and stories, using all the visual elements to pull at your subconscious. I often find myself enjoying something without looking for an explanation of how they did something, but of course, in secret I do love hearing all those tricks.

On a more serious note, I am often humbled by all the sacrifices made for me to be fulfilled as a person and pursue what makes me happy, and not just survive. As a product of immigration, I feel a sense of pride honoring that display of courage.
I hope I can lens characters and, most importantly, people who society deems “unwanted”, violent, unworthy of a seat at the table. I could never understand people’s lack of ability to sympathize and understand that the circumstances an individual goes through deserve to be examined and thought about critically instead of being treated with hate and oppression. I was fortunate to grow up more privileged than some of my family members, with food to eat and a roof over my head. I hope my lens can bring truth to the power of empathy.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Deakin’s Podcast often features great, interesting people and conversations. I’m also a member of the deep light community created by the graceful Natasha Brier, I suggest any cinematographer or even filmmaker look to join, it’s given me such insight at a young age and I feel very welcomed and accepted into that family.
Slushy noobz are also great and funny to unwind.
Mainly music helps me the most in life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kahlogradillas/