Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laísa Dos Santos. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Laísa, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Photography has always been a part of my life since I was a little kid. My parents always loved the idea of collecting moments and keeping them forever, so they made sure to capture every single experience I had growing up. Besides my parents, my entire family also believes in this same idea so every birthday, Christmas gatherings or family celebrations were an event on and off camera. Growing up in an environment like this truly opened my mind for creativity, therefore, my artistic side became more present in my life.

Even though I have always loved photography, I had other college and future plans in mind when I was in high school. Photography until that point was just a hobby. I can’t picture exactly what made me change everything but I remember that was just when I started Film school that I fully understood that I actually wanted to work in the film industry and that all that passion wasn’t a hobby.

Cinematography came into my life later on and it just felt natural to go from Photography to Film. Both things complement each other and having that as my background really helped me in the transition. Art is the way I know I can fully express myself and the way I see the world.

Laísa, 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?

Well, I’m a Brazilian Cinematographer and Camera Assistant based in Los Angeles. I was born in Brazil and had my first connection with art and photography while I was living there. My mom is an artist, she draws and paints landscapes and nature. She was for sure a big inspiration for me growing up and probably the first person closer to me to have a connection with an artistic way of thinking and seeing the world. As a kid, I always loved being in front and behind camera taking pictures and making videos. I would create music videos, tv series and commercials with all my friends. I have always appreciated the freedom my parents have given me to be who I wanted to be and do what made me happy. They never judged, they always encouraged my creativity.

I started studying and working with Photography in 2015 after my first certificate program and I haven’t stopped since them. I went to film school and while I was there I realized that Cinematography was something I really admired and was curious about. I always travel between the two areas and I think it will be forever like this. I love and work with both. Each one gets a different side of my personality and creativity.

Nowadays I work as a DP, Camera Assistant and Camera Operator for commercials, documentaries, narrative productions, music videos…I’m everywhere in the spectrum. I’m based in LA but able to flown to anywhere its needed. Travelling for a job and be able to spend weeks or months in a different state or county working with what I love is one of the most rewarding parts for me. I love getting to know and learn about different cultures and the film industry really gives me that possibility.

I’m really proud of the projects I’ve worked as a DP and most of the ones I was part of the crew because each one of them taught me something new about camera or lighting. You always learn with each production you work on and I find it fascinating how you can see your growth throughout the years. I love meeting new talented people and that is also one of the best parts of this industry. Getting to meet and work with people from completely different backgrounds and interests, learning from each other, exchanging experiences and knowledge.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

This is a conversation that I believe it will always exist. There is still so much disapproval from society towards people that decide to follow a creative/artistic path. There are always the topics of “how are you going to make money?”, “are you sure it isn’t just a hobby?”, “why don’t you get a real job?”. It’s exhausting to always have to answer questions like this from random people or even from family relatives. The first thing that I think it should be done is to change this mind set and view things with a different perspective. Why being an artist is not considered a real job for so many people?

Another point that it happens so much in the film industry is being paid what you are actually worth it. So many production companies or independent filmmakers don’t pay their crew what they should actually get paid and even take advantage from them. That’s an important problem that has to be changed. One thing is if you have a very low budget and you can only afford to pay a certain amount, another thing is if you have a lot of money and you rather not pay your crew well. Cast and crew should be treated the same way.

Lastly, I encourage people to support local artists and try to give them the same attention you would give to a very famous artist. The media should give them a platform to talk about their work and show the audience what they do. We can’t only stand up for the big studios, we have to support the independent artists that don’t have any financial help or connections in the industry.

It’s about changing the mindset but also taking action and doing something about it. Hire the filmmakers, listen to independent bands and musicians, buy the books from a not so famous authors, donate to a crowdfunding to help a project get made.

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

I’ll always support women in everything I do. Not only on film sets but in every career, specially the ones dominated by white men. I come from a background where women don’t really have that much power and are not heard. Growing up and seeing situations like that really built my personality and beliefs. I’ll always advocate for this cause and make sure that everyone knows that our opinions matter and that we need to be heard.

Art is a form of expression that really has the ability of creating discussions, making statements, changing rules…It’s a form of expression that a lot of people have access to. Doesn’t matter if its through a photo, a poem, a movie, a painting… So for me, it’s all about portraying women through the eyes of another women and not through the perspective of a men,

Contact Info:

• Website: laisamsantos.com
• Instagram: @laisamaras_dp

Image Credits
Laisa M. Santos Danny Colon (for my profile picture)