Meet Nathaniel Shields | Cinematographer/Producer

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

Hi Nathaniel, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born in California and moved back and forth from California to Colorado a few times but I was raised in Colorado most of my life and would consider it home. While living in California I got into acting from one of those ‘Great Famous Scams’ and loved the idea of making movies but hated the idea of being in front of the camera. It wasn’t till I moved back to Colorado when I discovered my love for making movies behind the camera. Cinematography, Editing, VFX. All of it was super exciting to me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I find anyway possible to make the film and the story I want to tell, I think every filmmaker does that. We get hungry for that shot, that line, that lighting and more times than not WE have to make it happen ourselves. Pulling together people that are hungry for that same thing is key to making something really special.

I just released my third self produced Feature film Called ‘The Spectacular Mind of Mackenzie Banks’ and I did everything from building the sets, feeding the crew, shooting, recording the sound, directing, etc. I had the help of some amazing people on the project, Megan MacGrath was my AD, She helped me with keeping the production moving along.

My cast was so insanely helpful with Locations, Driving back and forth, shooting long days, etc. We were a team and I can’t thank everyone enough who worked on it.

But the point is this.
We bust our butts to create and at the end of the day it’s for ourselves. We want to see our stories told and brought to life and we have that power, we owe ourselves the respect to at least try.

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.
Favorite spot to get lunch has to be House Of Yakitori 2 off of N Academy. I always went there as a kid, It was a special day for sure if we went there and it has to be my favorite place to get lunch for that reason for sure! Anyone coming in to town has to try it!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout would have to be Peak Film Forum of Colorado Springs, I met amazing Producers, Actors, Directors and a lot of industry people, We met every month on Wednesday night for local short films and workshops. Our premieres would pull between 100-300 people and our community was strong and supportive. Since Covid, We haven’t had any in person events but rather virtual events. Peak Film Forum is on Facebook so go check it out!

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