An active imagination can conceive any idea, and in the creative space, especially cinematography and filmmaking, imagination plays a huge role in bringing content to life. This has proven to be true in Gurdeep Singh’s story and career trajectory as a cinematographer and video director. Gurdeep’s career was born out of documenting his daily experiences on the school bus and having many of the notable movies he saw at the cinema etched in his mind. He got drawn to filmmaking at a young age, and today, he is manifesting that dream by grinding daily to deliver the best on his video projects.
In his words, “Becoming a film professional was never a goal, but my interest never waned for a second, and I decided to make a full-time career out of it.” Gurdeep Singh’s good run in his career has been made possible thanks to his work ethic. “Each day on set, we create a new scene, a new character and a new dialogue. We do new things every day, which have played a major role in building my experience since I got into this field.
His filmmaking journey started with short stories centered on the people he rode the bus with on his way to school as a high school student. He was often occupied with the sights around him as different people are engrossed in different activities. The one-hour journey between his home and his high school every day for four years developed his mind for filmmaking as he was continually thrust amid people with different stories.
Getting on the cinematography career path was one thing; another was taking charge of his career confidently. While in film school, Singh recalls that he was often scared to touch the expensive gears on set as he was always thinking about what would happen if he broke an expensive camera. His strong interest in filmmaking helped him overcome his fears, and he started working his way up to becoming an expert.
He got his first break about eight years ago when his close friend Akal Inder wanted a music video for his single, “Soota.” Gurdeep gave his all to the video shoot and created multiple backup plans in case anything went wrong. That particular video gave him most of the important lessons about directing that still come in handy for him till today. “I overshot my first video shoot and had footage that was good enough for two songs. Thinking about it now, I find it funny, but it remains a good happy memory from my learning process,” he says.
Since his first video project, Gurdeep Singh has learned about many things as they relate to video shooting and production. He has improved in every way and has focused on making a name for himself. Singh understands the nuances of cinematography, such as what night shooting entails, how the position of the sun affects videos, understanding colors, and a host of other factors. He recently signed three Punjabi feature files with Speed Records, which will all be shot in the United States. Gurdeep Singh looks forward to what the coming years hold for him as he sets out on the mission to become the next big cinematographer the world has ever seen.
Learn more about Gurdeep Singh on his website.
