Meet Kenneth Stipe | Director of Photography

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

Hi Kenneth, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was the third child born in my family in Connecticut. After my mother and father divorced, my mother decided to take three kids to the U.S. Virgin Islands to live. There, my mother was a writer and photo journalist as well as the editor of a local newspaper. My sister was an artist and brother was a musician. The creative arts was introduced to me at the earliest age. The beauty surrounding me growing up in the Caribbean was no doubt an influence on my sense of color and light. I used to look at my surroundings through my mother’s old Nikon camera before I knew how to use it. As I grew into a young teen, the Hong Kong Martial Arts cinema was wildly popular in the local culture. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a home movie camera and create my own Kung Fu movies. It wasn’t until I moved to Los Angeles at 17 years old that this became more of a reality.

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.
Unlike many other industry professionals in Los Angeles, I had no family ties in the business. Essentially I was starting from scratch. I attended film classes at various colleges, took work in motion picture labs (Yale Labs and Fotokem). All the while, I was out with my friends making super 8 fight films. It wasn’t until I was accepted to The American Film Institute that I was able to seriously make a push in the business. Upon leaving AFI, work was extremely hard to find. After all, I was a young ambitious former film student with no ties in the business. I started to find work as a dolly grip, electrician and gaffer for other’s films. It was long before I made a conscious decision to only accept work as a cinematographer. Even if it was student films, I did not think it was the right move to be pigeon-holed in any position other than DP. I think what sets my work apart is the understanding of telling a story visually. On any given project, the script is my bible. The script informs the lighting and shot selection. Telling the story visually is my forte. It’s not about how “pretty” the lighting is. It’s whether it tells the story well.

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.
A best friend visiting Los Angeles must visit one of my film sets. Beyond that, I’d have to show them Hollywood, Santa Monica, take them through the canyons of Malibu. I live in Silver Lake and would, of course, have to take them to Astros! The turkey burger is to die for! Another great place to see the view is at Yamashiro’s Restaurant. It’s been remodeled with outdoor seating and the city view is amazing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Heavy influences have shaped my career. From my mother as a photo journalist to friends that have inspired me to keep pushing toward my goals. One movie in particular was a heavy influence on me as a young aspiring cinematographer. “Blade Runner” was a masterpiece in modern science fiction. That movie was a triumph in lighting, set design, special effects and music score. Having seen that movie over and over sealed my decision to pursue a cinematography career.

Website: www.kennethstipe.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/dpken

Other: My demo reel: https://vimeo.com/user191164788?embedded=false&source=owner_portrait&owner=191164788

Image Credits
Matt Jong Photo The Family Business TV series