Today we’d like to introduce you to Elaine Caton.
Hi Elaine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Well, I grew up in the Bay Area around the suburban city of Concord. Since I was an only child, I found myself filling my time with films and TV. I actually started my higher education as a history major because I loved how it felt like a bunch of stories, but I ended up pivoting to film once I had the opportunity to explore photography and film classes in community college. I transferred to UCLA’s film school, along with 15 other transfer students total, and I concentrated in cinematography — with a total of three other undergrad students. It was very personal and hands-on to be in a small cohort, and I tried to spend every weekend on someone’s set (usually grad students). When I graduated into the pandemic, there was a huge hurdle of having to figure out what I could financially do when film sets were practically nonexistent. After months of waiting and deliberating, I was really fortunate to land a full-time cinematography job for a medical streaming service. In this role, which had me traveling across the world to different hospitals, I was shooting educational content in the operating room on real patients receiving surgery. There’s something really interesting about getting used to seeing the human body like that, but I found it to be a little perspective-changing on how casual surgery can be.
As the pandemic eased, I started safely shooting independent projects, music videos, and short films. I knew that freelancing as a cinematographer would be the exact route to get me deeper into the side of the film industry that I was eyeing, so the moment I had the opportunity, I moved down to LA to pursue freelance cinematography full-time. This is where I’m currently at, and it has been incredibly rewarding to work with talented directors, and even get to direct some experimental projects myself. All of this happened as I was trying to figure out a lot about myself too. Throughout the pandemic, I was, for the first time, able (or forced hahaha) to think deeply about myself, and what I wanted. I came out last year as a trans woman, and since then I’ve been figuring out what that means for me, my place in the industry, and how much I’ve held back. I’m excited to be in a place in my life where I’m finally feeling way more authentic in my skin.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve definitely had to deal with struggles and setbacks, both personal and professional. Overall, cinematography is an extremely competitive career path, but one of my biggest challenges in the field is dealing with imposter syndrome with my personal artistic vision. One quality that I value the most as a cinematographer is having a unique creative voice. I believe that cinematography is a fluidly artistic and technical field, but I make it a priority to create my own visual style that is authentically myself. Being a trans Asian-American woman, I feel like I’m just figuring out what my truest creative voice is, but it’s also impossible to ignore the difficulties. The camera department industry is mostly cisgender, white, and male, even on many sets that emphasize diversity.
In order to navigate the industry, I’ve commonly had to be the only trans and/or person of color on set. I’ve had to deal with situations where prospective jobs have hung up with me on phone calls after they find out that I’m transgender. I do have to emphasize all of the fantastic experiences on set where everyone is welcoming and collaborative, and I feel grateful to have found some great people that I continue to work with. All of the setbacks I’ve dealt with have really only made me more determined to put my work out into the world and meet more queer and racially diverse filmmakers to collaborate with.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a freelance cinematographer with a focus on narrative and documentary. I really enjoy the process of taking a script and visually representing it. There are so many aspects that I get to think about; lighting, composition, depth, color, etc. For me, shooting a film is incredibly rewarding in the process of collaboration with not just the director, but the entire crew. Aesthetically speaking, my style is very kinetic and natural, and I also have a background in DIY and Punk music scenes. I really love working with independent bands in this genre to make music videos and other promotional work. I’m really proud of some recent projects that I have shot, which are now in post-production. One short that I’m especially proud of is Things Are Good directed by Jo Zhao, about a young Asian American teen as she internally represses the turmoil going on in her life. Jo was an amazing director to work with and her vision was so unique and beautiful. I put passion and love into every project I am involved with, no matter how big or small. Every film I shoot is very personal to me because the director is giving me trust to visually translate their story. My main focus now is to work with other queer artists and bring more inclusive films to the public.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I would definitely not be where I am today without the love and support of my partner and family. They’ve seen me struggle and succeed and have always stood by my side. Filmmaking is a very collaborative art form and it takes an army to make a movie. All the directors, ADs, Gaffers, ACs, Grips, PDs, and PAs that I have worked with have greatly impacted the way that I view my own artistic voice. One of the best parts about this industry is the amazing support that everyone has for each other. My career has been very much shaped by the guidance of mentors who took the time to really get to know me. Specifically, I have to give a lot of credit to Rob Richert, who was my first-ever film professor. He really showed me the ropes of the craft and overall encouraged me to develop my own voice as an artist. Chalisse Forgette is also an incredibly important person in my life– she mentored me throughout my time in community college and pushed me to pursue my passions. One of my goals as I go farther along in my career is to offer a similar mentorship role to younger filmmakers just starting out. The industry can be daunting in the beginning, but being someone to guide others through it would be one of the most rewarding things I could ask for.
Contact Info:
- Website: elainecaton.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elaine_caton/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/794649913?share=copy
