Today we’d like to introduce you to Antoine Combelles.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a cinematographer based in LA but originally from Northern France. When I was a kid, classic movies such as Jurassic Park were first to spark the magic of cinema to my eyes. The worlds the filmmakers had built in these movies were inspiring. Then, it was the behind the scenes shows on TV that nailed my envy to become part of the magic making business. Being able to create alternative worlds in images, finding an escape in the movies was very appealing. Pretty early on, I started taking photos and making small videos with family, it seemed like a good way to express myself. At 19, in parallel to studying Computer Graphics, I started working as a concert photographer. It taught me a lot about finding the right lighting and compositions in a limited time but mostly it taught me about photographing people and how to look for emotion in the frames. Photography became my main occupation, however, Cinema had always been the goal so I started working on short films and music videos. I had always been interested in studying Film but always thought that it would make more sense to do it in the USA. After few years, I applied to a couple of community colleges to make the move and, on a whim, applied to NYU too not really thinking I would have a chance. In the end, I was accepted to attend NYU Tisch for Film & TV. I had to figure how to make it work but it seemed like too much of a life-changing opportunity to pass and ended up making it to the big city.
Living in New York and amongst so many talented artists everywhere was effervescent. The combination of the studies and the environment was the most inspiring and the best education I could have asked for. Then, to balance out my time in New York and extend my network, I would spend the summers in LA and quickly fell in love with California (The access to nature is a big reason for it). So after graduating from NYU, I moved to Los Angeles and worked at Cosmo Street Editorial, a commercial post-production company. It was a great experience but my focus was still on Cinematography so I decided to dive in and attend the American Film Institute. It was an intense but an amazing program that does a great job at helping the filmmakers hone their styles as well as create what I believe will be lifelong friendships. Today, I work as a freelance cinematographer and am excited to discover new perspectives and collaborate through storytelling.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t believe that there is such a thing as a smooth road in general and especially not in Arts as there are no clear paths to success. What is the reference of a smooth road? At every end of every road, there is a fork presenting several routes and the decisions and routes we take define our character and who we become. Of course, there are disparities, especially in today’s inequalities but I think that it is the journey that makes the artist. I would argue that it is never a smooth road for any artist. If the path is easy and we never fail, how do we learn?
Personally, It definitely has been a marathon of many years of hard work but it is how it should be and it is only the beginning, there is still a long way ahead of me. I remember when I first mentioned the idea of working in film; many told me that it was nonsensical and that I needed to be more serious about my future. Considering the exclusivity of the film industry in France, it would make sense to think that way. Actually, it is one of the main reasons why I wanted to work in the USA. It seemed more legitimate and accepted to pursue a career in the Arts here.
I think, for the future it is detrimental for us to show the next generation that any doors can be opened.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
From my love for music and acting, I have realized a long time ago that the main reason I am doing this job is for the emotional impact it can produce. In that sense, I would say that my style goes towards character development and the study of human nature, which hopefully leads to thinking about our place in the world. I think that in order to get the audience to think, we have to give them something to relate first and more importantly something to feel for. The advantage of being a cinematographer is to be able to work with different directors, messages and visions. Overall, I tend to choose to work on stories that are close to realism. I do really appreciate magical realism too as I still believe in the crucial role of movies as a means to escape from reality and be a purveyor of dreams. It is what is essential (but also challenging to balance) about films: the ability to question ourselves and bring perspective while bringing an avenue to dream and let go.
One of my proudest moments is when I received the ARRI Bahnemann Award for Cinematography for my body of work during my time at NYU but other than that, I am proud to be surrounded by many filmmakers eager to tell stories and use them to make a difference. Also, finishing my last short film “Echo” was rewarding for me as the subject was really close to my heart. It is a short story about a young child trying to make his mom feel better. He ends up crafting a butterfly out of paper that comes alive. I wrote that short piece based on a longer project that I am developing at the moment. I am fascinated and inspired by the way kids see the world and how much more receptive they can be compared to adults. They seem to be able to find the magic in everything. It has been a long time since I have been exploring spirituality (not in a religious way) in childhood so this film was a good opportunity to open the door for a longer project. I was lucky to be able to collaborate with Gabriele di Sazio who accepted to be the director on the project. I was also lucky to be able to shoot this piece on 35mm film, which makes the end result and the process so much more organic.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plans for the future are to keep collaborating with directors with strong messages as a cinematographer. I also plan to try to bring my passion for music into my narrative work more. Not necessarily with music videos only but also with films or documentaries. I like to develop stories whether it is personally or with directors and writers and I plan to dig deeper into that angle while still being the cinematographer for these projects. There are a few narrative projects I am working on in the country and internationally. I am interested in exploring and filming in countries I have never been before.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.antoinecombelles.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/antoinecombelles
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