In the second episode of our ongoing YouTube series, World Class, Vistek video producer Dale Sood Skypes with Los Angeles-based, Spanish narrative and commercial Director of Photography Jon Aguirresarobe.
Over the course of the hour-long interview, they discuss the shooting & lighting techniques Jon incorporates when filming comedy as well as sharing many valuable tips & insights for up and coming filmmakers.
Chapter Time Stamps
1:23 – Jon’s Backstory
5:41 – Art History, and its importance in cinematography
9:25 – Art direction & working with the Art Department
11:56 – How to Shoot & Light for comedy
16:42 – Exposing for comedy /using a light meter
20:35 – Shooting for the edit in comedy
23:22 – How important is it to converse with the Editor in preproduction?
24:43 – Case Study #1 The Gunfighter
31:30 – Case Study #2 Hunter Gatherer
36:54 – Building a visual reference library
39:12 – Equipment used in Hunter Gatherer & Using Filters
43:09 – Shooting double exposure on 16mm film
48:34 – New Feature – Everybody Loves Somebody
52:22 – Early career development advice
54:15 – How to work with various production sizes
57:18 – Parting advice
Jon Aguirresarobe official Website Bio
Director of photography Jon Aguirresarobe’s debut feature film, Hunter Gatherer, premiered to critical acclaim at the 2016 SXSW festival.
The film tells the story of an ex-con trying to win back his old girlfriend after serving a prison sentence. Critics have praised Aguirresarobe’s vivid imagery, shot on digital and 16mm film. The film also aired at the Maryland Film Festival.
Aguirresarobe also recently lensed two upcoming films. People You May Know follows Delia, a 40-something Los Angeles woman who falls pregnant to her best friend, Joe, a gay man. His other film, Everybody Loves Somebody, is a Spanish rom-com directed by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta starring Karla Souza and K.C. Clyde.
His portfolio includes numerous short films including Tras Bambalinas; Werewolves; Blessing in Disguise and The Gunfighter, which received audience awards at the Los Angeles, San Diego and Florida film festivals. Aguirresarobe has also worked with a number of commercial clients such as UNICEF, Epson, Optimum, Idaho Health Care, Blue Cross and Old Mount Hard Cider.
Born in Spain, Aguirresarobe is fluent in Basque, English and Spanish. He studied Fine Arts with a focus on painting and photography at the University of Madrid, while simultaneously contributing to development projects in Algeria and India. He worked as an art director on various commercials and a stills photographer for the Panama embassy in Madrid, before studying cinematography at the American Film Institute.
Based in Los Angeles, Aguirresarobe is represented in the United States by Dattner Dispoto and Associates (DDA).