Meet Blair Madigan | Director of Photography & Camera Operator

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

Hi Blair, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Work life balance is one of the most challenging part of being in the film industry. I have missed a lot of friends and family events because of work scheduling. Now that I am a husband and father i have changed my balance more towards life than work. Life is too short and you only get a some moments in life once so I have taken that into account. I think its also important to step back from your work so you avoid burning out creatively and emotionally.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My purpose for being a cinematographer is to share visuals that bring people entertainment. I really enjoy making documentaries where I get to work with real people and help visually tell their story. I get excited about the adventures that comes with making tv or movies. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to travel to some unique places and meet a lot of different people.

What separates me from others is the ability to collaborate with a multitude of people and being able to be flexible in less than ideal situations. Whether it’s camping on top of a mountain in Brazil for 3 days, filming Ice Road Truckers in below zero temperatures or filming alligator hunters in hot, humid, mosquito land Louisiana – I am still excited to be there in the moment capturing people’s real life experiences. Although these experiences weren’t easy, I am able to overcome these challenges by focusing on being in the moment with that person (or people) and telling their story through a creative lens.

Some lessons I learned along the way are to always keep an open mind. You can do as much research as you want, but in the moment things may not line up and it might not come out how you had it in your head, but keeping an open mind and being ready to make a quick change can prevent you from failing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Im a westside kind of person. I stick to the beach and the west of the 405. We would start out having breakfast burritos at Great White (Venice) right by the Venice sign, coffee at Mennotti’s and then go on a beach bike ride on the bike path. If I’m not getting breakfast burritos, then I’m stopping at Sidecar Donuts. Later, we’ll hit up The Shack in Playa del Rey for some good beer and cheeseburgers. We’d end our night at Scopa with some good Italian eats and cocktails.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The first person that comes to mind is my Mom. She was the one that raised me to be the person that I am today. Her love and encouragement played a huge role in me being where I am in my life and career. She bought me my first computer where i taught myself to edit and start making my creative videos but I think the most important thing she taught me was how to be respectful to others. She was a big advocate of the golden rule “treat others how you want to be treated”

Website: https://www.blairmadigan.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blair-madigan-55a64611/