Mads Fridolin Vejlby, ASC Vision Mentorship Program

The first challenge I faced on my journey to become a cinematographer was not knowing anyone who worked in film. Finding a way into the film industry in Denmark was challenging without connections, and to even consider a career in that seemed unrealistic for me at a young age.

When me and my friends started playing around with video cameras as teenagers, it didn't seem like something we could do for a living.

After high school graduation I got the opportunity to AC for a cinematographer. He primarily worked on commercials and for the first time I witnessed someone who made a living as a cinematographer.

I decided to aim for a career that would make me happy. I dream about waking up when I’m 80 and still being excited to tell stories with images.

Today I am challenged by cultural and language barriers. In 2022 I enrolled as a cinematography fellow at the American Film Institute Conservatory.
Here I try to understand and adapt while keeping my Danish sensibilities in my work.

My short-term goals are to finish my studies at AFI and to expand my creative network of filmmakers here. Another goal is to find a mentor who can guide me on the path. I wish to learn from someone who has already faced the challenges of working as a successful cinematographer.

My long-term goal is to become a cinematographer who can contribute to the community. I want to experiment with technology to find alternative ways to tell stories through moving images. I dream about working in the US and also worldwide and supporting filmmakers with different perspectives that today are underrepresented for a wider audience.

As a young cinematographer I feel very privileged to have access to some of the best education in the world. To me it’s important to be active in the community and in that also support the next generation. In the future I wish to help others who want to learn, and to share the craft so it can expand and evolve.

My personal philosophy on cinematography is that it’s the translation of a mental vision into moving images that tells a story. The cinematographer’s finest job is to help the director achieve that. We are the gatekeepers of the frame and we are given a lot of trust and responsibility.

Cinematography is a mix of technical and artistic understanding. With the knowledge of how to utilize cameras, lenses, light and all the other tools at hand, we can find unique ways to tell a story. I find it interesting to have conversations about how to help an audience understand and feel what the characters of the story are going through.

Cinematography is a collaborative, community-based art form. In it lies the work of countless innovative artistic minds who have passed on knowledge so the craft can keep evolving. It’s beautiful.