Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie LeCluyse.
Hi Katie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Becoming who I am as an artist today has been an unconventional journey. I started off at an all-girls college prep school in the Midwest on track to becoming a research scientist.
Then, one day, I was inspired to start a career as a filmmaker. I had always been interested in the arts, particularly music, theater, and photography, so I guess going into filmmaking made sense in my head to a degree. It has been an amazing journey so far, being able to tap into my creative side.
I am extremely grateful for my friends and family who have endlessly supported me along the way. Being where I am right now, about to graduate with a BFA in Film and Television from SCAD and head to Atlanta to continue my film career, would not have been possible without them or the work ethic that I’ve developed along the way.
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?
There have definitely been struggles along the way. I feel as though it will always be like that in filmmaking, as anyone who is familiar with that industry knows. But particularly in my story, I’d say one of my biggest struggles was being thrown into everything with no prior knowledge of filmmaking or really being an artist.
I’ve spent a huge chunk of my time at SCAD catching up on the technological side of being a filmmaker, which didn’t leave me much time or energy to realize who I am as an artist. It’s been a struggle, and a fun sort of pleasure in a way, to find that balance between the two. I feel comfortable with the amount of information that I have under my belt now.
It gives me the confidence to be who I am as an artist while knowing just how to achieve the visions that I have due to my technological experiences. There definitely have been some major epiphanies/breakdowns along the way but that is to be expected when throwing yourself headfirst into a new field, especially during the pandemic. It has also been a struggle to find a voice as an artist.
For a long time, I considered myself an introvert and that gave me a lot of doubts as to if filmmaking was the right career for me because networking is such an important part of your career and success. But I found that just being myself, working really hard, and taking all of the amazing opportunities given to me while not getting too caught up in the craziness of life really pushed me to build the voice that I have now.
I am now confident enough to stand up for myself, and for my team, on each production that I am on, and I am able to advocate for the same off of productions as well. It can be scary to voice your opinions and can even feel like you’re walking on eggshells around people sometimes, but I think it’s important to stick to your morals and not let the industry take control of you.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Director of Photography in the field of filmmaking. For those who aren’t familiar with the filmmaking industry, I take the pleasure of bringing a Director’s vision for their film/project to life. I recently just wrapped my senior thesis film at SCAD, “A Flame’s Reach”, which was an ambitious Western that we shot in the Southeast–a hard feat to pull off!
I am very proud of this project, and how much of my previous knowledge I was able to incorporate to make this project the best that it could be. Additionally, I have been on over fifty projects at SCAD, participating mainly in the camera and g&e departments, and I had the pleasure of joining the crew of various professional projects around Savannah and Atlanta in the past year.
I believe that my perseverance, amazing work ethic, creative problem-solving skills, and my ideas as a creative are what set me apart as an artist. I love collaborating with really passionate, organized, and ambitious people to create a wildly alive story that speaks to people at their core. Storytelling is such an amazing skill to have and such an amazingly intimate way to connect to people from all over.
I take great honor in being able to do it as a career.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I think that one important lesson that I’ve learned along my journey as a filmmaker is to not forget who you are and that you are a human being at the end of the day. Being an artist, people often throw themselves into the whole “starving artist” mindset.
I really respect those that love to constantly grind in order to get ahead in their career but I feel as though too many people in my generation and in this industry forget that their bodies and minds are not machines. You cannot just keep going until you drop, you have to remember to take care of yourself.
I love how my work can become my life and my life can become my work but separating the two is vital. It can be hard to do so and is a constant struggle that I feel that I will have in life, but my awareness of the need for balance is already putting me a step ahead of some people I’m surrounded by.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katielecluysefilm/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/692855532
