SEE HER WORK
FALL IN LIGHT
Cinematographer Ellie Ann Fenton speaks on her relationship with light. BY SERGIO CARVAJAL-LEONI
and shaping light. They study how light enters a room, how it hits a person’s face, what temperature it carries, and they make assessments on what instruments they should use to make light behave the way they want. Though it may sound like a rather niche endeavor, these particular types of artists are directly responsible for the look of every single one of your favorite shows and movies. They are formally known as directors of photography (DPs) or cinematographers; rather misunderstood and underappreciated professionals who have had a profound impact on anyone who enjoys a good film, which is practically everyone on this planet. El Paso native Ellie Ann Fenton is one of these folks. “I fell into cinematography at UT Austin,” Fenton says. “I was in the film program and originally thought I wanted to edit; however, the second I had a camera in my hands and began to understand light, I fell in love and never looked back.” Almost two decades later, Fenton’s relationship with light is stronger than ever. She has shot multiple feature films, comfortably alternating from working with independent filmmakers—such as the award-winning festival hit comedy Zero Charisma—to being part of high-profile projects such as the HBO documentary Running with Beto. “I love watching a big scene come together with hundreds of people involved,” Feneton reveals. “And I appreciate the intimacy that can be achieved when it’s a small crew or just you, a camera and your subject. Above all, I strive to capture human experiences in whatever form they come in with whatever means I’m given.” Upon finishing the Radio, Television and Film program at UT Austin, Fenton worked the Austin film scene for a few years before joining the prestigious American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles to further polish her skills and enhance her network. “School isn’t necessarily the path for everyone,” she says. “However, it was the right choice for me. A program like AFI is truly global, as filmmakers from all over the planet study there to become the future voices of film, TV and groundbreaking media. Beyond the intense technical 30 | AUSTIN WOMAN | NOVEMBER 2021
Photos by Romina Olson, Charlie Leal, and courtesy of Ellie Ann Fenton.
There are people whose jobs consist of understanding
