Meet Rich Gilliam: Editor & Cinematographer

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

Hi Rich, why did you pursue a creative career?
When I was growing up I was obsessed with movies. I spent so much time watching them which gave me the idea to pick up a camera and start figuring out how they work and the whole process of making any kind of video content. Years and years later I’m still learning with every project and growing my skill set in ways that other artistic endeavors have not satisfied. It may not be the easiest or most lucrative career path but it’s something I’ve found a knack for and really enjoyable, it does take up time which is such a precious commodity, but putting that time into working on projects really is a fulfilling experience for me and I’m grateful to have worked on each project I’ve been a part of while meeting and collaborating with such talented individuals along the way.

It’s been one of the only constant interests that still captivates and inspires me. I love the visual medium and storytelling in general. Putting a film together has always given me a great sense of joy and pride when watching the finished product, as well as the motivation to keep pushing myself to create art.

The aspects of film production encompass so many different pieces which is another thing that’s always interested me so much. The combination of so many factors adds a lot of collaboration between talented individuals who are all working towards the same end goal and it’s always great to see everyone working together and being a part of a team. I enjoy learning at least the base skills to see how everything is done and being able to help out in other areas out of my expertise which is cinematography and editing whenever I can.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
It’s hard to pick a specific project to single out. In 2019 a feature film I edited was released and that was a really big accomplishment for me personally. It was a real joy to work on something with friends and have it be a check off the list of things I’ve wanted to do. It was also a tremendous learning experience in every category, being on the set watching how much care and work goes into each aspect was a really cool thing to sit and watch, especially seeing the footage in the monitor and getting the gears turning on how it’s all going to come together.

On that set was one of the first times I actually felt like I knew what I was doing simply on the idea that some scenes I’d watch being filmed and then be able to pretty much piece it together in my head shot by shot. For the most part I typically edit projects that I shoot unless it’s a freelance gig so this was a big opportunity to really work on something that was different from the norm for me and I really wanted to challenge myself to do the best work I could which the final product is something I’m extremely proud to have been a part of.

I think these days I’m more excited about what is to come in the future once we get back into a more normal groove as a society. Have some projects I’m working on personally as well as ones I’m collaborating on with friends which I can’t wait to get to work on and start piecing more things together.

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.
I’m the worst tour guide, so I probably would be asking them for the most part what they wanted to do while they’re in town.

There’s always the regular tourist spots, and places from movies. Like the Burger King from the finale of Fast and the Furious, super cool stuff. But really I would probably rather just spend the time hanging out with whoever it was and enjoying the company of friends instead of running around town, have always found that more enjoyable. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Really I would credit my family and friends as I think a lot of people would. My family has always been really supportive of all my artistic pursuits. I really wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. My friends growing up and ones I’ve made as an adult have always been down to help with filming projects. Whether it be acting in it, helping with audio or lighting, or even just lending an extra hand wherever needed.

There’s lots of specific people to thank and they all know who they are, people who have always been down to help with whatever I was working on at the time and it’s something that I’ve always appreciated and felt very fortunate to have found such a good and inspiring group of people to be around.

Website: https://richgilliam.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-gilliam-19901b78/

Image Credits
Ben Zucker