Gabriel DeCarlo has always been fascinated by film. He was born in Atlanta, but (after a series of moves) soon moved to Memphis, where he became a budding graphic designer in art class at Houston High School. A mentor at church taught him how to use computer design and editing software, and that’s when it clicked. “I realized film-making combined all my favorite things into one,” says Gabriel. “I can create art, I can design, I can build—all the things I enjoy.”
He decided to go to Watkins College of Art, Design & Film in Nashville because, he says , “I was able to get actual hands-on experience using film instead of videotape.” While in college, Gabriel began free-lancing with production companies in Nashville. He worked with well-respected Directors of Photography to master the art of lighting for different kinds of productions, including documentaries, television sports programs, and country music videos. But a year or so after graduating, he decided to leave the country music capital and return home to Memphis. “I swore if I had to light one more pickup truck in the rain, I was going to light it on fire,” he laughs.
As a Director of Photography for Running Pony, Gabriel enjoys the variety of work and variety of clients. “That fact that it’s different every day,” he says. “Lighting isn’t the same thing every time. The skills are the same, but the spaces are different.” Some of his more challenging assignments have included coordinating a 27-camera shoot for Facebook during a rainy Memphis in May performance by Miley Cyrus and Marc Cohn, and shooting a simulated hostage rescue for a Dutch military commercial at a training site in Arkansas. “That was a huge challenge but turned out gorgeous,” says Gabriel. “You look at it and go, ‘I can’t believe that’s Arkansas.’”
When he’s not working, Gabriel enjoys building and designing things in his carpentry workshop. He and his wife, Jennie, met at Watkins College. She was a video editing major, but now runs her own seamstress company (“still cutting, just something different,” Gabriel jokes). Married for almost three years now, they enjoy traveling, music festivals and flow arts. In fact, Gabriel runs an annual flow arts festival with a colleague. He’s always looking for new challenges and new learning opportunities. “I like learning from our clients, too,” he says. “I’m curious by nature, and it’s fascinating to learn what different companies do, and to get to be behind the scenes at all these interesting places.”
