Today we’d like to introduce you to Eythan Maidhof.
Hi Eythan , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m actually the son of a mechanic and grew up in Long Island, NY. Working with tools, problem solving, and machining came naturally to me. Photography came later; I borrowed the family Canon SLR camera and it felt like the natural evolution of mechanics. By the time I was ten I had my first VHS camera. It may seem ridiculous now but I was actually the only kid on the block that owned one.
I was terribly shy, so filmmaking became all about making friends; I let my camera do the talking for me. My teenage years were spent filming silly movies with a few friends that humored me using my Canon XL1. My first job was filming Bat-mitzvahs. Then I’d go and spend it all at the local Radioshack and build a linear editing suite using both my families VHS tape decks, some title, and sound effect generators.
I studied film theory at Temple University. I was always shy, hardly spoke, but narrative filmmaking is where I found my voice. I cultivated a community and quickly discovered I wasn’t alone. I shot many projects on a 16mm Bolex camera and gravitated to the camera department since it was just like being in the garage building or repairing something.
In my late twenties I moved to New York City as a freelancer and worked every job I could get. I was hungry and wanted to try my hand in everything. I got all my first work in post; it’s more stable than hounding out after shooting gigs. I was junior editing at Ogilvy & Mather, Condé Nast, and working at a boutique color house called Katabatic as a colorist at the time. I figured out I wanted to become a cinematographer when I grew so tired of looking at other peoples work. I wanted to be the one expressing myself, not getting stuck cleaning up the project after it was shot.
I purchased the original RED One Camera when it first landed and got in on the ground floor of an exciting wave in time. This camera democratized filmmaking and I was in the right place and time. I didn’t know my basics as a photographer so I started as a camera tech. I worked myself up through the ranks of the low budget NYC indie film, music video, and fashion scene. I freelanced for about a decade, got to travel to different countries and make narrative films. I found that I still wasn’t learning enough and felt professionally and personally stilted as a working professional.
I applied to the American Film Institute in my late thirties figuring it’s never too late to grow. I was working as a Local 600 loader when I opened the acceptance email, it was the most validating reading it. I’m halfway through the two-year program now and I’m learning so much about finding my personal visual approach, experimenting, and learning to become a real leader.
For me, growing into the role of a cinematographer has been about becoming the best possible version of myself. It if wasn’t for film I’d be lost in life. It’s helped me understand my nature and forced me to grow up in ways I’m not naturally inclined.
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?
Filmmaking is a collaborative art; the barriers of entry are finding a community you can trust and having access to equipment. I started with neither, so I’d say those were my biggest challenges. It took years of meeting the wrong people, people who were willing to take advantage of you, asking for free work and then never keeping their promises.
The arts really is the only field where free work is a common practice. I’d help out on tiny projects or sizzle reels or specs and just get forgotten and you’d have to chase down people to get a low resolution file for your reel. It took me six-years of freelancing to build a reel, then another three-years for a reel that I felt some pride showing to groups.
I constantly questioned whether or not this was for me, up until the end of my first year at AFI. I questioned myself daily. It took facing myself and my fears every day in front of a small group of other cinematographers to really get past the imposter complex. I took great solace when I learned that they were feeling just as vulnerable as me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Sure! I love working with old folks and children the most. Something gets lost in middle age, people withhold emotions and rely on defense mechanisms more. When someone is young or really old they’re more raw and don’t care as much about what others think.
I’m most proud of the photographs I am continuing to take of my parents on my instagram – @eythanmaidhof . I’m developing a visual approach to storytelling by creating an adult children’s book about them. There’s an earnestness and deep sorrow in what I’ve been able to capture.
I’m about to shoot a 35mm MOS film at AFI inspired by a conversation I want to have about my parents and their difficult relationship together. I also want to shoot non-traditional family films. Like right now on Netflix my first feature called, “A New York Christmas Wedding” is a traditional Christmas tale, but about a lesbian relationship between an African American and a LatinX woman.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Instagram is fantastic to network. It’s a website that’s kinda professional and kinda personal all at once. There’s so many artists that love hearing about what you think of their work. I’ve contacted cinematographers, directors, bands, and it’s usually worked out for the best. I’ve also been approached by younger students early in their career that wanted to talk about filmmaking and how to proceed. It feels so great to connect to someone like that, so I can imagine how it must feel for others. The traditional romanticized days of becoming someone’s apprentice have mostly gone along with using 35mm film. Unless you’re trying to reach someone really famous (or just mean), you have a really great chance of getting a response.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.eythanmaidhof.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eythanmaidhof/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eythan.maidhof/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/eythanmaidhof
Image Credits
Glenn Maidhof Carmela Maidhof Colleen Maidhof
