Behind the Camera
Alumna Lydia Sudall (’08) explains how earning her bachelor’s degree at Santa Fe prepared her for a career as a gaffer and cinematographer in New York City.
By Christine Van Dusen
September 2011—In the fall of 2006, Lydia Sudall (’08) was biding her time behind a desk, working from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in affiliate advertising and promotions for NBC. When famous actors passed by—Hugh Laurie of House or a cast member of Saturday Night Live—she hardly noticed. Her mind was on her night job, working as a production assistant for the Will Smith film I Am Legend.
Then a junior in the Moving Image Arts program, Sudall landed her NBC gig through a partnership with the New York Arts Program. After a full day at NBC, she would zip over to the movie set and work there from 7 p.m. until 4 a.m.—every night.
“I went a little bit nuts,” Sudall jokes. “But I definitely knew the film set is where I wanted to be. I wanted something hands-on.”
And so her love of cinematography was born, a love that was nurtured at Santa Fe and blossomed into a career that led Sudall to become a freelance cinematographer and gaffer who lit the set of Luke Matheny’s Oscar-winning 2009 short God of Love. Here, she discusses pursuing her degree at Santa Fe and how it prepared her for her current career.
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| Alumna Lydia Sudall (’08)
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How did you become interested in cinematography, and why did you decide to pursue this career at the College of Santa Fe?
In middle school and high school, I was interested in theatre. While working for the stage crew of a local theatre, I found that a lot of directors had egos and didn’t treat us well, so I tried signing up for a cinema class. I realized I liked being behind the scenes. Even though actors are an instrument in telling a story, cinematography is an art of telling a story visually.
As a freshman, there was a requirement that you work 25 hours per semester for upperclassmen. While fulfilling this requirement, many freshmen were production assistants for larger senior projects. I found myself working with cinematography students.
How did your experience at Santa Fe prepare you for your current position?
The clear advantage Santa Fe offers is the ability to learn on professional equipment. Working in the soundstages at Garson Studios, I learned how to run large amounts of electricity safely and effectively while learning the finer points of cameras, filters, lenses, and all the basic tools in any cinematographer’s workshop. John Allen’s lectures, guidance, and affinity for asking, “Why did you do that?” or “Why did you make that choice?” taught me not only how to explain and refine decisions I had made, but helped me gain confidence in the choices I was making.
Due to the availability of equipment and soundstages, and the experience I gained at Santa Fe, I was able to move to New York City after graduation and begin working immediately as a grip, electric, and gaffer.
I also spent a semester working for the New Mexico Filmmakers Intensive where I gained experience teaching technical skills to directing students. Since then, I’ve given similar seminars at New York Film Academy, School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, and New York’s DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) Seminar.
What obstacles did you face in obtaining your degree?
Where many students struggled with their academic classes, my challenges were in my major. I had very limited film experience, as the only technical arts taught at my high school were in theatre. Many of the students I was working with came from magnet programs or schools with film classes. So for me there was a fair amount of culture shock in that regard. In the end, I gained stellar, hands-on knowledge at Santa Fe.
What can we expect to see next in your career?
I’m still freelancing, which means I am tackling a range of projects. I’ve done the lighting design for a few advertising campaigns, I’ve been working on some short films, and I did the lighting for the music video “Ignorant Swan” by remix artist, producer, and DJ Max Tannone. But my major focus is work on a feature film with the working title Suicide with Mike Lleras of the Brooklyn-based Bloody Horror Productions. I’m the cinematographer and associate producer for the film.
