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Bettina Avila is the young filmmaker and cinematographer to watch. Having worked with some of the most prolific filmmakers and music artists right now, she’s gained lots of experience working in the industry to date. From being the cinematographer behind Benny Blanco’s Eastside music video to working hard on sets for films such as Marriage Story, If Beale Street Could Talk and Okja, we spoke with her about her passion for production, changes she wants to see in the industry and growing up across different cities.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi, (un)titled! My name is Bettina Avila and I’m a filmmaker/photographer/game designer from Brazil! Besides art, I really love animals and I’m constantly rescuing and fostering dogs, cats, birds, anteaters, and pretty much any animal I find in need of help! I’m very honoured that you picked me for this interview!

You have lots of experience working in the world of film, from your role as cinematographer to working on set as a production assistant to films such as Marriage Story, Black Panther and Okja. What is it like working on these sets and what has been your favourite experience so far?

I’ve been so lucky to have worked on so many cool productions! They taught me most of what I know about how the film industry works and the experiences I’ve had in them were priceless. My main passion in film is cinematography and I’m still working on non-union projects with that, on music videos and short films. While I work towards joining a union for cinematography, I’ve been working in production/pre-production on bigger sets with the purpose of learning and networking as much as I can. I got to work on so many movies and TV shows I love, like The Irishman, Avengers Infinity War, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, John Wick 3, Law and Order SVU, If Beale Street Could Talk and so many more! Working on these kinds of productions is definitely an adventure and so many different challenges come up each day. It’s really hard to pick a favourite experience because there were so many notable ones. I really loved working on John Wick 3 because my work was divided between assisting (and learning from) the wonderful cinematographer Dan Lautsten and being with the super cool animal trainers (and the pups – I miss them so much!). I learned so much about animal training, everything about that world is truly fascinating! I also loved working on a TV show called The Affair because we filmed in Montauk and being on the beach for work is such an amazing experience! The hours on set are always crazy but at the end of the day they’re worth it.

One of your roles as cinematographer included the beautiful, minimal music video for Benny Blanco’s Eastside featuring Halsey and Khalid. What brought you to this role? What was the process like on set?

Eastside was such an incredible experience. I was so honoured when Jake Schreier, the director, reached out to me asking me to shoot it. He had seen some of my photography and a short film through social media and said he thought I’d be a good fit for the project. I flew over to Virginia, where Benny is from, and we started filming right away. Every single location we filmed are the exact places where the stories that are mentioned in the video happened. Jake wanted everything to be and feel real, almost like a documentary, so we ended up flying to all these different locations all over the United States and it was awesome. The video was filmed in California, Virginia, New York, Wisconsin, and New Jersey. There were so many amazing stories we wanted to include in the video that we’d probably need an hour long song to fit everything. It’s always challenging to travel and move around a lot with equipment, but thankfully I had the help from Erin and JC, the most supportive and helpful camera team I could’ve asked for!  It was Jake’s idea to keep the camera completely static for each shot and I ended up loving how it turned out. It almost feels like we are looking at living postcards as we read the personal stories that happened in those places. The minimalism of all of it really pushes the viewer to pay attention to details of the location and the story. Jake’s vision for music videos is remarkable and collaborating to bring them to life was a blast. It was also incredible to spend time with the artists, their families, and get to see such a personal side of their lives. I also got to be on a huge stage for the first time and I still can’t get over it!

Your bio lists experience from travelling all over, you were born in Brazil but have since lived in Chile, Utah, Georgia and now New York City – how do you feel these experiences have evolved your perspective and contribute to your vision as an artist?

Travelling and exploring the world has always been something my family prioritized. My parents have a saying that ‘people can take everything away from you, except for your experiences’, and we’ve always lived with that in mind.  I first moved to a different country when I was 13, which was when I moved from Brazil to the state of Utah in the USA. That was actually when I had my first film set experience! I was one of the background students on High School Musical 3 and since then I became fascinated with the idea of working in film. I then moved to the state of Georgia, then back to Brazil, then to Chile, then upstate New York, then back to Brazil again and then to New York City. I lived in NYC for almost 8 years and now and I’m wondering where I’ll move next.

I think the experiences from living in so many different places have shaped me not only as an artist but also as a person. The shock of living in completely different cultures from my own forced me to grow incredibly fast and introduced me to so many new things in life. It also made me realize a lot about myself. That all translates into art.

I think the biggest shock for me was when I lived in the US as a kid, both in Utah and Georgia. I was in middle school then and kids were so mean to me simply because I was from South America. I had heard of xenophobia but until then I didn’t think it was real because in Brazil the culture is to be very welcoming to foreigners. I went through so many incredibly painful moments back then and I could see all the convoluted feelings I had very clearly translated into my drawings and personal art (and even my middle school level photography – ha). It’s all part of life though. Those were really dark times but looking back so many years later I’m glad I went through it all because I grew a lot from them.

Is there anything you would like to see change within the film and visual art industry as it currently stands?

Definitely! The film and art industry in general desperately need more diversity. Even in 2020 most people on set and in above-the-line positions are white men and that ends up shaping everything about the production. It unfortunately also makes it so that any person that does not fit that standard is set to be in many uncomfortable situations, as I have countless times. We need to have more representation, not only so people can feel comfortable and welcome in the industry, but also so there are different points of views in every stage of production, which results in amazing and varied work that more people can relate to. As a Latinx who is not Hispanic I have never even seen myself represented in a major movie and that’s so unfortunate. The industry is missing out on so much by focusing on the same type of characters over and over. There are just so many cultures and stories that haven’t been represented and I can see that this has started to change, but there is still such a long way to go. Hopefully, I get to a position where one day I can call the shots and contribute to making those changes happen.

What are your hopes for the future? What kind of art do you want to make?

I directed my first commercial this year and it was a lot of fun!  I definitely want to get more into that and start directing music videos as well. I love editorial photography and I think the creative aspect of it is so similar to music videos because you can just create beautiful scenes that don’t need to be continuous or justified. I really love that and want to explore it more! I still want to keep working on movies and TV shows because I love the family that we build working on set for so many hours together, but I plan on being a set photographer for the big productions instead of assisting producers and ADs. I’ll still continue my DP/directing career in non-union projects in the meantime. That way I can grow as director/DP without missing out on the fun I have on the big sets.   

What advice would you give to photographers and people who want to work in film?

This is a bit funny to me because I personally don’t think I’m in a position to give anyone advice but I guess that comes down to not being confident, which I know a lot of people, especially girls, experience. What I have to say is: don’t second guess your work. If someone offers you a job because they saw something you did that they liked, it’s because you deserve it. There are so many overconfident people out there that are getting a ton of attention for very mediocre work, and honestly? Props to them. In the artistic world, confidence takes you to places that talent alone won’t, so put your work out there and learn along the way. Be open to criticism, learn from your mistakes, but have something to show. I wasted too much time trying to ‘perfect my craft’ until I realized I will never get to where I want to in my head if I don’t go all out. I lost too many job and project offers because I wasted time thinking I was not good enough for them even though I was literally being offered them. Things have been working out since I started taking risks. I know I still have a lot to learn, but so does everyone!

Representation in media and film is such a powerful and educational tool, what does visibility within media today mean to you? In your opinion, do you feel there should be more perspectives shown of those who work behind the scenes and the stories we tell in front of it?

Oh I think I answered this one on the question about what I want to see change in the film industry.  But to add to it, visibility to me means a possible way to acceptance. I’ve seen a lot of people that used to be close minded about certain things change their minds after simply being exposed to them on a screen. Seeing people who are different living through the same struggles strengthens people’s empathy. Diversity and representation are key elements on the path to social and racial equality. We need representation in all levels of production, in every industry. I do my part by always hiring female and POC crew when I have the power to, and asking directors and producers to do the same when I’m a part of their projects.

You can follow more of Bettina’s amazing work on her Instagram and website.