From personal trainer to DoP, Jake Gabbay reflects on his journey into the industry and shares his passion for shooting on film.

As part of Cinelab London’s series of Cinematographers Behind the Camera, LBB meets Jake Gabbay. In these interviews we delve into the creative minds of some of the industry’s top talents to find out what inspires them, their greatest achievements and how they got to where they are.

Creating films with powerful visual impact, DoP Jake Gabbay has travelled all over the world to capture compelling narratives of unique cultures, people and landscapes. In 2019, his short doc Kamali which follows the story of a single mother in India fighting for her daughter’s empowerment, won a Golden Frog at Camerimage and was nominated for a BAFTA.

His commercial work has seen him collaborate with brands such as adidas, Nike, Puma, Schuh, Carling and Hyundai. And his music reel includes artists such as Grace Carter, Black Saint, Melt Yourself Down and Daughter.

In this interview, Jake shares his most memorable moments, his advice for up and coming DoPs, and why he would shoot everything on film if he could.

 

Q> What do you enjoy most about being a cinematographer? What first sparked your interest in the field?

Jake Gabbay > It’s a great job in general. First, there’s the creative aspect and the satisfaction that comes with it when it turns out great. Then there’s the people you work with that make the process an even better experience. And I love being able to travel to so many different places and hear stories from all over the world.

Read the full interview here.