Life & Work with Luke Dejoras of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luke Dejoras

Hi Luke, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve loved movies for as long as I can remember. I remember every weekend as a kid, my mom would take us to Blockbuster or Hollywood Video to rent a couple dvd’s. It was the highlight of my week. I thought I wanted to be an actor for the longest time, but the idea of any type of profession in the arts was frowned upon at home- a common trait in any asian household.

Speaking of home, I had a very rough upbringing. To put it plainly, I was just not a happy kid, and secretly spent most of my youth struggling with depression & social anxiety.

Fast forward to my senior year of high school. Up until this point, I had performed very poorly in school as struggled greatly with maintaining my focus & attention. It’s clear to me now that this was undiagnosed ADHD, which I still struggle with to this day. I still didn’t know what I wanted to pursue as a career, and was very close to joining the military. But after taking a film studies class, I realized pretty quickly that filmmaking was the first thing I was really passionate about. It was the one thing that I could effortlessly give my undivided attention and focus to. It was something that lit me up inside.

After graduating high school, I pursued a degree in Film & Electronic Arts at Cal State University Long Beach. I continued to be a poor performing student, barely passing my elective classes, but I absorbed as much from the film program that I could. I made friends, worked on countless short films, and even began picking up actual production work outside of school. After four years of college, I found myself at a crossroads. I was still struggling to focus in school, and the more I began to focus on filmmaking and work, the less I focused on my studies. So I quietly dropped out.

I continued to pursue my film career after college, while also continuing to struggle with depression & ADHD, but I pushed through it, and my hard work began to pay off. Within a couple years my work had allowed me to travel all over the world, and work with people that I thought I’d only ever see in the movies I grew up watching. I even got to spend several years as a camera operator & Director of Photography on a talk show hosted by the late & great Larry King.

Today I continue to pursue my craft, and even with the current lull in the industry, I couldn’t be more grateful for how far I’ve come so far. While I still struggle with ADHD to this day, it’s something that I’ve learned to embrace and use as a strength in my craft & artistic expression, and I’m grateful for that too. The industry is evolving so rapidly right now. I just hope to adapt with it and continue to learn & grow as a cinematographer in this new age. Eventually I’d like to explore storytelling from the Director’s chair as well. I have way too many ideas that I think audiences would love to see.

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 don’t think a career in the entertainment industry is ever a smooth road. It comes with all of its usual struggles: rejection, inconsistency, unpredictability, saturation, etc.

I struggled more with the internal side of things: Self doubt, ego, imposter syndrome, & most of all learning to build meaningful relationships. I’m very much an introvert, so the networking side of this career path has always meant stepping out of my comfort zone. That said, I have managed to build some amazing relationships with my close friends and colleagues, many of which have let to some pretty amazing opportunities.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I currently work as a Cinematographer, which is also known as a Director of Photography. Basically what that means is I work with the Director of a film to visually bring the script to life. It’s like helping them paint a picture, but instead of brushes & paint, we use cameras & lights.

To me, filmmaking is not only a profound artistic expression but also a nuanced form of communication. Every time you present a visual to an audience, you’re conveying a message, sharing an idea, or evoking an emotion. What I believe sets me apart is my ability to communicate with the audience on a deep, instinctual level. I have a keen sense of how people respond to certain visuals and how different images can evoke a range of emotions and meanings. And as someone who often finds it difficult to express myself verbally, cinematography has become a powerful language through which I can communicate effortlessly.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What truly makes me happy is the act of creation and the ability to share that creativity with others. Movies weren’t just an escape for me growing up. They also inspired and influenced me in so many ways. I just want to be able to share that same experience with others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lukedejoras.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luke.dejoras/