An Interview with Luke Zvara

Filmmaker, Director,?Cinematographer, and Editor

Luke was our DP for our fall shoot. We filmed six admissions ads for Gordon College over the course of three days, which is no easy feat.?Luke heavily contributed to our top-tier crew and smooth production. Read now his personal insights of the industry.

Q: How did you get into videography? A: I first got into videography one summer in middle school. I was very bored and my dad had an old mini-DV camcorder laying around. I started filming myself doing things around the house and reversing the footage (which I thought was extremely captivating). Eventually I made friends who also liked to make videos and little by little things grew from there till I ended up going to school for film. ?

Q: How do the places you've traveled/lived influence your filmmaking? A: Long story, but I grew up overseas most of my life until college. When I started getting into film in middle school we were living in Kyrgyzstan. It's hard to know how the places I've lived and traveled to have influenced my filmmaking, but growing up between different cultures has made me fascinated with culture in general. It's a subject that I'm always drawn to and hope to explore more in my work. My travels have taught me there are interesting stories everywhere if you're willing to look, so I try to bring that attention and curiosity to my work. ?

Q: As a filmmaker, what excites you most about projects that you take on? A: What excites me most about projects are the people I'm working with and the potential impact they may have. Filmmaking is such a collaborative endeavor that you get the chance to work with so many amazing people. And in the documentary work I do I also get to film and interview amazing people and hear their stories. I'm a huge believer in the power of story which makes me excited when I get to partner with organizations and people that are making a real positive impact in the world. Telling stories that help these people in the work they do is a small way of contributing to their work. ?

Q: Do you have a favorite project you've worked on? A: That's a tough question. One of my favorites might be a teaser for a documentary called "Whirlwind". It was a piece that we shot to raise funds for the feature-length documentary. The doc is about the world famous cyclist Marshall "Major" Taylor, he was basically the Jackie Robinson of cycling but before Jackie Robinson. He has an incredible story and I was amazed I had never heard of him and no one had made a film about him yet. I got to shoot the teaser and the full documentary is still in development right now, hope to see it made someday. ?

Q: What are some challenges you face as a videographer and how have you been able to overcome them? A: One of the most challenging things about working in production is making the most of the time we have on shoot days. Everyone in filmmaking knows that "making the day" (i.e. accomplishing everything you have planned in the schedule) is one of the biggest pressures on productions, and for good reason: time is incredibly valuable when you're working with a large crew of people, a lot of equipment and a lot of moving pieces. This is always an ongoing challenge, but I've learned that over communication and collaborating on a solid game plan beforehand will make everyone's lives a whole lot better on the day.? ?

Q: What are your top 3 filming spots on the north shore? A: I'm pretty new to the north shore, so I'm still discovering spots, but I think have a couple good ones. The first one might sound weird, but there's this old laundromat right by my place in Ipswich that I just love and think would make a great setting for a short film. The second is way beyond my budget, but I think it would be awesome to shoot a period film on the Crane Estate someday. And the third would have to be Halibut Point because we need something on the ocean in this list and I think Halibut is a unique, beautiful spot. ?

Q: What motivates you to tell stories through film? A: Going back to my earlier answer, I'm a huge believer in the power of stories. I think they transcend slogans and propaganda and sales pitches and get to the heart of who we are. And I think that, used correctly, stories can inspire people towards good and can help build connections that lead to positive impact. Film is a medium for stories that I think is accessible, efficient , and beautiful and one that I happen?to enjoy being a part of. ?

Q: Any famous filmmaking role models?? A: Not super famous, but David Gelb is a director that I am really inspired by. Back in 2011 he made the documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" which was a fantastic portrait of a sushi chef in Japan. He made that film mostly on his own with limited equipment. The film earned a lot of acclaim and led to the creation of "Chef's Table", a documentary series about chefs on Netflix. "Chef's Table" really raised the bar for cinematic documentary filmmaking and it became incredibly popular. It demonstrates how just telling someone's story in a beautiful way can be incredibly engaging and that inspires me. ?

Q: What location would you dream of traveling to for a filming project?? A: Someday I would really love to return to Kyrgyzstan to film a documentary or a feature film there. Maybe it would be a Western because the mountains are gorgeous and the people are traditionally nomadic horsemen. ?

Q: Describe your favorite things to do outside of work! A: Lately, I've been loving taking my canoe out on the Ipswich River and also hiking on trails around the north shore. Looking forward to discovering new spots!