When young Oscar Jiménez looked ahead to potential education and career paths, none of them placed him behind a camera. He certainly didn’t envision what would happen: 6 months after graduating from film school in 2019, Jiménez received an American Society of Cinematographers’ Student Heritage Award for his work on the short film, Gather. Then in 2020, he shot my favorite Sundance film of the year, The Killing of Two Lovers. We talk about the lack of stability in filmmaking, and the gumption it takes to push through. It’s not all pretty, and Oscar’s grounded, adaptable view on life and art is full of inspiration to my own life, and hopefully, to yours as well. 

As per usual, the first 10-20 minutes is Oscar’s history, then we get into more nitty-gritty ideas on life, food, and filmmaking. You can keep up with Oscar @osacre on instagram, and you can watch The Killing of Two Lovers here on hulu.

[40:26] Should you say Yes to every project that comes your way?

[41:55] "If the only thing keeping you back is fear or laziness…you should push through those." -Oscar

[42:53] "That’s what school is for, you're supposed to fail. It should be a safe space to fail and learn." -Oscar

[44:57] “When I see failure in my own personal work, I ask, is the aesthetic fulfilling the story? If it’s too distracting, I feel like I failed." -Oscar

[46:27] “As self-deprecating as I am, I have to be really happy with some of the stuff I do. Otherwise, I'll be like, this isn't fulfilling for me at all." -Oscar

[48:22] "Treat your project like it’s your last one, and give it your all. That's easier said than done and I'm probably a hypocrite." -Oscar

[51:12] "If you go into creativity with the question, "is this going to be any good," you're gonna freeze or fall apart before you even get started." -Mandy

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