Today, we’d like to introduce you to Kshitij Kapil.
Kshitij, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I first became interested in film in high school.
I have always been an avid moviegoer, and in high school, I decided to try out the film program. It didn’t take long for me to get completely engrossed. During that time, my first-ever film got into the Dallas International Film Festival, and it was there that I decided I wanted to pursue film as a career.
Fast forward to today, I have my Master’s in Cinematography. I have gotten to work on projects ranging from music videos to features. I am currently freelancing as a DP/Operator/1st AC and getting to meet many amazing people and shoot a lot of interesting things.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey has not been the smoothest.
My biggest obstacle has been dealing with my immigrant status. I was not born in the United States but moved here when I was young. Sadly, I was unable to get my green card by the time I was 21, and I aged away from my parents, so I had to become an international student.
Growing up, the thought that I might one day not be able to stay here was never in the back of my mind, but it is now. In an already very competitive field, adding immigration status into the mix doesn’t help make things easy, but it has definitely motivated me to work even harder.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a cinematographer/cam op/1st AC. I specialize in the camera department and have had the opportunity to work on a plethora of content, including music videos, experimental short films, and narrative feature films.
My favorite project so far has been my Master’s thesis, which I was the EP and DP for. It was not the biggest project I have worked on, but the number of things I had to do in order to achieve that, from the logistics to the creative, I am very happy with how it turned out. I think knowing that things are bound to go wrong at some point and how you deal with that crisis at the moment is one of the hardest things to manage.
I have had a lot of moments where what we planned couldn’t work due to a reason that might be out of our control. It has been my ability and my team’s ability to navigate that “crisis” that has set me apart.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My biggest advice is to take advantage of your own opportunities. Knowing how to talk with people and connect with them is no easy task, but it has often led me to get to work. Sometimes, the people you least expect might have opportunities for you. I would also add I am willing to try different things.
You may not always get the position you want starting out or be asked to work in a department you are not comfortable with, but it could be a way to grow. For me, gaffing was always a daunting task, but I took opportunities to work on smaller projects and learn from my peers or whoever the DP on that particular set was.
No one will ever blame you for not knowing something as long as you make the effort to try.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vimeo.com/947208910
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kshitij_dp/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8088215/?ref_=fn_al_nm_2
Image Credits
Kushagra Jain and Sharath Yerra
