Ryan Alva

Kavor Trailer Drop!!✨ Here’s a little sneak peak of our film! Incredibly grateful to our talented cast, crew, background actors and donors who made this film possible! Director/Writer: Joe El-Khoury Producer: Divyashree Muruganandam Writer: Eddie Nenedzhyan Cinematographer: Ryan Alva Production Designer: Kalina Kirkbride Editor: Sean Fay-Wolfe

TRAILHEAD | 500T 35mm & 16mm “In telling the story of a man succumbing to heat stroke amidst the unforgiving and volatile conditions on a hiking trail, I wanted to incorporate multiple film formats to depict the oscillations in lucidity and sensorial intensity. The lower resolution and larger grain structure of 16mm film created an amazing foundation for depicting the beauty and ever-evolving ferocity of the natural world, and jumping up to 35mm (also rated at 320 to provide a cleaner, thicker negative) emphasized the clear-eyed panic as the hiker becomes aware of his dire circumstances. This wide range of visual texture straight out of camera (later emphasized and shaped by our brilliant colorist) made film the perfect tool for this story, though it’s also such a malleable format that invites such a lovely production process that I would lean towards shooting on film whenever possible at this point!” – Ryan Alva This short is part of our ongoing series featuring the @americanfilminstitute Cinematography 2025 Visual Essays. Each essay is three minutes long and the AFI Fellows were challenged to create a narrative without dialogue. To watch, tap the link in bio. Director/Cinematographer: @ryanalva Producers: @_lexipang @notsodeevious Production Designer: @itsrjactually Editor: @wool_sox Story: @_michaelrogerson_ @ryanalva UPM: @jaydonschipotle 1st AD: @comayvisualmedia Camera Operator: @rebbrichard Motion Control Operator: @_lucacioci 1st AC: @samjjorg 2nd AC: @summer.ward Loader: @nyssa_gluck Camera PA: @herbiefullerloaded Key Grip: @thesimransawhney Hair & Makeup Artist: @shelby_takai Set Medic: @jeremiah_ssimon Production Assistants: @hopegolds Alex Ledesma, Pin Wu, @z_lingxuan ompany Grips: @takumi_nakayama @joysharmaaa @pieter.markus1 @voltage_101 Truck Driver: @claudiodpm_99 Colorist: @andrerivas.color at @pictureshop Sound Designer: @gabbage.patch_ Visual Effects: @hamishmcleann

New music video with @mitchlaughlove for @xxma2mxx — ‘i cannot make u understand!!!’. Always a joy to shoot on film with lovely people. Video coming soon! Shot on @kodak_shootfilm 16mm 7219 500T Artist @xxma2mxx Dir @mitchlaughlove Producer @bryan.borders DP 👋 1st AD @that_purdy_guy 1st AC @summer.ward @takumi_nakayama Gaffer @nuri.utg G&E Swing @bobby.wu288 PD @karlinna.sanchez Art PA @juuulia_kay HMU @zoeyynikolemua Costume Designer @esmezohn PA @gael.g28

New cinematography reel for 2025. Thanks to everyone who collaborated in bringing these films to life. Excited for what’s next!!

Some very delayed photos (they said rest this summer!!) from the first year wrap party for our Cinematography cohort at @americanfilminstitute . These people (and the many sadly not featured here) make the frequent highs incredibly high, and the occasional lows fleeting and manageable. Lucky to know you all, and spent ~80% of my time around you between September and May! One more year 🤙

Recently wrapped up my final short film of year 1 at AFI. ‘Moon Traipsers’ was an incredibly exciting artistic and technical challenge, as we aimed to channel the spirit of Gerald Finnerman’s early work on the original Star Trek in making our campy/kitschy little space comedy. The entire visual team had to abandon many of the sensibilities that are considered “good” or “beautiful” in the contemporary sense, but being dogmatic with some of our aesthetic decisions (eg, no soft lighting, composition of almost every shot being lifted in some capacity from Finnerman’s compositional language on Trek, etc.) made for one of the most creatively fulfilling and distinct production processes that I got to experience in my first year. Thanks to all who made this one happen. Cast: @jessica_lia @mmmaaarrrlllyyy @esteban_carmona_ @aliciamariebody @sfvox @eoinpg @gagerialite Crew: Dir: @newblackxtreme Pro: @michelle777889 Scr: @hadleyrosemitchell @zo.bees DP: 👋 PD: @zainatripp Edi/Sound/VFX: Sean Fay-Wolfe UPM: @qiuping_han PC: @shirleysuihe 1st AD: @sauliusbaradinskas @ninelivesandre 2nd AD: @julleeessss PA: Grace Godvin @joey11_cao Cam Op: @rebrebz 1st AC: @jkpawlowski 2nd AC: @thenoahneumann Gaffer: @jasperkhadjenouri KG: @dandebrey DG: @anthonylandowne91 BBE: @joysharmadop BBG: @emilymarquetfilm Grip: @summer.ward @ebg.cinema Electric: @takumi_nakayama @chloepascalll Construction Lead: @lukaosadcijs Art Director: @jinng604 Costume Designer: @sewpunny MUA: Shawnee Cerkowiniak BTS: @brennywilson Stunt Coordinator: @theejamaldennis Sound Mixer: Christian Lainez Boop Op: Mason Brown Truck Driver: @crystalized_epiphany

My @americanfilminstitute 1st Year Visual Essay, ‘Your Better Half,’ is finally done! Thanks to everyone that joined in on the mad dash that is making one of these (1 roll of 5222 35mm film, 6 hours to build/light/shoot/strike, and no second takes). Special shoutout to the A++ core team on this one - director/producer @chillgirlpal , production designer @_.rj10._ , and editor @ann_zhao_ , and our wonderful cast @livkatherineg and @mmmaaarrrlllyyy . You all brought so much to this project, and I feel immensely lucky to have gotten to collaborate with you. Cast: @livkatherineg @mmmaaarrrlllyyy Crew: Dir/Pro: @chillgirlpal DP/Story: 👋 PD: @_.rj10._ Edit/Sound: @ann_zhao_ UPM: @jack.ruefli 1st AD: @comayvisualmedia PA: @sarahgoodyfilm 1st AC: @diana_dahllund 2nd AC: @zhihanzhang_ Gaffer: @jasperkhadjenouri Key Grip: @ciggiesmalls Swing: @jakewayne.74 @tanay.ig Production Designer: @_.rj10._ Set Dressers: @kareemleferro @littlemyers @lyncis_niu @hughesransom @jeremy__stewart @tofuumaker @japhetdadon Editor/Sound Designer: @ann_zhao_ Made in partnership with @panavisionofficial @fotokem_la @kodak_shootfilm

For everyone who’s asked some version of ‘where the hell have you been [loca],’ I’ve been here Love you all ❤️

Went to the Eras tour and got bulldozed by 3 1/2 hours of the most astonishing piece of live spectacle I’ve seen in my entire life. Taylor Swift and the hundreds of people that pulled this production together are very, very good at this. . . . . . #fujiframez #concertphotography #taylorswift #erastour #agameoftones #artofvisuals #cinebible #moodygrams #somewheremagazine #rentalmag #lensculture #gominimalmag #houseoftones #snapseed #justgoshoot #lensbible #justifiedmagazine #cinematography #cinematographer #filmmaking

Shot a spec ad for @perrierjouet for the wonderful @littlemyers this past weekend. Worked with a crew as immensely talented as they are lovely to collaborate with. Very very excited to see this one come together. Dir. @littlemyers Producer @reginapigs DP 🙋 1st AC @luis_adrian_lara Talent @kayleechungg Prod. Design @lindimu MUA @kiraimua Gaffer @dennisweilee KG @iconicizzy PA @jeremy__stewart . . . . . #spec #speccommercial #justgoshoot #productcinematography #lensbible #filmmaking #cinematography #cinematographer #directing #shortfilm #agameoftones #artofvisuals #shotonred #cinebible #lensculture #houseoftones

Exciting major life update: I’ll officially be attending AFI in the fall as a Cinematography Fellow. Some of you have known about this for awhile, but the world of student loans is a fickle thing and I didn’t want to make any kind of post til those were sorted. But, they’re set, so here we are. This has been my dream school since I decided to pursue film in the first place. Getting in always felt like a bit of a pipe dream, and until receiving the acceptance letter, I’d made peace with it staying that way. Still a bit shocked honestly. Thank you to my family for supporting me in going back to school in the first place, and for your endless love and your patience with my pursuit of a career in a famously challenging industry. And thank you to @laurenguiteras and @jeremy__stewart for your words of encouragement and generous letters of recommendation. I owe you both immensely. Anyway, feeling a bit sentimental and nostalgic about the path to this point, so here’s a photo from the set of the first film I ever shot, just over a decade ago, and then some of my earliest work behind the camera (circa 1998).