Meet Ryan Pavone | Director of Photography & Editor

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

Hi Ryan, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I view risk taking as a crucial part of growth within any career. For me, it is important to try and balance the tradeoff between risk and reward, so that I can make a calculated decision on whether or not the added risk will prove beneficial to my personal and professional goals in the long run. Any decision that you make where the outcome is unknown will inherently contain some amount of risk. Am I able to live up to the expectations of this client? Do I have the funds to invest in a piece of equipment or support myself while I pursue my passion? Should I move to a new city to follow my dreams? In making these types of decisions, you are forcing yourself to take a leap of faith, but if you do your due diligence and make sure that you are answering these types of questions from a place of experience and deliberation instead of just “winging it”, you’ll open yourself up to opportunities that you never would have had if you played it safe. Comfort is an inhibitor of growth, expand your comfort zone through calculated risk taking and bet on yourself and your business.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I love to shoot anything that involves high energy and action. I originally got into filmmaking by shooting videos of the action sports and adventures I would do with my friends, and I think that passion has really carried over into the work I do today. I’m not scared of the spontinaety or challenge that comes with shooting action, and would gladly trek into remote locations with minimal support to capture something that feels new and exciting to audiences. I recently wrapped up an automotive spec project that I shot with help from a few friends of mine. It was a real challenge dealing with location issues and finding ways to rig the camera to get the shots that I wanted, but I thrive under that kind of pressure and love the reward of pulling off a shot was technically or logistically difficult to get in the first place. There’s also a lot of benefit to being diligent in pre-production. If you are shooting something that is slow and drawn out, there’s a lot more room to hide error than with something that is constantly moving. It takes more overall coverage and planning to make sure that you are set up for success and have what you need to work with in post.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If you had a whole week to spend in Los Angeles I’ve always thought that the best way to do it would be to split it up by area. I’d tell them to do a day in Hollywood walking the walk of fame, hiking up to the Hollywood sign and checking out some of the museums. I’ve always personally loved the Academy Museum and Griffith Observatory. This would also be a great spot to catch a concert if there’s someone good playing (which is almost always in LA). I’m a big fan of the Westside, so I think you’d need 2-3 days to hike in Malibu, go to the beach in Manhattan, walk the Venice strip and shop/eat around Santa Monica and Abbot Kinney. Then I’d spend a day walking the neighborhoods of Beverly Hills and window shopping Rodeo before doing some actual shopping at the Beverly Center or the Grove. I know there’s a lot of fun things to do in the Silver Lake or Echo Park areas so you could also do a day over there and try to hit the Huntington Gardens near Pasadena even though that’s a little out of the way. Last, you’d have to do a day in either Disneyland or Universal Studios because you’re on vacation so why not.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to the production company I work for, FS Media, for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to develop my skills and learn the ins and outs of the film industry. They have always been fully supportive of my aspirations and provided me with the network, equipment and structure to do what I love full-time. I’d also like to shoutout the friends that I have made in this industry for giving me unwaivering support and encouragement in my work and helping me learn from their successes and failures. Surround yourself with people more talented than you are and you will achieve your goals in a fraction of the time.

Website: https://www.ryanpavonemedia.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryan_pavone/?hl=en

Image Credits
Sarah Selvig
Made Wild Creative
Matt Ronder-Seid
Blake Wilson