Today we’d like to introduce you to Homer Dulu.
Homer, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Ever since I was a child in Melbourne, Australia, I had a camera in my hands. I was already taking family photos before I was ten, and I was taking camcorder video of our family vacations by the time I was 13 – we still have all those Super 8 tapes stored somewhere! But I put all of that aside by the time I graduated high school, as I choose to focus on music. I moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to attend LA Music Academy in Pasadena (now known as LA College of Music) and studied there for a couple of years under drummers such as Ralph Humphrey, Joe Porcaro and Gary Ferguson. I then did drums semi-professionally for a few years until I burnt out and got myself a “real” job. In 2012, I borrowed my then-roommate’s Canon 50D and fell in love with photography all over again. I eventually got myself my own DSLR and started shooting birthdays, events, weddings, portraits, you name it. I moved over to commercial work around 2015-2016 and naturally progressed to more video-oriented work. From there, I progressed to narrative work and bigger sets and here I am today!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I would say, outside of COVID-19, it’s been a smooth road so far. I’d say the biggest struggle is that the trajectory of my career has been accelerated so much, from DPing my first short film to being a DP on a TV feature took less than two years, that it’s been really intense for me with a huge learning curve, but also hugely rewarding. The challenge for me is trying to maintain that momentum through 2021.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Drop Bear Films – what should we know?
Drop Bear Films is my cinematography company. I offer cinematography services with my own equipment.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My family, firstly, for their love and support for me trying to follow this crazy non-traditional career. Rodney Cajudo for being a great friend and supporter throughout the years, who introduced me to FilAm Creative, without which I probably never would have become a cinematographer. Rommel Andaya, besides being a great friend, for giving me opportunities to learn and hone my craft on set. Patricio Ginelsa and AJ Calomay for their mentorship and giving me the opportunity to work on Lumpia, and trying to push forward Filipino-American stories. Wong Fu Productions for unbelievable opportunities and their support for Asian-American artists. Jeff Lam for also having my back and giving me opportunities because he believed in me. Flint Bayanito for being my right-hand man in everything. Michael Kuya for broadening my filmmaker horizons, keeping me in check and listening to me rant about the industry. Jeff and Danni Gadigan, who have been wonderful moral and emotional support, and who recommended me for VoyageLA. There are so many other friends who have supported me through this journey, it’s so difficult to name them all. And finally, all the crew that have worked with me, I would not have been able to do the work I’ve done without you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dropbearfilms.com
- Phone: 5629225769
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: homerdulu.dp
Image Credit:
Rommel Andaya, Danni Gadigan, Sophia Chang, Joyce Chen, Sheila Tejada
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