HELLO,

Thanks for dropping in! I’m Lucas Tomoana, but some people call me L.T. Tomoana is my father’s name, and it’s Māori, meaning “of the sea.” My ancestor rescued several people from the ocean, which is how we came by the name. My mother is a Karene, and she holds the title of Samoan Matai (Chief). The tattoo on my arm is dedicated to her.

At 18, I was determined to follow in my father's footsteps and join the military full-time, so I enlisted in the Australian Army Reserves while studying. Although I would have enjoyed a military career, I soon discovered my passion for cameras and realized that was where I was meant to be. Besides, I was much better at shooting film than rifles.

I left the Army Reserves and began camera assisting on commercials while attending Griffith Film School. In 2010, I was awarded the Cinematography Award for my graduating year, and in 2013, I was selected as one of only 10 people to study cinematography at AFTRS, the National Film School in Sydney.

documentary

After finishing at AFTRS, I traveled both interstate and overseas, shooting documentaries. I worked in the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, China, New Zealand, and all across Australia. During this time, I learned to work quickly, be resourceful, and make people feel comfortable both around the camera and with me.

  • FLANDERS, BELGIUM

  • mornington island, australia

  • LONDON, UK

  • Northern France

  • beijing, china

  • Wujal-wujal, australia

  • bamaga, australia

  • northern beijing, CHINA

commercials

Between documentaries, I honed my craft by shooting commercials. This is where I learned to work with larger crews, light bigger setups, and operate dollies, cranes, and remote heads.

So far, I’ve won 23 ACS Awards, including 9 Golds and 1 National Award of Distinction. In 2022, I was fortunate to receive 2 Golds and 1 Bronze in the National/International Commercial category.

Although operating is my main focus, I still shoot the occasional commercial between shows, so feel free to reach out—I’m always happy to help.

OPERATING

In 2020, as COVID swept across the globe, Queensland, Australia became one of the safest destinations to film. This was my introduction to narrative filmmaking, and I quickly fell in love with it. Narrative storytelling is the reason I entered the film industry.

The role of Camera Operator is a special one—it's more than just panning and tilting. To me, it requires creativity, technical expertise, leadership, physicality, and, most importantly, support for the Director and DP. My years of shooting documentaries and commercials have taught me how to understand coverage, editing, and to be an extra set of eyes on set for both the Director and DP.

By 2021 I made the decision to specialise as a Camera Operator. That same year I was named a ‘Rising Talent of Cinematography’ by Inside Film Magazine.

  • WESTERN AUSTRALIA 'INVISIBLE BOYS'

  • NBC SERIES APPLES NEVER FALLS

  • Amazon Prime series 'The wilds'

  • DP JULES O'LOUGHLIN ACS ASC

  • NBC SERIES LA BREA SEASON 3

  • TANK WORK

  • Director Mark toia

  • cambodia with tony o'loughlan acs soc for 'Monsters of man'

  • scorpio 45'

  • Director Jeff Walker

  • 1ST AC KIRI G MULLEN

  • mount tamborine

  • NBC YOUNG ROCK SEASON 2

  • 2nd AC Amelia morgan de-laine

  • SYDNEY SBS SERIES 'MONI'

  • 2ND AC NATALIE DUNDAS

During COVID, I had time to reflect and realized that helping others is a big part of who I am. This led me to start a podcast called Cinemapodgrapher, where I share stories and lessons to help people navigate the film industry. The podcast has been running for almost 5 years, with over 125 episodes featuring guests from around the world.

During those 5 years I built a social following of over 140k across Instagram and Facebook. You can listen to Cinemapodgrapher wherever you get your podcasts. Click the button below to visit the website and learn more.

From 2021 to 2024, I served as Vice President of ACS Queensland. During that time, I’m proud to say that the committee and I made Queensland the most active branch in the country. I also created, instructed, and supervised numerous workshops to upskill Queensland’s film crew.

Recognizing the potential to take these workshops beyond Queensland, I co-founded Film Tips Pro—an education company offering in-person workshops and online courses to help filmmakers advance their skills. What sets us apart is that our instructors are active professionals in the industry. It’s training for film crew, taught by film crew. Hit the button below to learn more about our courses.

THANK YOU

That’s my journey so far—thank you for your time. I’m based in Brisbane, Australia, and am available for both interstate and international projects. Feel free to explore the website, and if you’d like to get in touch, just hit the contact button below.

Cheers,
L.T.