Pavel Krikunov - Grunge Video Creator / CinematographER
If you aren’t familiar with Pavel’s work, you’re missing out. We had the honor of chatting all things technical and creative approach. His work is incredibly inspiring, both creatively and commercially.
What has your artist journey been?
After working in this field for several years, I decided it was time to take it to a more serious level and enrolled in film school. This gave my professional development a significant boost, as I started working on larger film sets as a director of photography/cinematographer. With the development of fast content and social media, I began honing my skills in editing, directing, color correction, and started shooting projects as a video creator. I developed my own artistic vision, and my videos started going viral, gaining recognition from more and more people and brands. That’s when I realized I had found the right industry for myself.
How would you describe your work?
If I were to describe my visual style at the moment, it definitely aligns with a film aesthetic - a lot of grain, a sense of analog warmth, halation etc. Another feature is the active camera movements, motion in the frame, wide-angle lenses, and unconventional angles. Additionally, dynamic editing with numerous cuts is also part of my style.
However, I should mention that I don’t love sticking to one style for too long. I try to experiment with form to discover new aspects of storytelling.
Do you shoot & edit everything you work on?
Yes, I develop new skills and experiment a lot. That’s why I handle the creative, shooting, editing, and color correction myself. Sometimes, I involve others, for example, to compose music for the videos, but overall, I do everything myself.
However, honestly speaking, I’m gradually building my team now because I’m getting more and more projects, and it’s becoming hard for me to do everything alone. Another important aspect of having a team is the creative synergy. It’s always interesting to hear the opinion of a professional whom you trust, to find creative solutions together, and to make the video better than if I were doing it alone.
What gear are you predominantly shooting on & what programs are you working in?
The choice of equipment depends on the project, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. When working as a director of photography/cinematographer on larger sets, I usually use the Arri Alexa Mini with vintage cinema lenses.
However, when it comes to content for social media and video creation, I choose simpler setups. For example, one of my main cameras is the Sony FX3, which offers a great balance between price and quality. In fact, some of my first viral videos were shot on an iPhone 12, and many colleagues in the film industry couldn’t even tell the difference.
Overall, I’m a big fan of minimalism and compact, lightweight setups. If there’s an opportunity to lighten or simplify the rig, I take it. The most important rule I’ve learned over the years of shooting is that it’s not as crucial what resolution you shoot in, the level of noise, or the bitrate (doesn’t apply in all cases). Viewers focus on what’s happening within the frame, and if it looks good, they’ll forgive any technical mistakes.
As for the post-production, my workflow is quite standard. I edit videos using Adobe Premiere Pro and perform color correction using DaVinci Resolve.
Your work has a grit to it, how do you achieve this?
A significant part of the effect is achieved during the color correction stage. I have developed my own image processing techniques and I always use them (and yes, I’m often asked if I use Dehancer, and the answer is no, I don’t use it).
Moreover, during the shooting process, I have several techniques that help me achieve the grunge effect. For example, one hack is to not always stick to low ISO values. Sometimes, you can push the ISO to the maximum and obtain interesting effects directly in the original image. Rules are meant to be broken, after all.
Who or what inspires you?
I would like to say that I’m inspired by a specific director or cinematographer, but unfortunately, it’s not that simple. I consume a lot of content, ranging from movies and music videos to Instagram reels and images on Pinterest. This helps shape my visual awareness, and I get ideas that I always jot down in notes and later bring to life.
By the way, an unusual source of inspiration for me is watching amateur videos from the 70s to 90s in cities like New York and other American cities. I enjoy exploring the buildings, people, cars and advertising signs. It truly inspires me.
How to find clients that align with your creative vision?
In my case, it usually happens the other way around - clients themselves find my visual style interesting and reach out to me with collaboration offers. The key is to do my work with quality and excellence, not letting the client down, and being able to listen to them. This creates the right creative atmosphere where an interesting yet commercially viable product can be created. I am immensely grateful to the clients I work with; it’s always an exciting experience with creative challenges and almost complete creative freedom.
What is the goal with your work?
The goal with my work is to continue shooting videos and staying in this industry. I want to keep working on big projects as a cinematographer and also create content in the fast content industry as a video creator. Currently, I am actively expanding my team to conquer new creative heights and undertake complex technical projects. We never know what the future holds, so I believe in going with the flow. I simply want to do what brings me joy - filming, developing new skills, and working with major brands. And on a personal note, I would love to collaborate with the band Bring Me the Horizon someday :)
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