Director, photographer, and adventurer

Young adventurer Elif Koyutürk, is a BİLGİ graduate director and photographer. We recognized her with her movies that she filmed about motorsports. Even though she is pretty young, she is being talked about globally by virtue of the global firms that she has worked with, and she is taking photos constantly and everywhere. Elif Koyutürk, who was awarded with many prizes at her young age, is going to hold an exhibition in April in Consulate General Austria.

Let’s start to know you with your education…

After studying at TED College for 12 years, I continued my education at BİLGİ, I am a Television Reporting and Programming graduate. I think that BİLGİ is the only education institution that educates freely in communication sector. In the meanwhile, I studied cinematography in Spain for 1 year and I was invited to a certificate program in Norway. I had an entertaining education life.

How was your transition to professional life after your graduation?

I was always working while I was studying. I started working when I was 17. Waiter, receptionist, social responsibility projects, camera assistant… I did everything that you can imagine. These improved me a lot; for me, it is impossible for a director, a story teller to reflect a character without knowing and understanding it. My professional life which started really early provided convenience for me when I was graduated from the university. My daily working hours were around 15-17 hours. Start to enjoy working when you’re young. Go be a grocery boy, whatever it is. When you put your ego aside and emphasize more, you will be successful.

Do you have an interesting memory?

I have a lot! I think my shooting with the Mayor of Sicily which I did at the opening of Unicef at Sicily would be in the top 5. I was 18 years old and I was present at that opening with a stroke of luck. Suddenly I saw the Mayor Leonardo, he was surrounded with a group of journalists. I sneaked quietly behind him and said “Caio!”. When he asked me who I was, I told him that I was a student and I wanted to interview him at that moment at the parliament. At 11 o’clock in the evening, I was invited to the parliament with my scooter among five guards and Leonardo opened the building for the interview. It was weird. We accomplished a perfect shooting.

What are your future plans?

I like to shoot stories that affect people’s lives. My future plan is to enlarge my human bank more and to grow with them. To meet more characters, to touch more lives and to film movies.

Do you have an advice for the young adventurers?

In your career way, you will frequently find yourself saying I can’t do it. But you will do it. Always wonder, ask lots of questions. Your self-belief will take you where you deserve, don’t quit exploring and learning.

Why being both a director and a photographer?

Because these are the things that I like to do the most. I can express myself the best with these. I can create my own world and get lost in it. It is such different and beautiful; I play the role of different characters when I am writing. One moment I am in Asia, one moment I am in Africa. I set up a world where there are no limits. Since I was a kid I always had a thing with characters, and now it is my job as an expression art.

We recognized you with motorsports and human story films, how did this process improve?

I love extreme sports. I intersect with motorsports because of its fast, high concentrated and adrenalized structure. I enjoyed taking photos and shooting films for all of my life. I used to shoot nature in general; the reason for this is that I grew up in a farm. My motorsports adventure started when I meet off-road; and then I shot films on motorsports. I reached global brands, my movies were admired. On the other hand, I was always listening to stories of different people, and this led me to write scenarios and to shoot these people. I worked voluntarily at eventide homes when I was in high school and the stories there inspired me a lot. Now I keep on doing this in different places on earth.

You worked with global brands as a young Turkish woman, this must have been hard, and did you ever encounter any obstacle because you were a woman? Or did you ever were marginalized because you were a women at the motorsports world?

Of course, if there is a sector that probably no woman is in, it is motorsports sector. It takes time for them to accept you. I generally get the acceptance I seek by means of the quality of my work. At first no one cares about you, but then they watch the films and you earn a prestige. Different… I was marginalized a lot but I didn’t let people do it. Be successful, do such good work that the people who are trying to marginalize you would have to think twice.

You have global achievements, what are those?

I got the chance to work with big global brands by now. Red Bull Media House, KTM, Husqvarna, KISKA, Carl Zeiss etc. I am living in different countries for 3 years since my productions are always abroad. I am gaining excellent experience. I’m in love with my work. So I don’t feel like working when I’m producing- this is a great factor for success-. I was chosen as Commended Photographer in Sony World Photography Awards, with my shootings I did when I was in Sicily. I was featured in Travel&Leisure’s “100 Stunning Photos of the World” list with my wolf photo. My film was awarded the best film of the week by Awardeo. The rest is coming.

What’s next? What are your new projects?

I am working hard. In April I will be holding a solo exhibition in Consulate General of Austria, everyone is welcome. Apart from this, I am working on a scenario. For the last 3 years I am living like a nomad, I changed 4 countries. I guess my next stop will be America, my dream was always to make a movie there.