Meet Joshua Liberitine | Director of photography

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

Hi Joshua, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I think it’s not necessarily about finding a balance, it’s almost more about having a good amount of contrast. I try my best to have designated ‘work’ hours but where I currently am in my career I can only control that so much. I might get a call at 4 in the morning to find a location, picture cars, background extras, art dept. and crew for later that day.

Balance to me Implies I’m not giving it my all. To balance something you must give and take. Anyone who’s ever worked with me knows if I’m onboard a project I’m 100% committed to seeing it thru and the same with home.

I will say recently having a daughter has for sure shifted my priorities and at the same time its pushed me to become much more deliberate with my time and very intentional with my execution.

What’s the end goal?
Becoming an Active member of the ASC is definitely top on the list of career achievements to come. I’m hoping the frames speak for themselves and some sort of rep for cinematographers comes around to show me a few doors I didn’t know existed. I applied for the ASC mentorship and was denied. I plan on applying every year, even if I’m not selected they’ll see my name. Other than that I plan on continuing to grow my production company and eventually start doing my own projects.

Do you have a budget? How do you make lifestyle and spending decisions?
I personally have a pretty strict budget when it comes to myself. 3-4 years ago I bought a few hundred of these black ‘libertine’ outfits. All the same style and embroidered them myself, now I wear that ‘uniform’ daily. As far as the home budget, there isn’t one. My fiance gets everything she needs and so does my daughter. They’re very spoiled.

Risk Taking: How do you think about risk, how has it played a roll in your career?
I take a lot of risks that may seem un-calculated to most but believe me I’ve already thought long and hard about it. Without risk there’s no reward. The bigger the risk the bigger the reward. For majority of jobs I take on I buy something specific for that job. Typically I’ve been waiting to buy whatever that thing is for a few months. I’m just waiting for the right opportunity to pull the trigger. Let’s say my day rate as DP with labor and camera is $3k or something. I might go buy another headset, small battery powered lights or something and hire 2 swings for GE and a PA or BTS person then walk home with almost nothing financially. To me it’s an investment. To most it makes no sense. Hopefully in 10 years when I look back at this interview I can say I made the right choice.

What are a few things that set you apart in your industry?

A few things I’d say sets me apart as a director of photography is

1. Communication
2. finding more creative ways to tell the same story
3. Being more than a DP on set
4. The drive to execute todays tasks better than yesterdays
5. collaborative & resourceful
6. Diversified portfolio

To get where I am now definitely came with its set of challenges, each and every one of them different in their own ways. There’s even been a few times where productions skip out on the bill and I end up paying out crew and extras directly out of my own pocket. One lesson that I learned is you can’t rush your process and there’s no such thing as luck just stay prepared for your opportunity.  I can’t wait to see what’s in store on the way to where I’m going. I’m also one of the few DP’s who owns cameras, lenses, Grip & Lighting trucks. I’m also a scuba diver. Fun fact my first underwater DP gig was filming Olympic gold medalist Michael Andrew with the assistance of Sean Ruggeri for NLE Choppa, directed by Evan Aparicio.

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?
I love art and random adventures. There’s hidden gems everywhere across the city.  I’d say you should rent a bike or scooter for the day and travel around LA without a destination in mind. you’d be surprised what you’ll find, stop at the random stores/shops in between. Those usually have more character than the bigger boxes and those are the ones that ACTUALLY need us to come by.  

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’d like to thank my crew. Without my team I literally couldn’t do what it is I do. I have one immediate circle that I heavily depend on when it’s crunch time. If at all I’m given the privilege to choose my crew more times than not, producers already know who I’m going to.

Website: joshualibertine.com

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

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

Image Credits
Director of Photography: Joshua Libertine