Conversations with Mariano De Luca

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariano De Luca.

Hi Mariano, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I’m a Director of Photography based in Los Angeles, California and once in a while lose a sock while doing Laundry. I went to Film School for the wrong reason…I wanted to make Film Scores, I love music, played instruments since I’m 12 but somehow instead of getting into Music School, I got into Film School.

In my mind there was a place where I could blend two things that I love, Music and Movies…. The only problem was that there is not a real career in Argentina about Film Scoring, it’s more a Musician turned into making Film Scores… So I was wrong! But no matter what, it took me one week to realize that I didn’t want to do Film Scoring. It was my first Cinematography class the one that changed everything for me. My professor Claudio, started the class talking about a lot of technical stuff and I was like “…mmmm that’s interesting”, but it was when he took the whole class to the darkroom and taught us about Film Developing that really made the click for me.

The assignment was to go out, grab a camera, load it up with some film and took some pictures… then we’ll develop the rolls and print one picture each. Being part of the magic behind the chemical process of how film exposures turn into a physical images was the most impressive thing I have ever saw.

After that, I change my career, started to shoot as much as I could and to learn as much as I could about cinematography.

My career started in Buenos Aires, I had the pleasure to work with amazing Directors Of Photography of the kind of Paul Cameron, Robert Elswit and Darius Khondji. I made the different steps in the ladder, starting as an Electrician in the Lighting department and then change to the Camera Department where I basically did all the jobs in that Department till I ended up being a Director oh Photography.

I got the opportunity to start shooting a documentary project for a company based in Los Angeles, and that was the trigger to move here. I’ve worked with companies and clients like Vice, Spotify, ATTN: Working Nation, Univision, Toyota, Beats by DRE, Reebok, TikTok, etc.

Mostly in the Documentary and Branded content areas, while also doing narrative work where I was awarded with 5 best Cinematography Awards for the pieces “Amantes” and “Alchemy”.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I believe there is no smooth road in the Film Industry, everything is about compromising and keep going for your dreams and goals. Of course, sometimes it goes smoother than others, but there are always bumps and struggles. One of the biggest bumps is your first break into the Industry after getting out of film school, that is the hardest part. I remember calling people every single day, asking to go on a set at least to learn and then see if they can get me a job! Haha. And there was a Camera Assistant that I called for two years… I remember him saying after two years of calling him… “Looks like you really want to do this… are you still calling me to come to set?”. After that call, one week later, he called me to go on set with him as a Loader for a huge commercial for Nestle. That is probably one of the examples of how the industry is, sometimes you just meet someone that gives you a job and sometimes you need to fight for two or more years to get it.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a Director of Photography, also known as Cinematographer (there is a whole conversation on why these two terms are the same or not… but let’s not get into it). My job is basically about Visual Storytelling. On set, I’m in charge of the look of the Film, and my tools are the Camera and the Lighting, all these conveying into telling a story which can be a commercial, a documentary piece, a narrative piece or even a music video. I mainly work on documentaries and branded content/commercials, but lately I’ve been doing more narrative work for which I won 5 Best Cinematography Awards and got the upcoming release for an Action Feature Film featuring Byron Mann and Robert Patrick.

I’ve worked for clients like Toyota, Reebok, TikTok and beats by DRE and my work was featured in National Television streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime and Cable TV. Also, different internet platforms, where some of themes gathered more than 10 million views, like the Short Horror Films I shot for Crypt TV part of Blumhouse Productions.

I believe I have a very specific style. Coming from an Argentinean family and having a deep love for European cinema makes my cinematography perspective unique. I do have a special approach to natural light (coming from Vérité Docs background) that helps freshen my eye to every frame composition. I believe my visual “voice” is refined, stylized, and most importantly, it reflects the storytelling.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m a huge fan of the podcast: “Team Deakins” which is made by Roger Deakins and James Ellis Deakins (his wife) Roger Deakins is one of my favorite DP’s and his way of sharing his knowledge is an absolute joy for anyone in the world of film Making. ShotDeck is a website (app) that also is super helpful when it comes to finding references for making a Look Book and communicating Visual ideas.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.marianodelucadp.com
• Instagram: @marianodelucadp

Image Credits
Ryan Thomas