Daily Inspiration: Meet Carter Knopik

I had grown up watching a lot of movies and making dumb YouTube videos with my siblings, but I never considered that I could study filmmaking and pursue it as a career – it’s just not discussed as an option in the community I grew up in. But as I approached the end of high school and became more interested in photography and in some of the stories of artists working behind the scenes on many of my favorite films, I realized I wasn’t interested in a lot of the classes I was taking in school. So I decided to apply to the film school and got in.
In my first year of college, I wasn’t sure if I made the right decision. I was taking a lot of pre-requisite classes and didn’t feel like I was really fitting in at such a large university. It was a tough year and I really considered dropping out. But after talking with my friends and family, I decided to stick it out through the end of the year. It was in my 2nd semester when I got invited on my first student film set – and I was hooked. The environment was so exciting to me, and I was fascinated watching every department work together to achieve the result on the screen. So from that moment on, I tried to get on as many student sets as possible and also started producing my own projects.
Building a portfolio in school was one of the best decisions I could have made, and upon graduating, I jumped into working locally in Nebraska. After working at a small creative agency for a while, I transitioned into freelance work. I worked as a PA, grip, AC, camera operator – whatever I could get hired for. It was a time of learning from a lot of great mentors and industry professionals. Eventually, I connected with a few local directors who seemed to see the potential in me as a young DP. They gave me my earliest opportunities as a cinematographer and my portfolio started to grow, leading to more connections and more projects. Some of those early-days people continue to be close collaborators. I think when you find people that you click with creatively, it’s really important to foster those relationships and build each other up.

So after working in Nebraska for a few years and getting the opportunity to travel all over to work, I decided to relocate to Los Angeles in 2022. It was always a goal of mine to get out of the Midwest, and as the pandemic started to wind down, it felt like the right time to make the leap. So in August of 2022, I drove across the country and settled into my first LA apartment in Echo Park.

Starting fresh in LA has been incredibly exciting and intimidating. I’ve had some of the highest highs and lowest lows of my career so far, but it’s felt like a steady climb up, and I look to the future with a sense of excitement. Over the last few months, I’ve met some incredible filmmakers and artists, worked on short films and commercials, and had the opportunity to work on my first feature film as a DP. I sometimes feel like one small fish in this giant pond, but I’m continuing to do the work and trusting in my own voice, and I know that will lead me to the right places.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think it’s important to acknowledge that as a white, cis-gendered person, my road has had fewer obstacles placed on it from the beginning. However, everyone has their own challenges when they embark upon a career in the arts and I’ve had my fair share as well.
I quit my agency job about six months before the pandemic hit, so going into a new phase of my career at that point was difficult. I was fortunate to find a consistent documentary project during that time covering the effects of the pandemic on local businesses and individuals, but it was a difficult time for a lot of freelance workers – myself included. It was also a time when I was going through a lot of challenging personal growth. A lot of my friends had moved away after college and a long-term relationship had just ended, so I was feeling very isolated during lockdown and faced some tough times. But emerging from that time and place has made me a more grounded and resilient person, and I feel like I know myself so much better than I did before. Coming to terms with your identity and who you are at your core can be tough, but as an artist, it’s so vital to be vulnerable with yourself and continue to dive deeper into who you are.

As a cinematographer, I think one of my strengths is understanding the correct approach for each project I take on. While I love lighting and tech, it’s easy to get sucked into wanting to create the most beautiful images for the sake of a better reel or a more “likable” Instagram post.
So in my process, I always strive to achieve what will work best for the story given the time, resources, and constraints that we may have with that production. I will always prioritize treating people with respect and valuing their creative input – so if that means I need to limit my footprint as a DP to give space for the actors to shine, I’ll work with the director to make that happen. I feel like I can create beautiful and effective images no matter the limitations or challenges we may face, as long as everyone is realistic about those limitations.

I think the people that choose to work with me value my easy-going nature, creative empathy, and technical skills. Lighting and composing for human faces really draws me to this craft, and I strive to bring the audience into the emotion of an actor’s performance with my cinematography. I also have a style that is unique but adaptable – meaning I am bringing my own voice into a project while still serving the overall story.

What was your favorite childhood memory?

My favorite childhood memories revolve around playing outside with my siblings and neighbors. In the summers, we would spend every day in the wooded area behind out houses, creating our own worlds and exploring. We may have climbed trees higher than we should have and thrown more mud than the adults would have liked, but it was a time of pure imagination and childhood joy. I’m grateful to have spent so much time outdoors as a kid, and even now, living in one of the biggest cities in the world, I still find a lot of value in being outside. So you can find me walking the neighborhood with a camera or sitting at Echo Park Lake nearly every day.