At New York Art Life, we are devoted to bringing you stories of amazing artists who are changing the game in their career industry. Through countless submissions, we carefully choose one to bring inspiration to our audience. Today we will be speaking to an individual who has contributed so much to the film industry, bringing new change to the camera and beyond with his perspective. His name is Kerwin Escobar, a photographer, and expert in all things about cameras and filmmaking.
NY Art Life: Thank you so much for sitting with us for this interview. We’re very excited to speak to you about your inspiring accomplishments.
Kerwin Escobar: Thank you, the pleasure is mine.
NY Art Life: You do a lot with cameras, having so much experience knowing about them and being able to be part of so many different projects. You also handle different aspects of filmmaking such as gaffing, photography, focus pulling, and being a camera operator. What is your favorite thing about your work?
Kerwin Escobar: That’s true. I’m just thrilled to work with cameras and be around the world of production daily. I think being able to show the world my perspective and the way I see everything is the best gift I can give. This is what I’m passionate about doing. I also love being part of a production with its own universe, and the amazing cast and crew that I get to work with. But I’m always thinking about the ways I can work with cameras and how to do it memorably.
NY Art Life: You also have an impressive proficiency in cameras and their many types. I know that the cameras you can work with and are fluent in are over ten types; ARRI Alexa Mini, ARRI Alexa Mini LF, ARRI Amira, and ARRI Classic, to name a few. What’s your advice to people working in your industry when it comes to learning and applying their technique to their craft?
Kerwin Escobar: Something I believe in is knowing the tools you use to create your masterpiece. We use a camera as the main instrument that shows others our perspective. So it is clearly very important to know everything about all cameras and what they do, and how it will work with what we want to achieve. I’d also say that in the process of learning about cameras and slowly experimenting with them in your craft, you will be able to develop your style which is extremely important in this field!
NY Art Life:: Great insight. Let’s jump into your projects because I can’t wait to hear your take on them. Most recently you did photography at the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, which is one of the greatest places to be in the film and production world. How was it like snapping the best moments of that event?
Kerwin Escobar: It was definitely a unique experience, capturing moments of people who have created so many great masterpieces and also connecting with many colleagues. I think the art of photography is one of the most powerful ones in connecting people one-on-one.
NY Art Life: That is true. More commonly though, you work with the production crew in making content such as feature films, shows, and commercials. Most recently, you were the camera operator for “Indeed: Opal Lee Career Talk” which is very inspiring. How was it working on such an incredible project?
Kerwin Escobar: Working on projects that reflect reality like talk shows or film festivals have a certain rawness and reality to them that are entirely different than feature films and commercials. It’s beautiful being in the world of filmmaking and camera work and seeing that difference and being able to create it.
NY Art Life: You are totally right. It’s amazing. Some of my favorite work that you did was as a 1st AC in a few different features, shorts, and commercials. You were responsible for the amazing work in “Induced” the feature, whose director of photography was Qasim Barnes. The work in that feature was very intricate and detailed. You also did the focus pulling in “Still Got Game” the short film shot in New York, and so is the work you presented in the commercial for Axonius with Simone Biles. That commercial received a lot of praise because of its amazing camera work and how many impressions it got. You have such a great range of different projects. Tell us about your process, it’s very inspiring to people who look up to your offering.
Kerwin Escobar: Thank you, all of those projects were very important and special to me. I am definitely on board with you about the difference in technique when it comes to different projects. The entire perspective and pacing changes when the duration of a film is different, and that goes for the style as well. A lot of things depend on the lighting, the sounds, and the narrative, and when I shift from specific projects to others, I always keep in mind the perspective I want to have, and that usually informs my style and the way I handle the cameras and work with my crew. I think it’s a great way to be part of projects and to see the way all parties contribute to the final project.
NY Art Life: You were also the 1st camera assistant for the feature film Armstrong, directed by Lex Macon which was widely appreciated and won awards. And you did camera assisting for T.I.M.E, a short film that was so impactful, and quite different from the other films you worked on. You even were the Still Photographer in an award-winning campaign called A Mother’s Work. That commercial won the AAF Gold – Social Media campaign. And you were behind the scenes for the commercial Make Room for Creativity, the winner of AAF Bronze, Internet Commercial. You have received the recognition you deserve. Do you have advice for artists who hope to rise to levels as far as yourself?
Kerwin Escobar: Thank you! I appreciate the kind words and your knowledge of my work. Those projects were very important to me. I advise artists and people in film to learn about the craft and to create as much as they can. It is truly a way of pushing yourself to new levels and learning things you did not know you can do.
Because I believe creativity has no limit or end, and it is all about finding new ideas on the horizon.
NY Art Life: You have such great ideas and an understanding of perspective, which is definitely the basis of what you do. Let’s end on this note.
Kerwin Escobar: Thank you, yes, let’s.
