CAREERS
INTERVIEW Nicola Foley
Lawrence Sher ASC is an American cinematographer and film director best known for his work on Joker, The Hangover and Garden State. He’s recently completed filming Joker: Folie à Deux, and is president of the 2023 FilmLight Colour Awards jury
Definition: How did you get into filmmaking, and what was your route into the industry? Lawrence Sher: It started with a small interest in photography via my dad. He was a doctor, but had a real passion for still photography. He lent me a camera once for a school trip – I took a bunch of pictures, and I was emboldened by the fact they didn’t stink! It was exciting to look through a lens and think about composition and creativity through that
medium. When I went to college, I took a class there that really re-lit that spark – and then it was off to the races. I felt 100% that I wanted to be a filmmaker – and due to my interest in photography, cinematography felt like a natural place for me. I graduated as an economics major, moved to LA and tried to find my way into camera departments as a camera assistant. I took any chance I could to work on sets and to learn on my
own – I was always taking pictures and trying to teach myself cinematography, finding chances to shoot. I was taking any job, trying to figure out how to do this thing that I was really passionate about – and I just sort of worked my way up. Def: What would your top piece of advice be for somebody hoping to break into the industry? LS: It’s really two things: it’s perseverance and it’s patience. The people I know that
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