Rick Joaquim - I Am Behind the Camera, Making the Right Choices for the Characters (Cinematographer)

Rick Joaquim, SASC is an award-winning Director of Photography and Cinematographer working within Commercials, Music videos and Narrative film.

Some of his clients include Netflix, the Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO, ONE.org (Bono from U2's Non-Profit Organisation), BMW, Nandos and Virgin United shooting alongside Sir Richard Branson.

When you see Rick’s work, it takes a minute for you to put your finger on why you simply can’t look away. Soon you get it. There’s a kind of magic holding your gaze in every frame. For sure all the technical genius is present, but it’s his empathy with the subject matter that keeps you riveted. 

His love and respect for narrative is what drove him to film in the first place, but his dedication to each story - is what makes each picture a joy to watch. Rick is generous, determined and focused on bringing the heart of the piece into the light. He is also one of the best humans you’ll ever meet. This is probably why he finds the kind of moments ordinary people overlook.

Tell us about your background and journey.

I grew up in South Africa where I was fortunate to study Tv and Film at the University of Johannesburg - I then started freelancing straight after that and began working on corporate videos and smaller music videos for friends and their bands.

After that and as time passed I finally got onto bigger Commercials, Music videos and Narrative projects where we started winning awards and accolades. Recently I just had a short film I shot, titled "Five Tiger" screen and premiere at Sundance Film festal which was a dream come true for me.

Presently I am based between London and South Africa and have just begun shooting my first Netflix project which I am excited for.

How and when did you realize your passion for creating films?

I think I have always loved films, from a kid growing up I would watch VHS tapes of stuff like Star Wars or Ninja Turtles. My brother and I would even try to recreate films own my parent's old school Handycam and we would try to tell silly stories. 

So after high school, I studied music and sound engineering for a year and one of our projects was to shoot a music video for a band. I did really well at this project - and then realised tv and film could actually be a career path - till then I didn’t know it was actually a feasible and real option for me.



What are the important skills one should have to be a successful cinematographer?

I feel empathy is important so you “feel" behind the camera, making the right choices for the characters. 

I think you also have to be a kind of mad scientist and artist as a Cinematographer - you have to understand the technical aspects of lenses, cameras and lighting but you also have to be able to paint with them and create what’s right for the project and make a creative decision using these tools.



Which film(s) do you appreciate the most for their cinematography?

Films like The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Sicario, Honey Boy, Moonlight Children of Men, The Prestige - All-powerful stories but shot and lit so beautifully too.



What has been the biggest learning from your job?

Be Patient, it’s not a sprint but a marathon. Be humble. No need to be a ruse or deeming on set. And always try to be solution-based instead of focussing on the problems.



Which is your favourite book and why?

I have so many books on Cinematography- So would have to say 'Lighting for Cinematography: A Practical Guide to the Art and Craft of Lighting for the Moving Image' was a good read. 

Otherwise, the Lord Of The Rings if we are talking fiction as just love the world Tolkien created… It’s almost endless.


Interviewed by - Sathwik Macharla