Andy Levada

Education

Equipment

My Equipment/Kit: Sony Cameras

I can use: Sony Cameras

About me

Not everyone gets to discover their passion in life, let alone discover it in time do enough with it. Sometimes leaving your home in search of one passion can lead you to the doorstep of another, which is what happened to me. My journey began when I was 13, having left my home country of Ukraine for the warmth of a Performing Arts Boarding School, in the cold English countryside. I began my quest in Tring Park to broaden my knowledge about acting and the arts in general, specifically focusing on the ability to convey a message through body language and emotions. My time at Tring had been both amazing and enlightening. Though I loved being able to tell a story just by manipulating my facial features, I recognized that delivering a message through mere body and soul was constraining, so I started seeking out other methods of expression. It was then, in my last year where I was given the opportunity to direct, edit, and produce my own short film, that I realised I wanted to pursue filmmaking as a career and become a crafter of my own ideas.

One of my strongest suits in filmmaking is cinematography. To me seeing and portraying a vision comes with ease, like hearing an idea for a scene and putting my own “spin” to it. What I really enjoy doing is constructing film in such a way that it makes people question what they are watching. One of my favourite filmmakers, and certainly a great pioneer of film, is Alfred Hitchcock. Whilst studying his work, I realised that my stylistic choices, and the way I structure a shot, is very similar to his. My favourite technique that he uses is ‘two things happening at once’. I personally love experimenting with film, and this style can really stretch your imagination and can help a cinematographer construct 2 different scenes, that are related, in an intelligent way. I believe that intelligent cinematography is a key aspect of film, like Quentin Tarantino who uses great artistic choices that bring life and pace to a scene. The first scene in ‘Reservoir Dogs’ opens up with a slow and smooth dolly shot, having various close-ups in between making it seem like the whole scene is one take. It reminds me of the “Spielberg Oner” where he will have one 1 shot that can last up to 5 minutes. This technique is extremely simple, but in order to achieve perfect simplicity, it takes more than just point and shoot. What intrigues me about Spielberg is that he knows exactly how to plan out a scene, and all its actions, in order to make it interesting for the audience to watch. For me the most memorable parts of films are the shots that appear on screen, and that is the reason why I love standing behind the camera. I believe that I have an eye for film. When discussing shots with the director, I can easily construct a plan for a scene and merge their ideas with mine. In addition, during takes if I feel like I want to take an extra shot, I always do just in case the director changes his/her mind during post production. This for me is something I love doing, being able to see a vision in my head and then achieving that same vision through a lense.

I started my journey in filmmaking by teaming up with a singer/songwriter, also previously an X-Factor contestant, to produce multiple music videos. With each project, I picked up numerous skills and knowledge that I'd not thought capable of reaching alone. Being a one man crew I had to teach myself all the technical parts of cinematography. I researched on how to construct a shot from the bare essentials of just myself and the camera, to using lighting, set building, and props. One creative idea led to another and I soon engaged in directing and producing a small talk show, the premise being an inspirational chat show, with inspirational people, for a much disillusioned youth. I have also been involved in a project for the Lord Mayor's Committee to film an event called “W.A.Y” at City Hall, which focused on identity loss in London’s youth. It wasn’t an easy task, as I didn’t have any assistance, but I managed to shoot the film successfully.

In July of 2016, I decided to attend The New York Film Academy on the ‘4 Week Intense Filmmaking Program’. During my time there, I shot 3 films; each containing a ‘challenge’. All films had to be without any dialogue, teaching us to portray a scene with visuals and not just words. We first shot a ‘mise-en-scène’, then a ‘Continuity’, and the third and ‘Final Film’ had to incorporate all of our acquired expertise. I was required to work as a director, DOP, devise a script for each film, recruit actors, find locations to shoot...and that’s just the beginning of it. After my time there I can safely say that I am a much more confident filmmaker. My goal was to propel my skills in directing, cinematography, and editing. Not only have I successfully gained more knowledge in each field, but I have also discovered other talents within me. Whilst DOPing other films on the course, I expanded my passion for cinematography which made me want to pursue it even more.

After leaving Tring Park I joined the Business Course at Kingston University. I found myself searching for a passion that was never going to be there, as after all, I had already found it somewhere else. I wasn't going to drop the very thing that made me happy. Using my combined knowledge of business and my passion for creativity, I started branching out. I created an independent film company, concentrating around music videos, events, and short films. By using experience that I gain each day, I want to stretch the boundaries of my company to more than just being “independent”.

With cinematography there is a wide range of artistic choice. Choices that can be experimented with. Pioneering ideas that can change the industry. I want to change the industry with the artistic choices I make. I know I want to create film. Added with the recent turmoil within my home country, and the tragedies occurring all over the world, I feel the need now more than ever to learn the skills to have my 'Messages and Stories' spread through the media of film. If a picture can speak a thousand words, then film must speak a billion.
Referees:
Ronald Brian - removed
City Hall - POW - removed

Skills

Secondary Job Title	Editor
Job Titles	Video Editor, Director, Camera Operator, Cinematographer, Director of Photography (DOP), Camera Assistant
Years in industry	1 to 3 years