Meet Mélisse Riahi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mélisse Riahi.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up an old soul because I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and great aunts who exposed me to a wide range of cinema. I favored Nick@Nite to nickelodeon which tells you a lot about my childhood! And the whole time I was falling in love with film. My grandmother taught me about photography and to always pay attention and document the unnoticed and unseen because it was life’s treasures. I’ve always been interested in people and their stories. During college, I had drive and determination inside me but did not pursue film because I was at the mercy of student loan debt. Creative career routes seemed unattainable if you didn’t have the financial support. I never really picked my career; my career picked me and that career was advertising.

After I graduated from college, I worked at some great companies like Discovery Channel, CNN, and Vice but I knew in my heart it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I started volunteering every weekend on AFI film sets as a 2nd ac to learn more about film making. Like any inexperienced filmmaker, I had to create my own work. The experience of writing, producing, editing forced me to be not only creative but resourceful, to learn on my own and to be self-motivated. This experience of filmmaking continues to be extremely valuable and has assured me of my role as a cinematographer. At some point, I summoned the courage to quit my job, dedicate my life to learning how to be a DP and applying to AFI. Oh, then I got into AFI and it was the best decision of my life.

Has it been a smooth road?
Hmmm, I can’t say its been that smooth and for a couple of reasons. The amount of student loan debt I have now definitely set a tone and lays the foundation for anxiety your whole life. The existence of debt becomes your identity for the rest of your life. There is no doubt that higher education is still one of the best investments that someone can make in their future. I am not in my early twenties and I didn’t have time to waste when making a career change like this. Still, I cannot deny that it has had a significant effect on my journey as a filmmaker thus far. Regardless, I felt brave to follow my dreams. But who knows, maybe I will shoot a feature tomorrow and pay those babies off.

I graduated 45 days ago and I have been fortunate enough to get a lot of crewing jobs as either a gaffer, grip, electrician, and camera operator. (Thank you AFI for teaching me these skills) and I feel confident on set. Of course, my job is to DP but I enjoy being on set and hey it pays the bills. But there is one limitation I will mention, one that I don’t often talk about. Entering a very male-dominated field is an afterthought and has never hindered me but it definitely bothers me when I overhear production speak about hiring “muscle” over the female crew.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a Director of Photography, also referred to as cinematographer or DP. My job is beautiful because it is equally technical (camera + lighting) as it is creative. I am here to bring a director’s vision to life through collaboration offering efficient smart ideas. My job is to tell stories that will hopefully impact people, entertain and educate. The chemistry between you and the director is the most important thing and its beautiful when it comes to life.

My interest in people is mutually exclusive with storytelling. My ambition is to make films about people around the world because I understand how important it is for art to be a bridge between cultures and people who wouldn’t otherwise understand each other.

I feel blessed because my boyfriend is a very talented, beautiful person who happens to be a DP 🙂 We have learned so much from each other and are each other’s biggest fans. I know not everyone would agree, but we love bringing work home with us and having long talks about cinematography, films, etc.

I also feel very blessed that AFI and Kodak have given us the opportunity to shoot so much on 35mm.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes, LA is a great place for filmmaking.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.melisseriahi.com
• Phone: 7605337308
• Email: melisseriahi@gmail.com
• Instagram: melisse_riahi

Image Credit:
Mathieu Seguin

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