Meet Valfrie Tabian Jr: Cinematographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Valfrie Tabian Jr and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Valfrie, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Personally, taking a risk is going outside your comfort zone and taking control of that moment. how its been affecting my life/career so far is a different thing because its been ups and down, and i believe thats normal for someone who just started again from scratch, and in my field of industry its never easy to start fresh. I started my career 6 years ago as a filmmaker and leaving my career back home was a tough decision, it was a leap of faith, as an artist i wanted to to push myself because back home i have no idea how to improve myself and how i can achieve my goals artistically and in life. It will never be easy, its a long way to go but with hard work and persistency, it can be achieved.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a cinematographer, basically im in charge on executing the director’s vision according to his/her script, treatment etc. that means i have to collaborate with different people in different departments to achieve the goal. Normally, a director has it own vision about the look of the film and my job is to find a way to improve it or put my style into it, like any other profession there are pros and cons. In addition to that, im also in charge of choosing what camera to use or lens to use, lights and other technical equipments. Every project is a different experience, you work with different people all the time, personally thats the most exciting part about this job, its never the same every single project i go to. The thrill of solving a problem, finding solutions what makes something work during the pre-production is one thing i always look forward, once thats done everything should be good. Getting into this industry like i said was very difficult. It’s like starting a business nobody knows and next thing you know the bank is behind you with your loan, it may sound harsh as it is but its the truth. There were times that i have to work more than 24 hours just to cope up with everything simultaneously. One of the obstacles is time management, imagine preparing 2 or 3 projects at the same time and consecutive shooting schedules. second, physically and mentally you need to figure out these things as well, over fatigue is a huge problem this can affect your work. But one thing i learned during my film school here in NYFA LA, is that hiring the best people in the industry and you can focus on your work. As a cinematographer, you have at least 2 or 3 departments to delegate besides collaborating with other department heads, producers and the director, making sure that your vision for the lighting and the camera comes into play. Now choosing the people who would work under you is very important. As I mentioned before about being true to yourself, extending yourself to other people is very important, creating a solid team to achieve one goal. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, i wanna thank my family especially my parents, whos been very supportive of my career path. I’ve learned so much in life through their hard work and leadership that i never would have imagine that i could apply it to my work as a filmmaker. To my 3 siblings whos been there whenever i needed comfort and advice. I also want to thank my professors in NYFA LA Cinematography department, who taught me not only cinematography but also giving yourself a chance to be a better person in film sets and in life. Finally, I wanna thank the people i worked with during my first few years in the industry back home for guiding me in this crazy business we have. In this kind of industry, one thing i learned the most important is be true to yourself and your craft, everything you do would always reflect on your work.

Website: www.valfriecine.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valfriecine/

Image Credits
Valfrie Tabian jr