Meet Oscar Martinez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Oscar Martinez.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I want to start by giving the biggest shout out to my mom and dad for sacrificing so much of their lives for me and my younger siblings. For context, my parents hail from impoverished villages in Mexico, which at the time lacked access to basic necessities like food or electricity, let alone public education. My parents’ fearlessness in leaving everything they knew behind and continued hard work in back-breaking labor is the reason I can chase after my personally fulfilling career.

From a young age, I always felt a pull towards storytelling. I was obsessed with literature early in school and always had a sizable film library at home. I studied hard to earn the scholarships to attend my dream high school, where I was exposed to many filmmaking courses and was able to get my first hands on experience with a camera and prime lens. One day the school let us take the equipment home for a project and I remember just savoring every moment I had with the camera, trying my best to make meaningful images.

Soon after, my passion for cinematography unfurled at LMU film school, where a lot of my initial learning centered around lighting. I stuck with a group of older and extremely talented filmmakers and worked nearly every weekend of my four years at college on set. By my second semester of sophomore year, I started shooting thesis films and didn’t stop. Access to top of the line equipment at LMU ensured all of my learning and skills were immediately transferable outside of school.

Since graduating, I’ve shot branded commercials and have gaffed four feature films alongside one of my mentor cinematographers and good friend.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Before COVID-19, I had always been blessed with work. The challenge is striking a good work-life balance and being able to turn down projects so that I could also share my life with my girlfriend and further develop my craft on my own. The key is to have a vast network of supportive and available coworkers and friends to get you through difficult times. I have been lucky in this department as well.

COVID has certainly put a damper on things, including pushing back a feature I was slated to shoot summer 2020.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
My main focus as a cinematographer is to find harmony with my director. Not only must I have a full understanding of my director’s intention with their material, but I must also make sure I set correct logistical expectations for them so that we are always working towards the same goal. This is why preparation is key and I’ve found that keeping an inviting, adaptive, and constant pre-production process works best for me.

While I’ve enjoyed shooting documentaries, music videos, and commercials, my heart is in narrative films, specifically character-centered films. One of the top factors that dictate everything I do behind the camera comes from the characters of a story and their arcs. The more fleshed out and real these feel to me, the easier it is for me to find a justified and appropriate visual language for the film. Because well-written characters can be written under any genre, I’ve had the pleasure of coming aboard all genres of films, from horror to surrealist to comedy to drama.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I could change one thing, it would be that I got my hands on a camera at a younger age.

Contact Info:

• Website: oscarmartinezdp.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ojess15/?hl=en

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