Local boy makes his mark in film-land

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Jonathan balances on a skateboard during a shoot at a skateboard park.

Jonathan Edwin Galan

GROWING up, Kuching-born cinematographer Jonathan Edwin Galan was always fascinated by stories from books and movies.

He resonated with the messages in these stories and his mother, who noticed his passion for the craft of making movies, encouraged him to pursue a career in film.

“There’s something about the stories that always fascinates me since I was young. I remember hiding under the covers, reading books written by Roald Dahl, ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ series or whatever books I could lay my hands on.

“When it came to movies, I pored over the TV guide to see if there were any international movies on TV2’s late night blockbuster specials, including the very gory ‘Saving Private Ryan’, and asked my mum to stay up and watch with me,” he told thesundaypost.

He recalled being fascinated by photography during his teens, especially after his father bought a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera for a family trip.

“I fell in love with it (photography) without even realising it,” he chuckled.

At that time, little did Jonathan know his interests in reading, movies and photography would one day lead to a career in cinematography.

“After my SPM, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do because my results were not as good as I expected. I only managed to score 5A’s out of 10 subjects,” said the 23-year-old of mixed parentage. His father is an Iban from Sebuyau while his mother, a Chinese, is from Betong.

“When my mother suggested that I pursued film, I sat on it for a while, then decided to trust her instincts since she knew me better than I did. I mean, who really knows who they are and what they want when they are 17, right?”

In 2012, Jonathan spent a few months working on board MV Logos Hope, a floating library and humanitarian aid ship, in the food and beverage section. He cooked and cleaned dishes in the galley while travelling to port cities around the Philippines.

It was then that he decided to apply for a film degree course in a US university, and after sitting for the American College Test (ACT), was offered a partial scholarship by the Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, Arizona.

“While studying, I worked on every camera crew that offered me a job. I even worked part time during university breaks and over the summer holidays.”

Asked if he had problems adapting to American culture, Jonathan said he was able to fit in “fairly easily” as he was used to moving from place to place with his family when he was still young. His father was an officer with the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) and had been posted to different parts of the country.

“My father transferred a lot and promotions meant moving to a different city. I was born in Kuching but have lived in Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Subang Jaya and Shah Alam while growing up.

“My family made trips back to Sarawak to visit other family members and relatives over the holidays. So travelling and new cultures aren’t out of my comfort zone.”

He also credited his American friends for helping him to cope with the cultural differences.

“I remember my freshman year roommate, Jacob Wilhelm, now an architect, finding it hard to understand my English because of the way we say things, using a lot of ‘lahs’ and ‘ahs’.

“There were times I made cultural references which flew over the heads of my classmates and professors. There were also things I didn’t understand. But over time, I found myself really loving the culture here (US). People were very accepting of me and my ideas, and also ready to share their cultures or ideas whenever I showed interest. There was always a sense of being open to different ideas and things throughout my time in university,” he said.

Bent on carving a career in the film industry, Jonathan worked hard and by the time he graduated, he already had films featured in Arizona Underground Film Festival, Herberger Film Festival, Scottsdale Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Short Film Frenzy and ASU 48 Hour Film Challenge. Two of the four thesis films he shot were screened as part of the selective Senior Capstone Showcase at ASU.

On top the New American University Scholarship, he was also awarded the Special Talent Award, comprising US$5,000 in grants, after being nominated by Jacob Pinholster, director of the School of Film, Dance & Theatre.

After graduation, Jonathan moved to New York to hone his craft and soon interned with fashion blog SHEfinds.com. Moreover, he was involved in campaigns with Ebay, Nordstorm, Nudestix as well as BravoTV reality show – ‘Ladies of London’.

US-based Malaysian band Beat the System also approached him to make their first-ever music video, which was released in January this year and has, thus far, logged up to 490,000 views and counting.

“I’m most proud of the music video I made for Beat the System. It was an extremely fun project with a ton of extremely talented people,” he recalled.

In the few months since the music video, Jonathan has shot commercials for multimillion dollar company Wonton Food Inc. The clips were featured at Barclays Stadium, New York, during half-time of a NBA Brooklyn Nets basketball game.

“Seeing my works projected on the massive state of the art screens during the half-time show at a Barclays professional sports event was pretty cool,” he said.

He also made music videos for songwriter and musician Kevin Devine, which were featured on Billboard.com, and has just finished filming a music video for UK’s indie alt-rock band Fake Laugh. His other project is making a fashion film for upscale fashion boutique Clara Sunwoo.

“It hasn’t been easy getting where I am. By all standards, I did not score very well in SPM or pursue a stable degree. But even if I did, things wouldn’t have been any easier. I could whine about how hard life is but the truth is nothing good comes easy,” he admitted.

Jonathan said his parents were his main motivators and their guidance has helped him to be the cinematographer he is today, particularly in terms of character and work ethics.

“Dad is definitely my character-idol – honest to a fault and works very hard for his goals without arrogance and pride, while mum is very open to new ideas and always places importance on the pursuit of knowledge.

“This really helped me develop a positive personality. My parents have taught me to work hard and smart – and always produce works of the highest quality.”

Jonathan who hopes to work with ‘Vogue’ on one of its “amazing fashion films” and shoot a ‘Star Wars’ movie in the next 10 to 15 years, however, conceded that with his fluctuating project-based income and being significantly younger than a lot of film professionals, it could be tough.

“But at the end of the day, doing something I love for a living and seeing someone impacted positively by a film I made – there’s really nothing better than that,” he said.

Jonathan lugs his steadicam during a shoot in New Jersey.

Jonathan works behind the camera during the production of Beat the System’s music video at the Art Factory Warehouse in New Jersey.