We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marcus Guider a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Marcus, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Learning cinematography, and being a filmmaker, has been a daily process for over a decade. The knowledge you can acquire in this field is endless, and that’s what excites me. I originally started out learning with a close friend of mine. We utilized every resource we had at our disposal from online forums to tutorials, and books in the local library, but eventually hit a point where we had exhausted our resources. By way of a great recommendation and introduction, I was able to gain a mentor, and friend, in a seasoned Cinematographer, Jeremy Osbern. Through this relationship, I now had access to the tools and equipment that would allow me to learn, test, and grow my sensibility as a Cinematographer.

Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t have changed anything. I have a true appreciation for the process of learning my craft, and the journey that got me here.

Some of the skills that were most essential, are patience, drive, and resilience. Honing your sensibility, has as much to do with your internal response to imagery, as it does with the technical aspects of cinematography. It’s a self actualization process, and takes time to develop.

Marcus, 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 Marcus Guider, and I’m a Cinematographer. Growing up, I have always had an affinity for cameras. The ability to capture and relive a moment in time, which subsequently becomes the past, has always affected me emotionally. Working in the film industry as a Cinematographer allows me to collaborate with like-minded creatives who also value that connection.

My work consists of narrative, commercial, and documentary films. Most of my narrative and documentary work has an element of social consciousness, which I naturally gravitate towards. This includes independent feature and short films. I love creating and capturing, emotive imagery that examines the human experience. My commercial work ranges the span of studio productions for brands such as Dell, to lifestyle campaigns on remote ranches.

The main part of my job in any production is collaborating with the Director to establish a visual approach for the project. This includes working with other key contributors to build a unified vision and plan of action.

I’m most proud of my work that brings visibility and perspective to overlooked areas of society.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of cinematography for me is creating images that can be a vehicle to self reflection. Images are powerful, and can be therapeutic.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Representation and empathy. Through film we have the opportunity to bring light to under and misrepresented narratives, and hopefully foster empathy as a result.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.marcusguider.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcusguider_dp