Gabe Mayhan is a cinematographer who shoots features, documentaries, shorts, television shows, and commercials. Join Gabe as he discusses setting up shots, camera and lens choices, lighting, working with directors, directing documentaries, creating a sustainable career as a cinematographer in a fly-over state, and his involvement in the Arkansas Film Society.
Doors at 6:30 pm | presentation at 7 pm
Shoot & Splice is a monthly forum for film makers presented by Indie Memphis & Crosstown Arts.
About Gabe Mayhan:
Gabe Mayhan has compiled a diverse body of work over the course of his cinematography career. Whether it was from his time covering breaking news, to shooting in remote locations in South America for an adventure show, or crafting stylistic narrative stories, he approaches each project with dutiful ambition, respectful collaboration, and innovative technique. His work has been screened at film festivals such as Slamdance and Tribeca, broadcast on networks the likes of HBO, Showtime and PBS, and screened theatrically across the US. Many of the films have been recognized and awarded for the cinematography.
2016 was a pretty big year for Gabe, having two films released theatrically, Greater and Lazy Eye. Greater is a heartfelt drama set in the world of college football. And Lazy Eye, a bittersweet romance about reconnecting with a lost love. Although very different in style and content, both films have been well-received. Gabe also returned behind the lens for the second season of Mineral Explorers, a travel show that explores the origins and geological stories of minerals from around the world.
Other forthcoming works are the feature films All the Birds Have Flown South, a southern gothic drama that deals with despair and addiction, and Antiquities, a coming-of-age story about a young man encountering loss and finding himself in the journey.
Whether behind the lens or in the director’s chair, his work on documentaries is gaining attention as well. In 2012, he shot All About Ann, an HBO documentary chronicling the life and legacy of Texas Governor Ann Richards, and Champion Trees, a documentary for PBS that explores the relationship between art and nature. The show captured two Emmys for Cultural Documentary and Cinematography in 2014. Slated to air spring of 2017, the documentary Dream Land tells the history of an African American neighborhood during segregation and the lasting impact of Urban Renewal. In both Champion Trees and Dream Land, Gabe held double duties as the films’ director and cinematographer.
Gabe’s unique vision and strong understanding of story have quickly gained the interest of filmmakers and audiences around the country. He brings an understanding that each project has its own way to be crafted visually, and within each story there is a unique opportunity to evolve the narrative emotionally through the cinematography, allowing the film to be seen — in its best light.
