Rising Stars: Meet Ian Lipton of Los Feliz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ian Lipton.

Hi Ian, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a rare LA native, born and raised right in the heart of the city by a photographer and a florist. My earliest creative memories came simply from building Legos. I’d create epic battles and intricate backstories for my creations, a dramatic score in my head and all. I would close one eye and “rack” focus between the foreground and background characters, unknowingly using filmic language before I even knew what it was.
From a very early age I was thinking critically about filmmaking from a technical standpoint, watching films with my dad and my uncle, both certified cinephiles. Without being too cliché but not denying who I am or being embarrassed, the moment that really codified my passion was seeing The Dark Knight in theaters when I was about 14. The feeling, the scale, the intensity, the nuance. I had never felt such depth from any piece of art before and it absolutely blew me away. I knew I needed to devote my life to whatever that was, somehow.
After that I started assisting my dad on his shoots and learning the physical process of production. On one of those shoots where my dad was the cinematographer, I was watching the monitor as he set up a medium shot in handheld and was transfixed. I saw all of the variables in front of me that came together to make the image and it hit me like lightning. It felt like the perfect mix of artistry and technology.
I ended up at Chapman University, getting my degree in Cinematography. After school, I worked on loads of projects from commercials to features as a PA, on G/E team, camera team and everything in between. All the while I was making no-budget music videos for my friend’s band that was starting to make waves in the LA indie scene. Like me, The Marías are all LA locals, and happen to be some of my oldest and closest friends. Those humble little projects changed all of our lives and opened up a world of opportunities.
Lately, my focus has shifted away from music videos and I’ve fallen in love with non-fiction. I think because of my DIY creative upbringing, I’m able to handle the demanding work conditions that come with the territory. From music docs under Live Nation Productions to an independent nature documentary series in South Africa, where I’m currently answering these questions.
I ultimately want to end up back in narrative work, but I love being in the world too much. I see the artifice in narrative too clearly, which pushes me further into complex documentary subject matters. I also get such a thrill being a stranger, wandering around a new place. Through the challenges and travel that come with the territory, I’ve discovered a lot about myself and the relationship I want to have with the world.

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?
The film industry has a way of making you question your worth constantly, and that’s hit me harder than I expected given my struggles with anxiety and depression. I’ve had to do a lot of work on keeping my mental health in a good place. Truthfully, I am constantly disillusioned by the business. To succeed in it is to be willing to get your heart and mind broken over and over again. The pressure, rejection, and toxic comparative behavior make me want to give up all the time.
To combat this, reading a lot, exercising regularly, starting my own creative projects instead of waiting to get the call, and enjoying time with loved ones has been immensely helpful. Through all of it, I’d say the most valuable lesson I’ve learned (and the hardest to implement) is to actually take a break when I have the chance. I used to wear myself out with awful sleeping habits and a self-deprecating inner monologue, which resulted in me feeling less satisfied in all aspects of my life. Burnout isn’t a badge anyone should be proud to wear. Learning to actually rest when I have the chance has been key, both for my work and for how I treat myself. Now that those habits are being managed, I feel like the quality of my work has improved, my interpersonal relationships are healthier, and most importantly, my relationship with myself is a lot more gentle.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I direct, edit, and shoot music videos and documentaries. I love directing because it’s the only time I feel fully like myself, like I get to utilize everything I love about who I am. My secret weapon though is editing. Except for one project, I have edited every single piece I’ve ever made, both a blessing and a curse. Getting into a flow, finding new ways to get a feeling out of the footage, it’s so much fun to find the “game” the footage wants you to play with it. Everything from the texture to the pace have unseen rules embedded into them, and finding out the secret to a harmonious arrangement is thrilling to me.
I guess the work I’m most well known for are the music videos I did for The Marías during the Superclean era. With absolutely no money and a lot of teamwork, we made some really beautiful videos. Especially “Ruthless”—it was just me shooting and directing with my AC Carolina Rodriguez, filming the band on three different boats simultaneously. I have no idea how we pulled it off in eight hours, but we did somehow and I think it’s my favorite that I made with them.
I’m really proud of this little spot I did for a UK-based clothing brand, Blacksmith, because of the message I infused into the piece. I’ve been wrestling with what it means to be a man these days. What does quiet, confident masculinity look like when the default connotation is often misogyny? My goal was to show a type of masculinity that wasn’t a caricature, and there was real catharsis I felt throughout making it that came through in the final piece.
Something I’ve heard people tell me is that I’m able to make others comfortable. On set I prefer to work by committee, always seeking out ideas from the people I collaborate with. I want my crew and creative partners to feel heard and recognized for the talented people they are, not just hired bodies. At the end of the day, if we aren’t respecting each other and having fun, what’s the fucking point?

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was a really silly kid. From an early age I was always joking around, doing bits and voices. Humor is the primary love language in my family and we’re constantly making each other laugh, not at the expense of anyone, just being idiots together. It would get me in trouble though, since I was always getting thrown out of class for making my friends laugh. Much to the ire of my teachers, I was a smart-ass but still a pretty good student.
I had this incredible ability to entertain myself for hours. My mom still says I’d never get bored if I were stranded alone on some small island—I’d keep myself entertained. Whether I was getting lost in video game worlds or hacking my Nintendo DS to play pirated games, I was always diving deep into whatever captured my imagination. Music played a huge role too—I was in choral groups from middle school through sophomore year of college and even starred in a few high school musicals.
Looking back, I think what defined me was this intense curiosity and ability to become completely absorbed in whatever fascinated me. I had a lot of emotion, and I still have a lot of emotion, but I can’t deny the whimsy embedded in my DNA. I could get completely absorbed in whatever caught my attention, whether it was creating elaborate worlds or figuring out how to break the rules of my video games. I was always following my curiosity wherever it took me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ianlipton.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianlipton/

Image Credits
BTS of me in the desert by Laiken Joy @laikenjoy, B/W portrait by Qurissy @qurissy