Meet Drew Ganyer | Cinematographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Drew Ganyer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Drew, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
As a cinematographer, diversification has been the most important factor in my success. I work on a wide range of projects including narrative, commercial, music video, documentary and activations. This has led to having a wide network, which means there’s always someone with a cool project coming up for me to jump on and help with. When one area is slow another is busy. This has led to consistent work over my career. It has also been valuable because I’m able to take lessons learned on one type of project and apply them to other areas of my work.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
First and foremost I’m a creative problem solver, I have taken that talent and applied it to the field of cinematography. My work is very diverse but I always try to find a point of view to approach with. When lighting I tend to lean into naturalism. I like being a team player and love finding a director who has a project they are passionate about that I can help them bring to life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m currently in the Thai Town/Los Feliz area but when I first landed in LA I was living in Santa Monica. I loved going running on the beach, Tacos Por Favor was my go to food spot and DK’s donuts is legendary, whenever I’m back on the west side I try to make it to at least one of those places. Now days you’ll find me hiking up to the Griffith Observatory, grabbing a pastry at Friends and Family or in the stands at Dodgers stadium.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
With Mother’s Day just around the corner I’d have to say my mom. She’s an artist and a craftsperson and her example is what made me choose a career path in the arts. When I was in middle school she had a small darkroom installed in our house. She was always working on different artistic projects and experimenting with new techniques and mediums. When I was young she was a master printer for etchings and I’m struck by the parallels between that and being a cinematographer. Both require a delicate balance of technical and artistic skills, in both instances you are working with an artist (director) to help create their vision and to also add a touch of your own style.

Website: https://www.drewganyer.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/drewganyer