Jacob Gonsalves - Class of 2019
February 9th, 2022
Jacob Gonsalves Studies Film in Japan
Jacob Gonsalves ’19 gained valuable film production experience during his time at Temple University in Tokyo, Japan. Specifically, he held positions as director of photography, key grip, production assistant, and as an alternate camera person (for an Adidas commercial!).
Although he signed non-disclosure agreements for some of his newer projects, he was able to share about his work as director of photography in the feature film, Bootstraps. This psychological drama will soon be submitted to a variety of film festivals with a possibility of it appearing in the Hawaii International Film Festival. This is a huge achievement, as producing a film involves many moving pieces and a crew of about 20 people.
“As director of photography, I took care of the framing, lighting, camera placement, and anything else that has to do with the picture,” said Jacob, “We started filming in August 2021 and ran into some roadblocks along the way. The most memorable obstacle was when we crashed a car and incurred a $500 fine! Everyone was safe, but through this experience I learned to be prepared for anything!”
Aside from working towards earning his communications degree next spring, Jacob has been enjoying his time in Japan. “Kyoto is one of my favorite cities. I was able to spend time there in the fall of 2021, which is significant because it was before tourists were allowed back into Japan,” he explained, “It was very cool to see only locals in Arashiyama, rather than having gardens and roads packed full of people.”
Jacob credits his experience at PBA for encouraging him to pursue film and communications. “Working with Mr. Josh to produce HIKI NŌ for PBS provided great exposure to this field,” said Jacob.
PBA congratulates Jacob on his work in Bootstraps and sends its best wishes to him in his last year at Temple University.
