Camera and Lens Service Technician and Rising Cinematographer: Amanpreet Sahota

Tucked away at a work station, I had the pleasure of (virtually) meeting Aman, one of Panavision’s camera and lens service technicians in London, aspiring cinematographer, and Sporas member.

Photography courtesy of Amanpreet Sahota

After completing a short film course back in 2008 in London, Aman filmed her final course’s project in Swahili, on tribal violence back home in Kenya. From there, she enrolled into a working scheme at Four Corners Film & Photography Centre, where she was placed working at Panavision for one week, which quickly turned into ten years. Starting in the shipping and receiving department, then as a camera prep technician working on the camera floor, she wanted further challenges and when a vacancy came up in Technical Service, she applied for it and was successfully accepted. Aman was the first woman working at Panavision (UK) as a camera and lens service technician.

We both start talking about our experiences and how we both feel that as women, we always have to prove ourselves a little bit more than men. As a woman of colour, Aman tells me about one of her first experiences on set, where she perhaps experienced sexism and micro-aggression all at the same time. Sent to fix something on set and as she turns up, the security guard would not let her through. He kept questioning her credibility, despite visibly displaying her ‘Panavision pass’. In the end, a member from production had to escort her in. Her resilient personality allowed her to just move on. She tells me, ‘I know how to take it on the chin, and perhaps next time they meet somebody like me, they will hopefully know better. Of course, if someone crosses the line, then I will react firmly, but most of the time it is lack of awareness and not knowing how to judge a vibe’.

About eighteen months ago, Aman starts embarking on a new role as a cinematographer, whilst still working at Panavision. And why not? After working on Wonder Woman and a couple of Bond films, to name a few, she quickly realised she had to put aside her ‘lack of self-confidence' and give cinematography a shot. Panavision was really supportive and lent her anamorphic lenses, so she gathered some close friends for her first short film, and began building up an exquisite showreel of music videos and short films.

We talk about how the industry should address diversity and inclusivity on set, and ‘give people a chance through schemes and a multi-approach to hiring practices on set’. Not long ago she was approached by Sporas, a platform for cinematographers, directors and film technicians of colour. Aman felt really positive about being able to be a part of such an inclusive collective organisation and share her experiences and knowledge with other industry professionals. Furthermore, she tells me, ’Having established myself a little bit in the industry, I want to take it upon myself to empower more people to do their work’. So she started mentoring on the side, giving her own advice and guidance to people from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities. Being North-Indian, growing up in Kenya, and now living in London, Aman nonchalantly blends all of these contrasting cultures into her creative work and world views.

She tells me as women, we should always strive to empower ourselves and others, and try to not put so much pressure and criticism on ourselves. Part of this path comes from being authentic to yourself and feeding your soul with inspirations. Her love for hip-hop, jazz, martial arts, and her Sikh heritage has certainly fueled her inner creativity and self-love.

We fade into talking about mental health, social media and its toxicity, and I ask her how she deals with it. She shares with me a very important saying in her culture that has accompanied her throughout her life: All is rising above from negativity. This means that it’s about being able to learn from a stressful situation. It can be difficult to figure out if a project is right for you, but it is very important to learn to walk away when it’s not. Meditation has also played a vital role in her life, and her key to an overall wellbeing is to make sure she nurtures her life outside work.

Aman is a member at @sporasco and you can follow her here @aman.k_sahota and view her work here https://vimeo.com/user99051475