Erynn Patrick
“My Mom was a personal trainer and fitness instructor. She was a bit like a freelancer, though I didn’t realize it at the time. There was an unconventional structure to her job and her schedule and she had a direct relationship with the people she worked with. In the summers I would go with her to her classes and training sessions and I think it normalized having a somewhat odd way of working to me.”
“I went to public elementary and high schools. They were big schools with lots of kids, lots of diversity. I always really enjoyed school and was very motivated to perform there - I’m a goal oriented person by nature. I was really fortunate to discover photography when I was 13, and I had an amazing photography teacher who taught us how to work in the darkroom, creating emulsion transfers, cyanotypes, all sorts of cool photographic processes. Those are really dying arts and I’m super lucky to have had that experience.”
“I moved to Austin after high school to attend St. Edward’s University, a small liberal arts school where I was able to study fine art photography straight away. It was a smaller school which was refreshing after being at giant public schools, and they had a really generous financial aid & scholarship structure that made it possible for me to attend. The photography program was small and supportive, and I was able to focus intensely on my personal approach to making images.”
“By the time I was a junior in college, I was feeling pretty disenchanted with the idea of commercial photography and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for work. I was taking a class that was just called “video production” and I was enjoying that, making funny little films. The professor also worked as a production designer on indie features. We had a good rapport and he offered me a job as an Art PA on a feature he was prepping. There were lots of small indie features being made in Texas where you could ‘cut your teeth’ if you were ready to work. I had no idea what I was doing but I immediately fell in love - I couldn’t believe people were paid to do this.”
“At the time I was also working as a waitress in addition to my full load of classes, but I became enchanted with filmmaking and made a lot of sacrifices to be on set. The days were long, hot, and underpaid but I knew it was where I wanted to be.”
“After that I shifted my focus in school and started making short films in addition to my stills work. They were all terrible, but I was hooked. In my senior year I took an internship with Terrence Malick’s editorial team, working in his office as his producer, Sarah Green’s assistant. I’ll never forget my first day when they asked me to “go walk Terry’s dogs”. I felt like I was living in an alternate reality.”
“It was extremely hard work, and I made a fraction of what I made waiting tables working there, but I learned so much and it put me on the path towards everything meaningful I’ve been able to do since. After about 18 months I had to go back to working on set, because I couldn’t stand being in an office any longer!”
“My Mom has always been very supportive of my career choices. I think it was obvious I was going to do something in the arts. Even as a kid I was very drawn to creative pursuits and motivated to work hard. I was always encouraged to be independent, and I think she always trusted I would figure it out. Growing up without much financial support sort of takes the edge off parental approval in some ways. There’s not a standard to live up to except for the one you put up for yourself. It was definitely terrifying and frustrating at times, but it’s also freeing and motivating.”
“I’m fortunate to have had many positive influences on my career. I think as a creative you make a lot of mistakes to get where you’re headed, and you really rely on your community and the people in your life to support you and encourage you to keep going. My Mom has always been my biggest cheerleader and helped me to believe in myself.”
“I also had a lot of great teachers along the way who took an interest in me and made me question my own boundaries. I had a professor named, Eduardo Munoz when I was at university who showed me a lot of films I’d never seen - the work of Pedro Almodovar in particular - and when I told him I wasn’t a writer, he asked “How do you know that? Have you ever really tried?” It’s a simple thing but it left an impression on me. It taught me that the most limiting factor in this craft is often yourself.”
“My cinematography is certainly informed by my studies of still photography. Curran Hatleburg, Garry Winogrand, Martin Parr, Richard Avedon, Nan Goldin- their styles are all very different, but they've all influenced me over the years. They often utilize natural or existing light, and that approach of seeking light that evokes a mood is something I emulated in my still photography and still strive towards in my filmmaking. There's a naturalness to a lot of great photography that is difficult to achieve in filmmaking, but it can be done and can be incredibly effective. It’s something I tried to implement in our creative approach to Cheer as well. I brought in a lot of still photography references for our pre-production meetings.”
“I’ve had a lot of different jobs. I started working in high school as a nanny, lifeguard, hostess, then in college as a bartender, gallery assistant, illustrator’s assistant, then in film as a set dresser, prop master, producer’s assistant, art director, AC & camera operator. If someone was willing to pay me to do a job, for much of my life I was willing to do it. In some ways that became a bit of a curse as I had to learn how to say no and set boundaries, but it also taught me so much, and now as a director and cinematographer I have a much deeper understanding of the demands of the rest of the crew’s jobs. It’s important to respect how hard everyone is working if you want to foster trust on set.”
“My first paid jobs on set were not at all glamorous. The first prop master job I had, I did for $75 per day and we went over 12 hours every single day. I also volunteered my time on too many projects. It was very common when I was starting and I think in a lot of ways you still have to be willing to sacrifice your time if you’re serious about this career path, but I don’t think it’s admirable to work for free or below minimum wage. It’s tough out there and people should be compensated for their time. But you do have to learn and be humbled by the industry too.”
“I also was only able to work on those free or low-paying jobs because I’d saved money waiting tables. I floated off those savings for my first year or two working on sets. Working freelance can be very tough for folks who don’t have financial security, and I think it’s important for productions to keep that in mind when they’re hiring for starting positions. I think productions should never rely on unpaid work unless they really have something to offer that person in terms of mentoring or experience. Our society is not friendly to people without financial support who are pursuing creative careers and we all need to work to create a more equitable environment for folks looking to break in.”
“If I’m being honest, I find myself working too much lately! I recently wrapped a very collaborative documentary feature that was a real joy to work on. I’m also taking a lot of commercial & editorial work as well. I like working on a variety of projects as I think it keeps me nimble and keeps me sane.”
“I am trying to find a better work / life balance. I think it’s a common problem if you really love your job, because it’s easy to say yes to everything, but I’m trying to be a bit more selective. I work with my partner and we both love to work, so it can be a challenge to make time to reset and recharge, but it’s vital! In my free time I love to spend time outdoors, rock climbing, reading, and hanging out with my friends and dogs. Basically the same stuff I liked as a kid!”
“In the future, I just want to keep doing what I’m doing and growing. I want to keep sharpening my craft and finding new challenges to solve. I love that this industry has infinite potential to learn and grow. I’m proud of a lot of my recent work, especially Cheer, and I just want to keep collaborating with passionate, creative people who want to tell important stories and make beautiful images.”
“I’m grateful every single day to do what I do, and I hope to never lose sight of that. It’s hard work but it’s the best work and I wouldn’t have it any other way!”