Joanne Hock, Cinematographer and Director : Charlotte Film Industry Insider

“Rule number one: Film-making is not a glamorous profession. You have to get over that or you won’t last a week in the industry.I knew what I wanted to do when I was twelve years old. After getting a degree in writing and motion picture production from UNC Chapel Hill, I started my career as a copywriter in television and advertising. I loved using words and images to tell stories. Initially my stories were only :30 thirty seconds in length. Now, after a checkered past and many years in the film industry, I’m writing and directing feature length documentaries and movies.

In order to be successful you have to have a willingness to work harder than you ever imagined and put in a lot of long, long hours. This is doing the grunt work with organization details and logistics and preparation that it takes to make a film. A crew call at 3:30 am to capture the perfect morning light and sixteen-hour days are pretty common.Perspiration is equal to inspiration. You can have a great idea, but if you don’t have the willingness to follow through on that idea and do the work, it will never transpire and come to life. Sometimes it takes years to get a project off the ground. Several of my films have taken eight to ten years to find funding and then ultimately distribution. Thirty years ago, I was told that women don’t run camera and don’t direct. I pushed back, worked hard, learned the craft and I’ve been a Cinematographer and Director ever since.”