We recently connected with Noble Gray and have shared our conversation below.
Noble, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?
The interesting thing is that my first dollar earned as a creative came as a total surprise!
It was the Spring of 2014. I was a sophomore in film school. I had just completed filming on a four day short film–an artistic drama called All of Me. The whole team, including myself, were all in the living room of the main shooting location when that final “That’s a wrap!” was called. I breathed an immediately sigh of relief because I made it through another production as cinematographer with another movie in the can. I had a happy director; I had a happy crew; it was a good shoot. As exhausted as we all were, our excitement could not be contained. Prior to shooting, I spent multiple weeks prepping with Jayna, the director: learning her creative vision, crafting the look of the film, collaborating with her on the shot list–just making sure I was fully prepared to bring her vision to life to the best of my ability with the available resources. So, I became very emotionally invested in the project, and I brought that into my work. When we wrapped, I felt so grateful and proud to be a visual storyteller, even though I wasn’t getting paid for it. Until, Jayna told me on the spot that she actually would be paying me for my work. This caught me totally off guard! Up to that point, I had never gotten paid for my DP work. I had never asked to be compensated for my DP work. My compensation was gained experience and footage acquired for my reel. In my mind, actually getting paid for my cinematography was a dream that would only come true much further down the line–when I would be a lot more established and experienced. Being told that I would be monetarily compensated for my creative work when I was not expecting it was highly validating in a way that I wasn’t used to. Not only did I have the satisfaction of being an artist who did a good job with telling the story visually, but I also had the satisfaction of being given resources after I had expended a lot of my own. That was my first experience of the business side of being a creative. The pay was very modest, but it’s how I earned my first dollar as a creative. And no other paycheck has felt quite the same.
Noble, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m a freelance cinematographer and camera operator. I work in narrative fiction as well as documentary. As a cinematographer, a.k.a. director of photography, my job is to work with the director to determine how the movie will look, and to make sure that, with each shot, that look is maintained as faithfully as possible throughout the filming process. In simpler terms, I’m in charge of executing the visual storytelling with lighting and camera movement as my tools. It is a multi-layered job in which I need to be an artist, technician, and manager at the same time.
I started making short films in high school, and back then, I was doing it all: writing, directing, shooting, editing–everything except for the acting. But, working with the camera was what I always enjoyed the most. I remembering drawing and doodling a lot as a kid–frequently filling up large sheets of paper with highly detailed scenes–sometimes based on my favorite films or video games–sometimes purely from my imagination. I often found myself daydreaming–just taking myself on little journeys in my head to escape reality for a while. I always had vision; I was always trying to find ways to transcribe what I saw vividly in my mind’s eye so that other could appreciate it. I was also obsessed with movies! So, it was no wonder that creating shots–having the camera become an extension of me was so creatively satisfying. After I graduated high school, my film teacher, Michelle, got me a position in the lighting department on a feature film she was producing. It was a small indie film shot entirely on location throughout Los Angeles–my first ever crew gig. While working on that film, daily, I got to observe the cinematographer do his job. As a part of his crew, I got to help execute his lighting plans and see what direct result those would have on the look of each scene. My eyes were opened to the creative heights to which my affinity for telling stories visually could take me if I became a director of photography. It’s what I saw myself becoming good at. It made sense. So, at the end of that shoot, I decided I would major in cinematography in film school and become a director of photography.
As someone who has been immersed in the filmmaking process for quite some time now, I’ve developed a deep understanding of cinematic storytelling. I’ve developed my own philosophy of how I must approach my job, creatively, as a cinematographer. I have my own taste; I have particular things I’m inspired by. Every time I’m hired as cinematographer, these are the things I draw on so that what I’m bringing to the table is truly unique to me and who I am as a person. I also have an acting background, which helps me gain a deeper understanding of the characters in the script. This gives me more creative possibilities when deciding how to light and shoot scenes.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
It’s hard to choose one aspect of being a creative that is most rewarding, but I will say that it is very rewarding to receive positive feedback from others on my work. In my line of work, I don’t create just for myself; I create, ultimately, for the enjoyment of others. My creative choices have always been based on what affects me emotionally with the hope that it will be compelling for the viewer in some way. So, when I get feedback that a person likes my work, it just feels like mission accomplished. It gives me reassurance that what I’m doing is effective and gives me the confidence to keep staying true to myself. When I stay true to myself, my work is at its most profound.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
In society, we encounter art constantly. It’s everywhere in many different forms, from the clothes we wear, to billboards and signage, to the websites we visit, to the shows we watch, to that beautiful plate of food we can’t resist photographing before we devour it. Art is all around us. For starters, we should remember to take time to appreciate the creative minds behind the art we encounter. I think that more awareness of how we rely on art and more appreciation for the artist is important for keeping art upheld and thriving in society. The thing about art is that the experience of it is subjective. I could love something that my neighbor could not care for. Or my neighbor could see deep meaning in something that I simply don’t connect with. Fortunately, there should be something out there for every person to enjoy. As a society, I think it would also be helpful to take more time to consider why we like what we like and then share that with people. Art makes us think, it can help us consider fresh perspectives on life, it can be therapeutic, it entertains us–it helps us look deeper within ourselves. The more we discuss what our experience with art is, the more that can stimulate interest in the artist, and, continued consumption of that art, which, of course, benefits the artist. This is a part of what supporting artists looks like for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.noblegraydp.com
