Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Le.
Hi Alex, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started out making little Youtube skits as a kid with my siblings on my dad’s Nikon CoolPix. I just loved creating videos. Going into high school, I took a film class so that I could make better Youtube videos which was the start of my passion for filmmaking. My film teacher, Tania Romero, or T-Ro as we called her, brought me onto a film set as a PA for her short film over the summer before my junior year. I was ecstatic just to be on a working film set! I loved learning about all the possible crew positions I could do. It was after my documentary got into SXSW, that I decided I wanted to pursue filmmaking as a career. I attended UT Austin’s Radio-TV-Film program where I really wanted to be an editor. However, as I began editing for other people I realized it wasn’t for me so I started doing videography for events and weddings. Then COVID hit. Everything shut down, school went online and there was nothing to do. With all the free time I had, I decided to study cinematography. Countless Youtube videos, articles, books, whatever I could find. I started to work on productions in the G&E department where I really honed in my lighting skills. While doing that, I still shot stuff on the side. It wasn’t until I shot a spec commercial where my career started to gain traction. From there I just kept shooting and shooting, never letting off the gas until I started getting hired as a cinematographer.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wish I could say it has been a smooth road. During the rise of my career, I faced a lot of ageism. Which I understand, I was a 21 year old that looked like I was 17, I wouldn’t hire me either. I’ve lost jobs after a producer or director found out how old I was. It was heartbreaking. I also lacked confidence which made me quite shy on set. I feel like that really hindered my ability to network and stand out on set. As time went on, I gained more confidence and practiced my social skills which I’m proud of. I try to remind myself how lucky I am to be doing this for a living.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Director of Photography. I would say my specialty is in lighting. Coming from a lighting background, I have the most fun when I’m able to really paint with light. Makes me feel like an artist ya know. I’m known for my moody cinematography and dynamic camera movement. Honestly, I’m most proud of the short documentary I made of my grandma that got into SXSW back in 2018. It was my first project I made by myself and I was able to share such an inspiring story on the big screen. Witnessing my grandma in the theater feeling like a celebrity was one of the most rewarding things I’ve experienced as a filmmaker. What sets me apart from others is that I know how to work efficiently while maintaining quality. I also try to stay as calm and stress-free as much as possible.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can reach out to me either on instagram @alexledp or email me at alex@alexledp.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alexledp.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/alexledp
