Meet Janak Panchal | Cinematographer & Colorist

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

Hi Janak, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born and raised in Mumbai, India. I began my journey into the creative arts after getting introduced to a DSLR camera when I was 14. I started experimenting with images, learning how color impacted what I shot. This interest slowly grew into watching more films and learning more about films. Watching how beautifully the films are shot and colored intrigued me to aspire the same goal. I later joined a film school named ‘Whistling Woods International’ for my undergraduate degree. This facilitated me with learning more about colors, its history, its importance and its meaning. This led me to practise my theoretical knowledge into real life by working on various projects as a Cinematographer and Colorist. After moving to LA, I joined New York Film Academy which really helped me enhance my skills as a Cinematographer and Colorist by learning from leading industry professionals such as Anthony Richmond, David Armstrong and Natasha Leonnet.

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.
As a cinematographer, I have been fortunate enough to work on multiple projects as a Cinematographer. One of my highlights as a Cinematographer was filming a music video for Raja Kumari which was even showcased on the Times Square at New York City. I have also filmed for Mr. Rahul Gandhi and his team which has been a remarkable experience. One of the films I worked on as a cinematographer was ‘Youna’ which won the best national woman film award at Nepal Cultural International Film Festival in 2023. What sets me apart as a cinematographer is also having an immense knowledge of color which helps in creating a very distinct color palette for the film. As a colorist, I have been coloring for Enes Yilmazer and each of the episodes have been quite phenomenal to work on. They have also been given an audience honor award at the Shorty Awards. Having colored multiple short films, they have been selected at a number of Academy qualifying film festivals. I colored the film ‘Kryptonite’ which was selected at the Academy qualifying Heartland Film festival.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of my most favorite places in Los Angeles is the Griffith Observatory so visiting the place during sunset would be the perfect idea. Another great place to visit would be Malibu with its beautiful beaches, amazing restaurants and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. An ideal restaurant which crosses my mind is Madeo for having Italian food. Going around, looking at all the touristy spots in LA sounds like a great idea for a week’s trip.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to start off with someone who has helped me understand consistency and the idea of discipline and the person is Enes Yilmazer. I have learnt so many things from him but what really pushed me forward was learning discipline and the idea of going forward no matter what. What I’ve learned is no matter how rough things become, it is important to keep pushing forward because if not, you will be stuck at the same set of circumstances. I would also like to mention my parents for constantly supporting me throughout my journey. They have been there at all times making sure my spirits are high.

Website: www.janakpanchal.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janakpanchal_/

Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13321174/bio/ 

Image Credits
Beatriz Pinha Emily Roberts