Meet George Mullinix | Cinematographer & Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with George Mullinix and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi George, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think risk is the magic sauce to success – I give risk a lot of the credit for my professional growth. One of my first big hurdles was making the transition from being an environmental scientist working in a lab to pursuing my dream of being a working cinematographer. I loved science, don’t get me wrong, but I had always wanted to work as a visual storyteller and I knew I couldn’t wait any longer so I after taking calculated risk I took the plunge. I hung up the lab coat, picked up a camera and went for it and I really have never looked back. Looking back to that decision 10 years ago, I realize I did something that’s really helped me make some tough decisions. I ask myself, “what’s the best possible outcome of this ‘risky’ decision?” and I focus almost entirely on that. Often, I hear about people deciding not to pursue their passions, their dreams, and it’s a bummer because I think that mean’s it’s easier to focus on the ‘worst’ possible outcome, it’s a quick way to say ‘whoa, I’m not doing that, I’m good right where I’m at.’ While I’m an artist, I’m also a scientist in a past life so I try to be real, use data to backup my idea, you know, the whole scientific method. So from my life experiences (or experiments) I calculate that most of the time we end up somewhere in middle of the ‘best’ & ‘worst’ possible outcome so why not focus more on the positives? Dream up the ‘bestest of the best’ possible outcome, have fun with it and go for it. We’re most likely not going to achieve the best case scenario and most likely we’re not going to hit rock bottom, meaning we’re going to land somewhere right around the middle. Focusing more on the positives allows me to live in the moment and allows me to grow! Oh & also, it’s proven, positive thinking is contagious so just give it a shot.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a cinematographer which is essentially in charge of the camera and the lighting crew. I’m the person responsible for creating the look, color, lighting, and for framing of every single shot in a film. While every job has its technical requirements I think attitude is the key to a solid working relationship. I always try to bring a positive vibe and have empathy on set which has really helped me form some strong relationships. I studied environmental biology in school and made the switch to pursuing cinematography after school so II’ve really had to study everyday and educating myself about today’s cinematography and trends. I’m mostly self taught, I’ve read a ton of behind-the-scenes stories about my favorite cinematographers with ASC Magazine probably being the most useful for me.. I don’t want to say it’s been easy but in some ways it has been because I’ve had an absolute blast along the way. I’m so grateful to get to do this job. I want people to know that positive thinking really. does go a long way – that trying to understand where other people are coming from is really important and it does result strong relationships which in turn turns into a strong career.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love Miami, I’ve gotten to work in the city several times and usually a week at a time so I typically enter tourist mode on the weekends. I grew up in southern California near Los Angeles and being in the culturally rich communities of Miami really remind me of home. Miami really has a pulse to it and of course you can’t beat the climate so I’d start with walk along the bay, through Little Havana and Wynwood. Listen to the people around you and just take in the vibe – it’s very unique. I think it’s super important to visit Wynwood Walls to see the art but to also understand how the area has been developed, it’s a really important story about supporting art and I hope to see other cities adopt that idea. I think South Beach is really cool, too, it’s great people watching and as an artist all the colors in the fashion, buildings and environmental tones is fascinating. Kush is super tasty, too. I’d recommend Kyu in Wynwood, the ambience is great, has a solid and knowledgeable staff – the food is so good. Getting down to Bayfront Park is a must, it’s awesome to see the cruise ships going by then you can walk over to Perez Art Museum – see some art and get your steps in! I’m also a sports fan so if you can catch a Heat game you have to. It’s a really unique setup that’s right on the bay.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family – They always have been excited for me and helped me focus on a more positive way of thinking. Also, my mom has always pushed me to be more business savvy. Dr. Joy Ward & Dr. Katie Becklin – They both were super supportive while I was working under them as a researcher in their lab. That helped me make that transition from the lab to telling visual stories The University of Kansas – The university setting and surrounding town really supported my way of thinking, allowing me to be both a scientist and an artist at the same time

Website: georgemullinix.com

Instagram: @georgemullinix

Linkedin: @georgemullinix

Twitter: @georgemullinix

Facebook: Facebook.com/georgemullinxi

Image Credits
George Mullinix / Cinematographer