Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrii Lantukh.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Ukraine, in a small town called Krasnoperekopsk. I moved to study overseas when I was 17. Around the time when I was finishing my 12th grade in the American Boarding School in Switzerland, something just didn’t feel right.
See, I always wanted to be connected to the Film World, somehow. I knew I wasn’t happy pursuing law which wasn’t making me as excited and interested like cinema. All my college years I was just tricking myself into the law studies, but deep inside I had a dream of becoming a filmmaker.
And so one day I just came up to my family and told them. It’s always hard to say things like that. Everyone knows that the film business is a constant gamble. There is just not guarantee in anything inside that system. And so I tell my parents. Listen, I want to make films. Boom.
With their enormous support, ten months later, I end up in Lon Angeles, pursuing BFA in Filmmaking in New York Film Academy. However, I have to mention that, right before I came to LA, I had a few short films. You know those, absolutely terrible short films that you make with your friends, so yeah.
Since I’ve come to Los Angeles, everything changed. I started seeing movies from different perspective. I started watching more films. I learned all the technical stuff on set. I started writing screenplays, making short films, music videos, commercials.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s never a smooth road. And that’s why it is so much fun. There are obstacles that you face every single day. As a filmmaker, it is a constant race for money in order to finance your project.
Money is your enemy which at the same time is your biggest ally in this “little magical” world. And of course, competition you face this every day. Someone will always be a step ahead of you. But you have to keep up and to be honest, that’s why we have competition.
Otherwise, everyone would be a billionaire, with the private jet and 30 movies in the can.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Humpback Whale Studios story. Tell us more about the business.
I consider myself Director/Cinematographer at this point in my career. Even when I direct, I still serve as my own cinematographer. I just simply feel complete as a filmmaker when I do both. I opened my production company Humpback Whale Studios which motto says everything about it.
It goes like this “Dive into the ocean, finds a treasure, shares it with the world.” Meaning, get inside your head, find an idea and share it with people like it’s a treasure. And that’s what I interested in. I love collaborating with other filmmakers and bringing stories onto the screen. My personal strongest side as a director is the style that I follow. It’s mostly an exaggerated satirical view on our modern world. One could think of it as a Tragicomedy.
I recently directed and photographed a dark satire about modern-day men desires, and it’s consequences. It’s a fun ride that follows an old sex addict who sleeps with the wife of the devil. It’s doing a festival run right now. I had so much fun experimenting with that film. But I have to mention my cast and crew who made this craziness possible. It takes a village to make a film.
Different languages and nationalities is another big factor that I play with. I traveled the world quite a bit when I studied overseas and stuff like languages, different accents, and inabilities to freely speak with a person from a foreign country always fascinated me.
Different languages and culture influenced me and impacted me tremendously that now it is a part of me, what I do and the characters I create. My other strongest aspects which I practice not only as a director but as a cinematographer as well when I collaborate with other directors are the composition and lighting that I constantly experiment with.
I am simply tired of conventional visuals that we see in film nowadays. I am here to bring a “fresh juice” on the table.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
It’s an interesting question. Hmm. I would say I always had good luck along my way. I had a few dark moments in my life, either connected to my profession or my personal life. But I was always lucky to come out fresh and with even more persistence toward my goals to be a filmmaker.
I believe there is no bad luck. It’s simply doesn’t exist. Bad luck it’s just another experience, that shapes you as a human being. We absolutely need those moments, to completely understand what life is.
Contact Info:
- Email: humpback.whale.studios@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrii_lantukh/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrii.lantukh
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/humpback_whale_studios/?hl=en
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
