Today we’d like to introduce you to Charlie Pearce.
Hi Charlie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I had first graduated from UT-Austin with a double major in Photojournalism and Radio. Television. Film, I was intent on finding a job as a photojournalist. As luck would have it, most newspapers and traditional outlets at the time were struggling to make the digital transition and were reducing staff. Bad timing. I needed a new plan.
From my college experience, I had always admired the technical prowess and scale at which cinematographers work and always thought it was something I could do. I decided to lean into my R.T.F. degree and started working as a freelance Lighting Technician in Austin’s budding production scene. Next thing I knew, I had worked my way up and spent several years as a Chief Lighting Technician on commercials and indie films. Those years really helped me cut my teeth. I made a lot of connections and really sharpened my lighting, communication, and leadership skills.
While working as a CLT on larger scale productions, I was developing my eye as a cinematographer on low-budget projects and student films on the side. As these side projects got bigger and paid better, it got to the point that I finally felt I had made the right connections and developed my skills enough to transition into being a cinematographer and Director of Photography full time.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Certainly, I consider myself lucky, but I wouldn’t say it’s been easy.
The realities of the industry have made me question my life choices along the way—early call times, 15 hours days, unprepared productions, and impossible schedules and expectations can really take the wind out of your sails. Granted, not every production is like this. When considering projects, I’ve learned to trust my gut and spot the red flags early.
Like all freelance artistic endeavors, rejection has been an unavoidable part of the game. Whether it’s another cinematographer getting the job or maybe a completed project that can’t get traction after months of hard work—thick skin is a must. It’s inevitable and bound to happen at every stage of a career. I’ve learned to not linger in these moments and keep an eye on my larger goals.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I work as a freelance Director of Photography specializing in commercial, documentary, and narrative cinematography. It’s my job to lead the lighting and camera departments and work closely with the director in order to create a film’s visual style through lighting, composition, lensing, exposure, and camera movement.
I’m most proud of my versatility, efficiency, and my optimistic and collaborative nature. It’s one thing to get the job done, but another to get the job done on time, on budget, and with the crew’s spirit still intact and fulfilled.
Aside from my on-set demeanor. I am known around town for my evocative handheld camera work and realistic and expressionistic lighting.
My personal aesthetic paired with my collaborative nature and ‘story first’ mentality are what set me apart from other DP’s.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Growing up, National Geographic Magazine sparked my original interest in photography.
As I began to study photography at UT, the works of photojournalists W. Eugene Smith and Eli Reed really poured fuel on my fire and gave me a lot of inspiration. Through them, I learned that photography is not just about creating a pretty image, but more importantly, it’s an extremely efficient, universal, and humanizing form of storytelling.
In my previsualization phase, I use a movie screenshot database called ShotDeck in order to brainstorm a project’s style and to ultimately create a Lookbook so I can easily communicate aesthetic references to the director and crew.
I also utilize a handful of apps on set to help me frame the scene, track the sun, create color pallets, and track other qualities of the photography.
Contact Info:
- Email: cbpearce90@gmail.com
- Website: www.CharliePearceDP.com
- Instagram: cpearce_dp
Image Credits:
The personal photo is used with permission and shot by Taylor Kokas. All other photos are frame grabs from past project I have served as the director of photography
