Here’s a piece of inspiration for all female (and male) cinematographers. The ASC welcomes DP Katelin Arizmendi as its new member. Read Arizmendi’s story —from camera assistant to ASC cinematographer.
Katelin Arizmendi ASC grew up in Oakland, Calif., but has lived in Brooklyn, N.Y., for the last 10 years. She attended the University of California-Santa Cruz for an experimental film study focused on film theory. Following that, she received a master’s degree in cinematography at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where she fell in love with shooting 35mm and 16mm film. Her first feature was the 2018 Blumhouse psychological horror film Cam. Her second, the disturbing drama Swallow, was well received at the Tribeca Film Festival and later earned her an ASC Spotlight Award nomination as well as a nomination at the Camerimage Film Festival for Cinematographer’s Debut.
I moved to L.A. and I decided I wasn’t going to introduce myself as a camera assistant ever again. I only wanted to shoot. So everything kind of slowed down for a bit, but I kept shooting my own projects or low-budget things.
Katelin Arizmendi ASC
A major break came when Arizmendi was contacted by Greig Frasier, ASC, ACS regarding Dune: Part One. “I only knew Greig through social media, but he reached out and said he and Denis [Villeneuve] were looking for a DP to do splinter unit and 2nd unit on Dune, along with some pre lighting and maybe additional camera,” she told AC. “I’d never shot 2nd unit, but I flew out to Hungary and met with them, trying to play it cool the whole time. Greig is so great about supporting the next generation. He doesn’t really care about age or experience or where you’re from; if he sees some talent in you, he’s willing to help you out. I’d shot four features, various commercials and other projects, but it was a rare opportunity to be given 2nd unit on a big film like Dune,” she continued. “Those six months were the best experience I’ve had in this industry. I was working with people at the top of the A-list and at the top of their game. It was a wonderful team and such a welcoming, family feel on set. Greig and Denis are true, passionate filmmakers with no egos.”
I was always into filmmaking but not necessarily being a camerawoman.
Katelin Arizmendi ASC
Not always. For a long time in L.A., I wasn’t working that much. You get kind of frustrated. You’re wondering if these people are ever going to hire you. I never had that one project that blew up my career. It’s been a slow incline. And there were definitely times when I didn’t know what to do next. I didn’t want to have to create my own films just to build my own portfolio. I knew I wasn’t a director; I wasn’t a creator. I didn’t feel strong enough to be able to make my own content. I wanted to shoot for other people. Eventually one project started leading to another, but it didn’t happen right away.
Katelin Arizmendi ASC
I started camera assisting and making some small films on my own. I was in San Francisco at the time, and a director saw my work and, I don’t know, saw potential in me. He asked me to shoot this Levi’s commercial in San Francisco, Paris, and Tokyo. That was the first thing I did where I felt like I was hired to be a director of photography.
Katelin Arizmendi ASC
When Frasier won the ASC Award for his work on the film, Arizmendi accepted on his behalf. Her other feature credits as cinematographer include the Sony Pictures project Charm City Kings, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019, Monica, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2022 and earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination, and National Anthem, which premiered at SXSW and TIFF was released in theaters in 2024.
Arizmendi’s television credits include Succession Season 4 (episodes 2, 4, 6 and 8). The episode “America Decides” was directed by Andrij Parekh, ASC, for which he earned an Emmy nomination. She has also shot music videos for artists including Doja Cat, Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello, 30 Seconds to Mars and Lil Dicky, and commercials for brands including Google, Burberry, Calvin Klein and Rolex. Arizmendi feels passionate about collaborating with directors who carry bold and boundary-pushing visions, unafraid of challenging audiences, and inspired to experiment with visual language.
Sources: The ASC, Music Bed, British Cinematographer, Katelin Arizmendi IG
