LEARNING FROM THE GREATS 

Guided by some of the industry’s top cinematographers, Ilana Garrard ACO ASSOC. BSC honed her craft through mentorship and collaboration. 

Selected recent filmography (as camera operator, unless otherwise stated)… 
 
The Dead Of Winter (film, dir. Brian Kirk, cin. Christopher Ross BSC) 
 
Mother Mary (film, dir. David Lowery, cine: Andrew Droz Palermo and Rina Yang BSC) 
 
Black Mirror (series, three episodes) 
 
O’Dessa (film, dir. Jeremy Jasper, cin. Rina Yang BSC) 
 
The Decameron (Netflix episodic show, cin. Michael McDonough ASC BSC) 
 
The Swimmers (Film, dir. Sally El Hosaini, cin. Christopher Ross BSC) 
 
Anatomy of A Scandal (Netflix episodic, dir. S.J Clarkson, cin: Balazs Bolygo BSC) 
 
Sex Education (Netflix episodic show, dir. Ben Taylor, cin. Jamie Cairney BSC) 
 
What inspired you to become a camera operator? Did you always want to work in film? 
  
I first became inspired to become a filmmaker when I had finally read an entire book at about age 13. I was quite dyslexic and it took me a very long time to be able to read that book. But once I had finished it, I realised that I was in love with storytelling. I especially wanted to create all the images I had in my head and so I started making films with my friends. In my early teens I was given a DV cam for Christmas, that DV cam rarely left my side. I made films about my friends and my life, I loved editing and creating emotive moments with a sense of nostalgia.  
 
I hadn’t grown up watching TV and movies much because I had gone to a Steiner/Waldorf school where screen time was heavily discouraged. The creative process I went through at that time was very much informed by my surroundings and imagination, rather than inspired by movies.  
 
When I was making all these films, I loved holding the camera the most, that feeling never really left me.  
 
How did you get started in the industry and what was your career progression? 
 
I left home at 16 to attend the Brit School in London where I carried on making films for two years. After that, I went to the Arts University of Bournemouth to study cinematography and documentary. 
 
When I graduated, I saved for a tiny Steadicam that could fly small DSLR cameras and shot projects with friends. Over time, I got better, upgraded to a bigger rig and started landing work on music promos and commercials. About a year and a half after buying that first tiny rig, I got my break in film and TV. 

Somehow, I managed to keep getting hired and had the privilege to work with a lot of wonderful people that trusted me to be there.  
 
Jamie Cairney BSC is someone who taught me a lot at the start of my career in narrative work, we met when shooting a show in Newcastle in 2014. He’s been my biggest cheerleader ever since.  
 
I met Rina Yang BSC in that really early period of music videos where we were both industry babies. We’ve since shot movies together for Searchlight and A24.  
 
Chris Ross BSC is someone who I began working with in about 2016. He’s been a massive part of my career, I have a lot of love and gratitude to him for his support and friendship.  
 
What do you believe are the key qualities of a star camera operator? 
 
I think in this job you have to be really open minded, be able to adapt and read the room.  
 
Every project requires something different from you, whether that is shooting boards that have been meticulously thought about, or being a core part of the creative team and making decisions on the floor with the team. You need to be prepared to shift between those modes and adapt to the needs of the project.  
 
I think you need to be able to absorb stress wherever possible, there can be a lot of chaos on set and sometimes there is a huge amount of pressure on you. So you need to be able to conjure magic in some incredibly difficult situations with a cool head. To cut through the noise and know exactly what it is that you need to do in order to make it all work.  
 
Sometimes you need to be a mediator when people making core decisions aren’t aligned, it takes a lot of brain power to see a path through that and create something that works. Staying focussed, grounded and clear headed in those scenarios is something that is really important.  
 
I’m also a big believer in taking care of your mind and body. Doing a whole day of hand held or Steadicam is physically demanding and you have to be able to consistently nail take after take. So go to the gym, think about the food you eat and make sure you’re prepared for it.  
 
Have as many skills as possible. If you can operate every bit of kit out there, you’re more hireable than the next person. Be the best you can be on the wheels, Steadicam, hand held and new tech coming out. Always push yourself to keep learning and growing.  
 
What is at the heart of a successful camera operator/DP relationship? 
 
Trust and friendship are at the heart of this for me. It’s important to be a team player and have each other’s back. I always try to get to know the DP on a personal level, because I think that if you can understand one another on a level beyond the surface of a professional relationship, then you’re able to help one another out a lot more, especially when the pressure is on the team to complete a heavy day.  
 
Having fun with each other is important too. We spend most of our lives at work with each other and so you need to enjoy being around each other.

What do you enjoy most about your job? 
 
I love being in a room with actors who are so brilliant that you know exactly where to point the camera, to feel connected to your own emotions, responding to them and creating amazing images. It’s a privilege to be the first audience member and choose where the story lives in the frame.  
 
I love designing complex moves with a Steadicam, crane or dolly that move the viewer through the story. There are few things more satisfying than nailing a shot: whether it’s because it was technically challenging or because you tapped into something deeply emotional on a hand held shot.  
 
What movie/production has been your biggest challenge?  
 
A few years ago I shot a movie called O’Dessa in Croatia with Rina Yang BSC and director Jeremy Jasper. The shoot was about two months long, with the vast majority of it being night shoots. Towards the latter part of the shoot we were doing 80/90 hour weeks, shooting day scenes, then nights, only wrapping when the sun showed itself. I didn’t get a chance to go home or see loved ones in that period, it really tested my ability to stay grounded. The shoot itself was challenging due to the predominantly location based work. Rina and Jeremy had a very strong visual style that lead to a lot of Steadicam and hand held work night after night.  
 
Luckily I loved working with all of them and really enjoyed what we were shooting, it was really creatively fulfilling. I loved the fact that the majority of the shoot was single camera work, it meant shots weren’t compromised.  
 
After that movie, I needed a lot of time at home to get over it. We don’t always talk about the toll taken on our mind and bodies with shoots like that and I think it’s important to acknowledge that as a reality in our industry.  
 
What are you currently working on? 
 
I’m currently the A camera operator on a Marvel show. It’s my first time working within the Marvel universe and I’m really enjoying the challenge. 
 
We began the show at the start of the year, in the dead of winter on some cold night shoots. We’re now pining for the sunny outdoors whilst on a stage in Pinewood!  
 
I have a fantastic team with me who are hugely supportive. Particular thanks goes to my dolly grip James Powel and focus puller Alex Taylor for their humour and creative input.  
 
Cinematographer Christopher Ross BSC says:  

“I first became aware of Ilana’s work through the show Delicious in 2017. The joyous and energetic fluidity displayed by the Steadicam was not only visually compelling but also character-driven and immersive. An impressive combination of storytelling. 
 
Ilana is everything a cinematographer could ask for in a camera operator and ally – technically excellent, intuitively responsive and creatively curious. A great team leader and an encourager and nurturer of the next generation of craftspeople. Not content with simply blazing a trail for herself, she continues to break through glass ceilings for those behind her to follow. 

From the mean streets of Sheffield, via the snow-capped mountains of Calabria, to the deadliest depths of the Mediterranean Sea; always an adventure, always a blast. Viva la collaboration!” 

Actor and screenwriter Dame Emma Thompson says:  

“Ilana Garrard combines the resilience of a mountain goat, the ethics of a racy nun with the visual brilliance and insanity of a Salvador Dali – she’s literally everything you could want in an operator.  

“We worked in freezing temperatures in Finland for three months last year and I could not have wished for a more boon companion on the ice. Her mere presence was a bolster to the spirits – creative and otherwise.”