Conversations with Eli Saliba

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eli Saliba

Hi Eli, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Eli Saliba and I am an Atlanta-based filmmaker and cinematographer.
Growing up in Snellville, Georgia, I quickly found a love for movies. At a younger age than most, my parents allowed me to watch films like Forrest Gump (1994), The Godfather (1972), and Jaws (1975). Although I couldn’t fully comprehend them until I got older, I became fascinated with how the people and their interactions on a screen were able to alter my emotions and feelings in the same way they do in real life.
I was around nine or ten when I permanently borrowed my dad’s Hi8 Sony camcorder and started filming as much as I could. I’m sure my friends got sick of me real quick once I began forcing them to “act” in my “movies” every time we were together. When they did I spent hours a day in my room shooting makeshift stop motion pictures with matchbox cars. Looking back, I had no clue what filmmaking really was or how it worked. I just kind of mimicked what I saw on my TV or in the theaters to the best of my ability.
As time went on, I continued making projects solely because of the enjoyment it brought me and how, deep down, I think I understood that I was permanently capturing memories that might otherwise be forgotten. Not once at this point in time did I ever think filmmaking would be a possible career path for me. Again, I had no clue how it worked, how many people it takes to make one, nor the cost… It was completely foreign and I assumed that sooner rather than later I would need to grow out of it and find hobbies that may better benefit my future.
It wasn’t until my four years of undergrad at the College of Charleston (SC) that I not only rediscovered filmmaking, but film studies. These courses not only taught me the basis of how movies and shows are made, but how to watch them, understand them, and how some of the world’s greatest filmmakers make calculated choices within all phases of the filmmaking process. I haven’t watched a movie in the same way since. No longer was my goal to watch for pure entertainment, but rather an attempt to find all the reasons behind every artistic choice a filmmaker makes that was meant to be deciphered by it’s audience. I had fallen in love again, and with the help and support of some great family and friends, I came to the realization that this is what I wanted to do with my life.

I graduated from college with nearly twenty visual media projects under my belt. Everything from narrative shorts to television shows and documentary work had evolved into a resume that I could be confident in going into the workforce.
The only issue was I set to graduate in May of 2020, the same time the world shut down. I was no longer sure what the future held or what paths I could take. I decided to take a leap of faith and continue my education with a masters in film and TV production from the University of Georgia. I would be apart of the inaugural cohort, so everything was new to everyone. During my two years at UGA I was really able to focus on my craft as a writer, director, and cinematographer. I learned a lot by messing up and doing things creatively that weren’t necessarily in my comfort zone. This is where I truly learned that filmmaking, indie or not, is all about taking a risk that you can only hope people will enjoy, understand, and connect with. I found that writing things that are true to myself are usually the things that people connect with the most. Coming up with content and stories that you can’t relate to is tough as is. Just tell your story in variations and a lot of the time, people will relate.

Since graduating from the University of Georgia in 2022, I have worked in a variety of different jobs. One of my first jobs was traveling to a Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana to record auditions for the animated feature film Buffalo Kids distributed by Warner Brothers. At the same time I interned at Third Rail Studios in Doraville, now apart of Assembly Atlanta. After that, I went to work as a production coordinator for UGA at Athena Studios in Athens. Since moving on from there this past summer, I have been working full time as a freelance DP, videographer, and camera operator on a variety of productions within the Southeastern United States. I have shot five Atlanta-based shorts as well as three episodes of the narrative PBS/SCETV kids show The Cool and the Strong. I’ve worked as a cam op, utility and PA on multiple productions here in Georgia as well as doing videography for businesses and individuals within the state.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’m sure most people who have shown interest in entering the film industry have heard the saying, “it’s all about who you know”. It can be a really tough road entering a profession that relies heavily on relationships, so you really have to want it to break in. I’m still attempting to do that and I would be lying if I said work wasn’t slow at times and having to scrap for whatever gigs you can get is a must not only financially but also creatively. I find the more time I spend waiting for a call the less creative I feel. Those feelings have definitely raised the question of, “should I keep find something else.” That’s why I try to work on my own projects when I’m not working other gigs just to keep that muscle working and the creative juices flowing.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As a director of photography or cinematographer. I work with directors and clients to develop and create an overall visual style for a film, show, or video. I help figure out the best way the story can be told visually, and how to visually plant information that moves along the story into the visual world we create. On set, I work with the camera department and G&E team to execute the directors overall vision that was developed in collaboration during the pre production period. I find that making sure the visual style of the film is cohesive is more important than getting a cool shot that doesn’t necessarily fit the rest of the film. With that being said there is still room for creativity at every moment of a production and that’s one thing that I truly enjoy about the craft.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Like I mentioned previously, pretty much everything about filmmaking requires a dose of risk taking. Sharing an idea with the world, your idea, unsure if it will resonate with anyone. That’s a risk. Funding a movie is a risk. Although I didn’t think about it at the time, pursuing a career in film was a risk. It’s not your consistency-based, average 9-5, weekends-off-type of job. One month you could be working everyday, twelve hours a day. The next three months you could have nothing. It’s a very full steam ahead or nothing profession.
With that being said, I do believe if you truly love and enjoy what you do, nothing will stop you from doing it. Life is full of risks and you have to be willing to take some in order to get where you want to be. I’ve slowly been learning that taking risks may hurt you in the short run, but in the long run they will get you where you want to be. With every unsuccessful risk I take, I attempt to think back on the experience as much as possible and force myself to think about and learn something from it, that way I’m never leaving an experience empty handed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elisaliba.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisguy_eli79?igsh=MWVweTg5MjZ3cTE2OA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11763585/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Image Credits
Alexes Gillespie
Jordan Shaw
Tara Gause
Shelbie Mclaughlin