Michael Goi, ASC has an impressive slate of TV credits to his name, including popular hits like Glee, The Mentalist, and American Horror Story. His track record is in part what led to his service as President of the American Society of Cinematographers from 2009-2012. But the success didn’t come overnight. 

In an ASC Masterclass series, Goi reveals his humble beginnings and what he did to move up. The main key, more than talent and creativity? Persistence.

“When you move to Los Angeles, you’re starting over again at the bottom.”

When he first moved to LA, he recalls, “For six months, I lived on the two hot dogs for 99 cents at the A&P…but I refused to leave and I refused to give up.” And this was after he already had 300 commercials and six features under his DP belt. “When you move to Los Angeles, you’re starting over again at the bottom,” he said.

Goi admits that “it’s very easy to talk yourself out of doing something,” but that if you really want to work in the industry, you must do what it takes to work on any project available and build the right relationships.

In terms of specific relationships, he suggests that “One of the most important things you can do to get into this business is finding mentors,” and offers the idea of spending five minutes a day making phone calls (rather than sending emails) to people whose business cards or contact info you have. When you get them on the phone, non-pushily ask for some of their time.

Learn about Goi’s personal story and useful tips for breaking into the cinematography business from the videos below:

On Persistence

On Finding a Mentor