We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Helena Gruensteidl. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Helena below.

Alright, Helena thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

As a freelance artist, it’s easy to fall into a mindset of hyper-individualism. Often times, your sole source of income is dependent upon your ability to create high-quality work efficiently, consistently, and better than anyone else. And when no gig is guaranteed, it can be easy to feel like you’re in competition with the other artists in your community, and even with previous versions of yourself. It’s at these times, that you may feel most distant from your peers, but it’s important to remember that those fellow artists share your experiences, love for the craft, and dedication to making great work. Those fellow artists are just like you! It’s important to remember that engaging with them and your community, in any industry, is the best way to foster mentorships, learn more about navigating the work, and collaborate to create amazing art that none of you could create alone. No one can achieve success in a vacuum; we reach our goals because of the support, care, and kindness of others.

Learning this lesson early on in my career has inspired me time and time again to not only seek out those opportunities for community and mentorship, but to create them for others as well. I am endlessly grateful for the kindness of everyone who has supported me in my pursuit of becoming a full-time freelance cinematographer. As long as there are rungs of the ladder beneath my feet, I will do my best to send the elevator back down. By doing so, I hope to contribute to a more collaborative and supportive community within this industry, because ultimately our best work is made when we are creating with love for each other and for the craft.

Helena, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a queer and nonbinary Austrian-American freelance cinematographer based in Denver, Colorado and available for hire internationally.

I’m an enthusiastic creator who embraces every opportunity and flourishes with every challenge. I have an adventurous spirit, a love for trying new things, and I meet every stranger with open arms, believing they’re a future friend.

I have an academic background in Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality studies, and was classically trained in 16mm and 35mm Cinematography at the Film and Television Academy at the School of Performing Arts in Prague and Directing at the Film and Television School in London.

My favorite projects are those that tell stories not often told. As a queer and nonbinary first-generation Austrian-American immigrant, a large part of my dedication to filmmaking revolves around diversifying the stories we tell. I believe in reflecting those diverse narratives not only in the identities of the cast and crew, but also in reimagining traditional practices and standards. In my work, I strive to challenge the subconscious prejudices within this artform, from composition standards that bias toward the male gaze to lighting techniques that prioritize white skin tones to unsafe set practices. I cherish this work, making images, and discovering new methods of creating that subvert traditional storytelling techniques. I’m deeply committed to creating safe sets and uplifting marginalized voices and I believe that all media should be created with rigorous intentionality.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

As a freelancer, you are your business and everything you do publicly is part of your brand. Of course it’s crucial to be good at your job, but it’s arguably more important to be a positive presence to work with. Film is a team sport, made up of long days, close quarters, and quick work. Everyone gets to know one another and some of the people I work with on set have not only become my community, but my closest friends. If you’re just starting out and you don’t know everything, that’s okay! Making mistakes and learning from them is something people will easily forgive when you’re lovely to be around.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My filmmaking journey has been one of resourcefulness, determination, and continuous education. Since taking interest in cameras at a young age, I have seized every possible opportunity to learn more about the craft and nuance of visual storytelling.

During my freshman year, Grinnell College announced that they would no longer be offering film courses, so I spent weekends traveling to Chicago to sneak onto student film sets at institutions like Northwestern University and Columbia College. While I was sad that my college was discontinuing film courses, my need to seek out unconventional methods of education only emboldened my passion for filmmaking and diversified my sources of education. At Grinnell, I studied Gender and Women’s Studies which added a new dimension of empathy, understanding, and critical thinking to my creative perspective. When I was 20, I embarked on a year abroad, studying Cinematography at FAMU in Prague, where I shot two films on 16mm and 35mm film.

Upon beginning my career as a full-time freelancer, I began gradually climbing the ranks within the camera department in Denver. I’ve had the opportunity to DP a diverse range of projects including short-form narrative, documentary, and commercial, and have found that my true passion lies at the nexus between visual storytelling and centering marginalized voices, specifically within the LGBTQIA+ community. I’ve shot diversity-centered commercial campaigns for brands including HOKA and The North Face, as well as narrative and documentary films focusing on marginalized voices.

In pursuit of my on-going education, I recently embarked on a six-month grant-funded solo-exploration of queer communities within film industries around the world, including Canada, The Netherlands, Belgium, UK, Hungary, and Vietnam. During this time, I volunteered at an international queer film festival, worked on my first international feature-length film, and took a course in directing at the National Film and Television School. Traveling alone while immersing myself in queer communities around the globe broadened my perspectives and reinforced my commitment to diversity in film.

My journey is a testament to my unwavering dedication, passion, and creative vision.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hgruensteidl.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/helena.mov

Image Credits

David Stewart, Forrest Lotterhos,