Meet Sofia Riccio | Cinematographer
We had the good fortune of connecting with Sofia Riccio and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Sofia, why did you pursue a creative career?
From the beginning, my goal has been to help people. I wasn’t sure whether that was physically healing people with medicine, educating the next generation by teaching, or guiding people through difficult times with art. It wasn’t until I was put through my own difficult time dealing with several bilateral knee surgeries when I was a teenager that I realized the true power that art can have. I didn’t have much to do besides sit around, so I watched movies, lots of them, and afterward, I would watch the behind-the-scenes videos that came with the film. Slowly, after watching hundreds of hours of these, and after getting back on my feet (literally), a career in film seemed like the exact right choice.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is real life. Unintentionally, my artistic style has developed over the years into realistic visuals and colors, and even when the script veers away from the aspect of realism, my visual style combines the other-worldly aspects of the story with grounded aspects of real life. It has not been an easy road; it would be a much easier career move to quit filmmaking and become an accountant or something along those lines. Unfortunately, math is not my strong suit, so I’ll be sticking with cinematography. When things do become difficult, I just have to remind myself why I’m in this business and the people I’m doing it for and with. My family, all of the people who escape and heal from tragedy by watching film, and all of the stories that I have the honor of telling. I’ve been in this business for a couple of years now and I’ve learned more than I can even comprehend about the technical aspects of filmmaking, but the more valuable lessons I’ve learned have been the ones about the human condition and how to create connections with other people on a level that exceeds film and the day-to-day life, and that has been my most important take-away from all of this so far.
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’ve only lived in LA for about a year and a half, and I haven’t had too much time to check things out, but I would start at the beach. Probably Santa Monica and the pier, of course, then maybe go up to some of the Malibu beaches. Griffith observatory, too, we would park down the hill in the late afternoon and walk up for the sunset and some stargazing. I’m a huge Mendocino Farms fan, so we would go there at least once, and Salt and Straw for some unique flavors of ice cream. A studio tour at either Warner Brothers, Paramount, or Sony would be a must, and a hike up to the top of the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook at sunset to end the trip.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people to shoutout, but number one has to be my family. Supportive since day one, they have always been my biggest cheerleaders in whatever I do, the most honest and constructive about my work, and the ones who never fail to make me laugh no matter what negative things are going on in my life or in the world. They are my motivation to keep going. Second, are all of the directors who have entrusted me with their work and their vision, it takes a huge village to make a film, and at the forefront of that (especially at the independent level) is the director. It’s their trust, vulnerability, and pure love of the craft that pushes me to do my best work. Third, I would like to shoutout the teachers and professors, past, present, and future, in my life. It’s their willingness and selflessness to mentor the upcoming generation of filmmakers and human beings that have given me so many opportunities in this business.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sofiaricccio/ https://www.instagram.com/_sofiariccio_/#
Image Credits
Miranda Cardenas, Sam Catanzaro, Bea del Pozo, Patrick McCrossen
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