We were lucky to catch up with Caroline Mariko Stucky recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Caroline Mariko thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I am a self-taught cinematographer aka director of photography. My journey of becoming a professional DP could be considered a little untraditional even though I started my career as an intern in Hamburg, Germany. For 18 months, I learned how to use all the equipment — lighting, grip, dolly and cameras, including how to load 16 and 35mm magazines. I learned how to build a package and maintain the gear. I also had the opportunities to work on feature films and commercials as an assistant. Then I wanted to explore the industry in America. Since I already had a solid technical background, I enrolled to a One Year Screenwriting program in New York because writing was the furthest discipline from my comfort zone. I was very happy to discover that screenwriting is not only artistic but also a lot more technical than I thought. You have to figure out the character’s arc, the structure of a film and know how to use screenwriting tools to tell the story visually. But I didn’t go to film school to learn cinematography. Sometimes I wonder how my career could have started if I had gone to film school for cinematography because I noticed that having that title and the connections, can be a big career boost but at the same time, I like to be different. And I believe that everyone has their own path and pace. Maybe it pertains especially in art but there is no right or wrong way to learning a craft. Just your own. Anyway, I eventually went back to work on set and worked my way up to becoming a cinematographer.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am mixed, half-Swiss, half Japanese. I was born and grew up most of my childhood in Switzerland where my father is from. Besides spending all my summer holidays in Japan as a child, I only lived there one year after I graduated from high school. I wanted to connect more with my mother’s roots. Then it took me years before I figured out what I wanted to do. I tried to follow an academic path but I quickly understood that it wasn’t for me. I like to be on the field and get my hands dirty. I eventually started to pursue a career in film in my mid 20’s. It was very intimidating to move to New York coming from a small country like Switzerland but ever since, I worked on incredible projects in some of the most iconic locations in the United States and I also got to meet celebrities which I never thought I’d film one day. I’ve been making a living as an independent filmmaker for the past 9 years. I work a lot for other people’s projects but in 2021, I founded my own production company called CM8 Productions. Even though I work on all sorts of projects from fiction, documentary, commercial, fashion and corporate, I started to produce music videos with my production company. I grew up watching MTV and a lot of musicians from all around the world come to New York so it was natural for me to grow a business combining my two passions. When I moved to New York, I didn’t know anyone. When I look back at the past 10 years of my life, I feel very grateful that I’ve been able to live my dream and I recently joined an agency (Above Below The Line Agency) so I’m looking forward to see what the future has in store for me.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes, my creativity is definitely driven by the desire to make the world a better place. I’m not a doctor, a lawyer or a politician. I am not going to save lives or help change policies. But I have a lot of empathy and a camera. If I can tell meaningful stories and share personal experiences that speak to people or can make them think, open their mind or can help them feel less lonely, I think I can leave the Earth in peace. My mission is to tell relevant stories about the human condition and my goal is to do it in an entertaining way. If a doctor, a lawyer or politician needs a camera person to help them spread a message or important informations, they can call me and I’ll be delighted to support them with their mission. It really breaks my heart to see so much hatred and violence in the world. I think people forget that we all have the same destiny. Sorry to remind everyone that we are all going to die one day. Life is too precious to waste it on hate and anger. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all be there for one another and make this journey on Earth the most pleasant possible?

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

It’s always rewarding to finish a project and share it with the world. It’s of course also very rewarding when people tell you they enjoyed watching your film or they were touched in a particular way by my work but another very gratifying aspect of being a filmmaker is meeting so many talented and likeminded artists. I think filmmaking is perhaps the most collaborative art form. It takes a village to make a movie and every single person who work in production and post-production is so important in helping make it all come together. I feel extremely lucky that I get to make these human connections and experiences traveling the world. I’m an introvert and there is nothing that brings me more joy and comfort then when I’m on set making art with friends.

There is this Japanese concept called “Ikigai” which means “a reason to live” or “reason for being”. In traditional Japanese philosophy, it’s about finding bliss but Westerners have been using this concept as a way to find your dream career. 1) what you love to do (passion), 2) what you’re good at (vocation), 3) what the world needs (mission) and 4) what you can get paid for (profession). Well, you guessed it. Filmmaking is my “ikigai”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carolinemarikostucky.com
• Instagram: @carolinemarikofilms
• Linkedin: Caroline Mariko Stucky
• Twitter: @carolinemariko
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CinemaSelect
• Other: https://vimeo.com/carolinemarikofilms

Image Credits

Headshots by Becky Yee.
BTS photos by Juliet Holdt.
Still frames by Caroline Mariko Stucky.