Today we’d like to introduce you to Amelia Jáuregui
Hi Amelia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When reflecting on my story, I am fortunate to feel like I am just at the beginning of writing it! In brief, I am a second year graduate student at Chapman University pursuing an MFA in Film Production, Cinematography, and have been dedicating much of my recent life to the art of filmmaking. However, not too long ago I was studying multimedia journalism and strategic communications, running as a collegiate athlete, and living states away.
I think my goals to pursue film though have been engrained in my journey since as long as I can remember, however I didn’t have the knowledge or understanding what filmmaking even was back then. When I was little, I remember asking Santa for a small digital camera at three-years-old, and fortunately he provided. I was the friend that forced my friends to do photoshoots while I was behind the camera snapping away. I made travel and recap videos of anything I could make visually interesting. I was always creating in this sort of visual medium, but I truly thought it was just a hobby.
It wasn’t until I was told by a man at a conference I happened to attend with some of my theater friends back in high school that I learned ‘your passions can become your professions if you’re willing to work hard.” It was then it dawned on me that even though I found interest in my math and science classes, it was the arts that piqued my interest more than anything. From there, I decided I would pursue a career of storytelling and visual media. Though it took some time to realize what exact format that would be in, I eventually came to cinematography.
Cinematography is truly where I belong, as it combines my love for technical thinking on top of my love for creativity and problem solving. It allows me to explore framing, lighting. and truly just storytelling in a way like no other. I am glad that I am growing in my craft and I cannot wait to continue that further and further.
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?
I have been very fortunate that my road has been relatively smooth thus far. Though it took me some time to realize that cinematography was the career I would choose to pursue, and there has been some very clear learning curves with gaining an understanding of my craft and what it takes to get into the industry, I see everything that I am doing and learning as a way to grow.
And though I know future obstacles are inevitable, I hope to welcome them all with a good head on my shoulders and perseverance in knowing that I am pursuing a career that I love and would do anything for.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a cinematographer. I have dabbled in writing and directing, both of which I love, but cinematography is truly where my heart lies.
I have found that I keep coming back to slice-of-life, coming-of-age, and queer stories. I find that the character driven films allow for me to really connect with the emotions wanting to be conveyed, which allows me to explore creative ways to evoke said emotion through such a visual medium.
Additionally, I think my dream above all would be to shoot a musical. Since as long as I could remember, my favorite films have always been the beautiful combinations of art, from dancing, singing, production design, costumes, and everything between, and being able to be a part of capturing that is something I hope to achieve in my life.
Though I am still fairly new to the industry, I think what sets me apart from others is my diverse life experiences given my age. I have lived in many stages, ranging from the suburbs in Texas, to a small town in Oklahoma, to the heart of major cities like Denver and soon to be Los Angeles, and have also had the opportunity to travel to many different countries. This range of experiences has helped shape my voice as a filmmaker, and is something that I want to continue to take in to all of the films that I get to do in the future.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
The role of luck playing into my life is an extremely interesting question. Though off the bat I would say I have been very lucky with a lot of the opportunities I have had in my life, I would argue to say that most of these opportunities, if not all, can also be attributed to consistent hard work and the support of people of people around me. I take great pride in the effort and dedication I put into the goals I have set out for myself. Even if it means long days, little sleep, and failing, I know it pushes me closer to reaching the goals I set out to achieve. And so though yes, luck definitely plays a role into things that will happen to me in the future, I like to think of it as a combination to the hours and hours of relentless pursuit of excellence behind the scenes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://AmeliaJauregui.Com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ameliajauregui_/?hl=en
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelia-jáuregui-837332191
Image Credits
Nic Cáceres
Erika Dunn
