Life & Work with Aldo Widjaya of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aldo Widjaya

Hi Aldo, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Growing up nothing ever really captivated me the same way the camera does. My dad used to have this camcorder that he would bring along on family trips and I guess that was the genesis for my love of film and cinematography. As get more into it I realized that films, and by extension cinematography, were the best medium to tell a story. And I love a good story! So pursuing a career as a cinematographer has always felt like an instinctive and natural choice for me.

I grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia and when I decided to pursue a career in film I made the decision to uproot myself and move to Los Angeles. To this day that has been the scariest decision I’ve ever made but the journey and friends I’ve made along the way have made it all worth it!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey to where I am now is anything but smooth. I knew that uprooting myself from a place that I have called home for the last 18 years to the other end of the world was never going to be easy, but I’ve always had faith in myself and this faith is what has kept me going.

Jumping into the film industry is hard, especially being an outsider. It took me a while to find my people but once I did, it felt like everything started to click into place.

Another thing I see as a struggle was trying to see how I can stand out in a sea of equally talented creatives, especially in Los Angeles. I used to have a bad habit of comparing myself to others and it would make me feel really insecure about myself. But as I progress in my career, I learned that even those I look up to feel the same way to an extent. This gave me a shift in perspective and made me realize to just focus on myself and what made me stand out.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve been working as a cinematographer for the last 5 years; working from everything ranging from commercials, to feature films. Despite the challenges, the last 5 years have been the most rewarding years of my life.

To me, a good story is always what attracts me to a project. I love working on narrative projects like short films and features but even when working on more commercial or corporate jobs I always try to ask myself what’s the real story behind this?

Uncovering the real story underneath a project is something I attribute to my multi-ethnic upbringing in my hometown of Jakarta. Despite its chaos, I truly believe that there’s an undeniable beauty and charm underneath it. And this perspective is what I try to do on every project I work on — to capture the nuances and emotions that make it unique.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
A fun part of being in the film business is that you never know who you’re going to be working with. And equally important, you never know who they’re going to be. I’ve heard stories of cinematographers meeting their future collaborators when they were both still working as PAs and later down the line, they would work together on many bigger projects. Never dismiss someone because of their position, experience, or background — always be open-minded and keen to network with everyone!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aldowidjaya.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebastianaldo16/