Daily Inspiration: Meet Rutvij Reddy Seelam

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rutvij Reddy Seelam.

Hi Rutvij Reddy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I believe it all started when I came across my mother’s Sony Cybershot point & shoot camera during my vacation when I was 13 years old. My grandparents lived in a town filled with greenery and water bodies, so I initially started taking pictures of flowers, Insects, and animals. I fell in love with that camera over the next few days. Cut to college. I got into one of the best engineering colleges, as my parents had hoped. Though I took the Electrical and Electronics Engineering course, I was always drawn to the media lab since the first semester. The Cinema and Philosophy course initially helped me understand the importance of portraying dynamic movement and visual metaphors seen in award-winning films. Curiosity, creativity, and constant practice over the years led to a deeper understanding of concepts such as framing, shooting, directing, and editing. My initial love for photography and the media club helped me step out of my comfort zone and focus on experimenting and creating better content at every stage.

Every day, it felt like there was so much out there that was interesting and beautiful that I wanted to capture with my camera while I was daydreaming during lectures. I volunteered for almost every event during my four years of college, which gave me practice and experience as I learned and explored new camera techniques daily. Finally, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree and a strong desire to do something different with my life but no idea what to do. All I knew was I liked creating visually stunning content. I also knew I lacked the knowledge and skills required to enter the industry. I spent a while working with a few start-ups creating content. After applying to various film schools worldwide and going through the process for over two years, I finally joined Chapman University, Dodge School of Film & Media Arts, to learn and explore the art of Cinematography. I came to LA in August 2021 with minimal idea of filmmaking; however, in the past 16 months, I worked on more than 30 student films, growing my skillset every weekend, one production at a time.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Finding a mentor who can guide me through the industry has always been difficult, especially when coming from a different educational background. There were no filmmakers or artists in my circle; all my friends and relatives were Engineers or Doctors. Also, I was supposed to come to LA in 2019, but due to a few delays with my application and then two years due to covid, my career plans moved further away. And my parents were always supportive despite their doubts regarding the uncertainty of a career in the film industry. Their support has been a major motivation for me to keep pushing myself and working harder.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Graduate Cinematography student at Chapman University, Dodge School of Film & Media Arts. My primary responsibility as a Cinematographer is to get the director’s vision to life visually. The process includes discussing artistic choices/ideas with the director, producer, production designer, etc., based on the script, and achieving them with the help of Camera, Grip & Electric crews. My work mainly functions based on collaboration and communication among different film departments and within the cine crew. So, I try to ensure everybody knows their roles and tasks to make the production go without hiccups. Furthermore, as a cinematographer for a project, I’m responsible for selecting gear and creating lighting setups for each scene and suggesting creative ideas that serve the story.

To be honest, I hadn’t had any experience in Filmmaking until I came to LA to pursue MFA in Film Production. I’m fortunate to learn and work alongside filmmakers from all around the globe. One of many things that film school has taught me is that teamwork plays a crucial role in the filmmaking process, and in this process, hard work and kindness teach you a lot. So, I try to get on as many shooting sets as possible and work hard as we learn something new every day. It’s a never-ending process as there’s so little time and unlimited things to explore and understand. So, I believe that pushing our limits every time is the only we re-invent ourselves.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rutvij_s_reddy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rutvij.reddy.9

Image Credits
Frank Xu, Chenhao Felix Zhang, Kanishka Agarwal, Drew Ma