Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack Langlois.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jack. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’m a cinematographer. Growing up in Houston, Texas, there isn’t a very big film community. My family always valued appreciation of the arts, my Mom loves painting and my Dad is a huge audiophile, but I wouldn’t say we had a family of creatives. So, originally, I was going to pursue a career in business. However, after seeking career advice, numerous mentors encouraged me to pass on business school and study something more passionate or individualistic. The thought process is that you can always start an enterprise, but you’ll be in a better position if you find a field that you have true passion for. Just to see what would happen, I applied to the University of Texas for film school, and after some time weighing my options, I decided to give it a shot.
Initially, I thought I was going to be a producer. It seemed like the most logical combination of filmmaking and entrepreneurship, but everything changed the first time I stepped onto a set. I was enraptured by the mystique of the lighting and the camera. Bouncing my eyes between the monitor and the set, what I was seeing didn’t make any sense. The image looked fantastic, but nothing like what was actually in the scene. My whole conception of filmmaking changed at that moment. Capture became my new obsession. So I decided to take some cinematography classes, then I shot some short films, and I was hooked. I graduated college, moved to Los Angeles, and now here I am pursuing a career as a Cinematographer.
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?
I find the main obstacles in cinematography are usually personal rather than external. Sure, there’s a necessity in understanding the technology and formulas that go into the work, but that’s all supplementary to the end goal. I feel that a cinematographer is like a translator between writers/directors and cameras. If you can’t emotionally engage with the story or the characters you won’t understand how to shoot the movie, regardless of how well you know lighting or camera. At the end of the day, these are all just tools for human expression. For me, personal growth, communication, and empathy are zones where you have to challenge yourself. There’s a skill and a strength in trying to understand yourself and others.
What else should we know? Please tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I feel the most proud when I’m able to bring a vision to life. It’s such a good feeling when a writer or director sees the monitor and just says, “Yes! This is what I saw in my head!” Bringing fictional people to life is always challenging, so every time I shoot a movie, I’m always trying to give the audience a real sense of the character’s world. Whether it’s a commercial or a narrative project, I’m always trying to make the piece feel tangible. That’s really the hardest part of it all for me because it’s not really about how the camera is set up, it’s more about the evolution of a shot and how that informs the story. Life is organic, and I strive to make films that have that quality.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I want to continue to work with new filmmakers in order to experience new points of views and artistic styles. In the future, I would like to have the opportunity to work on feature-length documentaries or features. I like the ambition of the short form, but I’d like to have the opportunity to engage with concepts over a longer run time. I think it allows for a deeper look into the subject, maybe the introduction of contradiction and synthesis.
I’ve also started investing in camera equipment and renting it out through my company JL Camera. I think it’s important in this day and age to own and care for the equipment that helps you do your best work, while also providing an affordable and accessible outlet for fellow filmmakers.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jacklanglois.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacklanglois2/
Image Credit:
Lucas Markman, Matt Valenzuela, Jack Buster, Adan Langbaum, Leo Aguirre, Fidencio Casas
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