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

Natalia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

When you’re on set you have to be prepared for any unexpected problems. It’s Murphy’s Law. No matter how prepped. you may feel, you must be prepared for the unexpected.

Some unexpected problems that I’ve occurred on set have been things like, a camera no longer turning on, talent running hours behind or dropping out day of, rain, client changing shots, location change day of, and worst of all , no parking.

I always have a calm demeanor on set, never showing any stress or anger. I’ve become adaptable to any unexpected occurrences and have learned to be quick on my feet as a problem solver. I know my energy will effect my crew and anyone around me on set, so why make the problem worse by showing any negative emotions. Know there’s always a solution to anything and it’s best to be quick about finding a resolution rather than dissecting the fault.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Natalia Moscoso and I’m a freelance cinematographer/director of photography based in Los Angeles, CA. I’m the first in my family to pursue a film related career. I’ve always been interested in the art of filmmaking since childhood. I was the kid who got a camcorder and used their siblings to act in skits, then edited them in windows movie maker. Watching movies growing up was an escape from my reality. I was always trying to find an escape, and in 2014 I knew I wanted to leave home and needed to study film. I was accepted into Cal. State University Northridge where I studied film and television arts. After two years, I applied to their film school but did not get in. A lot of people were shocked and I thought my life was over, but I was able to major in TV. I managed to still crash film courses, and work with people in both departments .

In college, I started getting on set as BTS. I had a strong passion for photography and it was an easy way to get on set and observe everything going on. I knew I wanted to work in camera from this, so I was able to connect with other AC’s and work under them. This led to 1st/2nd AC work for other DP’s at other schools such as AFI, UCLA, USC, CSULB, etc. That’s where my learning of cinematography really took off. It felt like I was getting a small class from each DP at each school on camera and lighting tools. Working as an AC and G&E for other people at the start of my career was a great way to learn the style I wanted to achieve in my own work.

When I felt confident in being able to survive solely off my DP work, I was able stop accepting AC and G&E work and just work on my own career. Through every set I have been fortunate enough to network with someone who led me to my next job. I’ve learned a tremendous amount through each set, and always make sure I’m learning something new on the next job to continue growing as a DP. I’ve been able to work with clients like Nike, Footlocker, Shoe Surgeon – Gucci, Jack Daniels, Rare Beauty – Selena Gomez, Rolling Stone – Karol G, Meta, Google, Leslie Odom Jr, and work for Roddy Ricch.

I know I have a long way to go still but am so proud of how far I’ve come. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to leave San Diego to pursue a career in film. I wasn’t sure how my rejection at CSUN’s film department was going to shape my future. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to find enough DP work to survive on that alone. But here I am, in love with what I do and inspired to keep growing.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of my work is being able to inspire others, especially other women of color. In college, I learned about a lot of different cinematographers, most of them being: white men. I’m excited to be able to inspire others as a 5’2″ Latina in film and hope to diversify the industry by doing so. Aside from inspiring others, I hope to create beautiful images via my cinematography that allow others to escape reality like I have.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I don’t think there’s a single story from what has built my resilience, but rather a chronicle from music video work. In the beginning of my career I was mainly working on music videos. This platform has a lot of unexpected problems that require someone who can stay calm, be a problem solver, and work through it. Beginning in the music video world felt like a bootcamp for my career. I feel ready for any issues to come my way now.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nataliamoscoso.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliamoscoso/

Image Credits
miggy vision