Meet Abby Pellien | Cinematographer & Documentary Filmmaker

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

Hi Abby, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
From a very young age, I have always been surrounded by imaginative souls. The realization that my path would be anything but conventional had always lingered within me, yet it didn’t manifest itself until my senior year of high school. I diligently tended to my academic pursuits because I had my sights set on a career in biochemistry. While my peers had already figured out their passions, mostly in the math and science realm, I felt the pressure to follow suit, especially since chemistry seemed to come to me like second nature.

However, as fate would have it, COVID-19 ushered in a period of copious movie consumption and research. This became a habitual pastime for me so I started to let my grades slip a little bit in my last semester. While my teachers perceived this as self-sabotage, I think it was the only thing that snapped me out of it and showed me that this was what I needed to be doing.

As I completed a marathon of watching the extended editions of “The Lord of the Rings,” accompanied by their behind-the-scenes DVDs, memories of my youth resurfaced, catapulting me towards an unanticipated realization. That was the last thing I remember before I found myself at my computer applying to film school. Of course, my family and peers couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow or two, questioning the financial viability of pursuing something “just for fun.” But I knew that if I didn’t chase this dream, I’d forever be haunted with regret. I could no longer imagine spending my days cooped up in a lab, but imagining myself hustling on a film set? Now that was where I wanted to be.

Naturally, venturing into a creative career came with its challenges, mostly the task of keeping a roof over my head. However, I resolved that if my art had the capacity to bring out emotions in others, then a means of monetization would inevitably materialize. So I have kept my focus on doing that and allowing the rest to fall into place. I’ve learned the hard way that worrying too much about outside perception of my work is a quick way to get burnt out. Instead, I’ve started drawing inspiration from my child-like attitude, infusing my filmmaking style with those whimsical elements to make it mine. Allowing my style to develop and flourish I think keeps me pursuing a career in this crazy industry.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Despite my relatively short time in this industry, I’ve had to hustle and teach myself more skills than I can count. Approaching my work as a professional instead of a student has given me the confidence to keep getting jobs. While confidence goes a long way, keeping a door open for unexpected opportunities has led me to some pretty cool projects. There’s always more to discover, more to absorb, and more to learn from the brilliant minds around me.

Surrounding myself with fellow creatives who push the boundaries of imagination is where I feel most at home. I have found that I am most proud of my work when I get the opportunity to collaborate with minds who are all about exploring those crazy, unconventional, and fantastically bizarre artistic realms with me.

What constantly fuels my passion, day after day, is the unending pursuit of collaborative imagination. The sheer joy I find in uniting with other artists and visionaries is what fills me with anticipation for every project I work on. My goal as a filmmaker has been and always will be to venture into uncharted territories of storytelling and visual artistry.

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 think Denver is full of super fun experiences. I think the intersection of city life and mountain life is my favorite part about it. I would definitely take a friend to the botanic gardens, I could spend an entire day there just looking at the bugs and plants. Of course, we would have to get some good food nearby, I would take them to my favorite place to get Korean fried chicken, Mono Mono on Blake Street. In a perfect world, there would be a show playing at Larimer Lounge or Lost Lake that I could take a friend to on a whim. One of my favorite things to do is choose a venue that has a show playing and letting the artist/band be a surprise if I have never heard of them before. I think something you have to do when you’re in Denver is take a little trip down to Colorado Springs to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. I grew up going to this zoo and it has always been a pretty magical place. It can be quite an exhausting trip as the zoo is in the mountains and you’re pretty much hiking all day, so we would probably hit a brewery upon getting back into Denver. One of my favorites is Grandma’s House on South Broadway, it’s a sweet eclectic little brewery that I can spend hours in. A lot of my friends are artists, so we have always enjoyed going to First Fridays in Rino. There are a bunch of artists with pop-ups, exhibitions, and live music– not to mention the amazing food trucks you can find there. After that, I would definitely recommend seeing a movie at the Mayan Theater, it is such a beautiful theater that screens a lot of independent films. Sitting down and having a nice cocktail I think is essential when introducing someone to a new city. One evening I would probably bring my friend to Mutiny Records on Broadway and then walk over to Sputnik, one of my favorite bars in Denver that has interesting cocktails and really delicious food.

These are just some of the things I would love to do if I could introduce my friend to Denver, but I am definitely more of a spontaneous person and love to make plans on the fly — I always have more fun that way.

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?
I gotta give credit where credit is due. My journey wouldn’t be the same without those who have mentored me over the years. Eric Jewett gave me a proper initiation into the wild world I was diving headfirst into. He dished out pointers left and right, pushing me to pay attention to the tiniest of details. My professors at the University of Colorado at Denver have never stopped challenging me and pushing me to improve upon every project I tackle. Kelly Spencer brought me into the world of the art department, giving me a new perspective on set, and showing me what it’s like to be a badass woman in this industry. Tom Kolicko took me under his wing during my sophomore year of college and introduced me to the world of documentary filmmaking, a passion I never knew I had brewing inside. Cheers to these amazing individuals who have left a big mark on my creative journey.

Website: abbypellien.com

Instagram: abbypellien

Image Credits
Cameron Smith, Diego Zavala, Tom Kolicko, Abby Pellien