Alice Brooks, ASC is a cinematographer who has photographed award-winning feature films, television shows and commercials and her next feature project is Director Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the hit musical WICKED.

Brooks has worked with Chu on several of her last projects. She recently photographed tick tick…BOOM! for Netflix and Imagine Entertainment, directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and produced by Ron Howard. tick tick...BOOM! It Premiered at AFI Fest on Nov. 10, then debuts in theaters for a limited run before heading to Netflix.

Her other recent work includes the 2021 summer release of Miranda’s IN THE HEIGHTS for Warner Bros. also directed by Chu. The film’s cinematography received widespread critical acclaim. Brooks also lensed HOME BEFORE DARK (pilot and season one) for Apple TV+, Paramount TV and Anonymous Content, produced by Dana Fox, Dara Resnik and Joy Gorman.

Newton Thomas Sigel is an accomplished Hollywood Cinematographer who has been at it for 40 years. Getting his start with Haskell Wexler on documentaries, shifting to Second Unit work with Oliver Stone, and then transitioning into DP work on a plethora of feature films after that. Some of his films include The Usual Suspects, Bohemian Rhapsody, Drive, Extraction, Da 5 Bloods,  a slew of the X-Men films with Brian Singer, Valkyrie, Cherry, Fallen, and many more. 

In more than 30 years behind the camera, Craig Wrobleski csc has had the opportunity to photograph projects of most every description. After getting his start as a cinematographer shooting documentaries, sports and corporate films, Craig transitioned into music video and commercial work before taking on Second Unit Director of Photography duties on features and television movies. The next step in his evolution was to take on the main unit Directory of Photography role on features, TV movies and, most recently, television series. Craig’s credits include two seasons of the acclaimed FX series Fargo, Season One of Legion for FX, the 10 part event series of The X-Files, the Twilight Zone limited series, two seasons of the hit Netflix series Umbrella Academy and the groundbreaking Amazon series Tales From the Loop. His feature film credits include In the Tall Grass for Netflix - based on a Stephen King short story. Craig is the recipient of two CSC Awards in addition to his 16 Alberta Film and Television Award wins and has also been nominated four times at the CSC Awards and his Blurryman episode of Twilight Zone received and ASC Award nomination in 2020.

Paul Leonard-Morgan’s unique cinematic style of fusing orchestra with electronica has put him in high demand as a film composer, a producer and arranger for bands, and has led him to win a BAFTA award, and receive Emmy & Ivor Novello nominations.

In this continuation of the first part of the interview we delve deep into the world of our new favorite show, Amazon's Tales From The Loop and Paul's work with Phillip Glass on the series.

Paul Leonard-Morgan’s unique cinematic style of fusing orchestra with electronica has put him in high demand as a film composer, a producer and arranger for bands, and has led him to win a BAFTA award, and receive Emmy & Ivor Novello nominations.

We reached out to Paul because of two different films. One documentary thriller called Last Breath and the Amazon hit series Tales From The Loop. Along the way we talk about all things composing. Paul's credits are far too numerous to list in totality but here's a summary. Here's worked with bands like Belle and Sebastian, Snow Patrol, Mogwai, and No Doubt. He's composed for film including Limitless, Dredd, 3 projects with Errol Morris including Wormwood, American Dharma, and The B-Side, Walking With Dinosaurs, etc. Video games including Warhammer 40,000 and the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 and is currently composing his first classical commission, a celtic concerto for Inter-Celtic Festival in Lorient.

In this episode of Rack Focus we're talking with Justine Seymour who was the Costume Designer of Netflix's hit show Unorthodox. She has also recently worked on Netflix's Messiah and Apple's upcoming show The Mosquito Coast.

Unorthodox was already a huge success, but now it's also been nominated for 8 Emmys, including Costume Design. It's time to Rack Focus and learn about costume design!!!

A deep sea diver is stranded on the seabed with 5 minutes of oxygen and no hope of rescue. With access to amazing archive this is the story of one man's impossible fight for survival.

We thought this amazing story was one of the best documentaries of the year and we were excited to talk shop with the Directors Richard Da Costa and Alex Parkinson.

Director/Producer An Tran’s feature documentary debut Moving Pictures: Filmmakers and the Art of Cinematography premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam earlier this year. Including insights from award-winning directors Ang Lee, Francis Ford Coppola, Wim Wenders, Reed Morano and Ellen Kuras, this documentary takes viewers on a rare journey exploring the artists behind the world’s cinematic treasures.

Moving Pictures includes intimate conversations with celebrated cinematographers like Roger Deakins ASC BSC, Vittorio Storaro ASC AIC, Rachel Morrison ASC, Christopher Doyle HKSC, Rodrigo Prieto ASC AMC, Matthew Libatique ASC, Mahmoud Kalari and more. These passionate craftspeople reveal their early influences and careers, what moves and motivates them, plus the magic of legendary partnerships with directors such as Jim Jarmusch, Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Abbas Kirostami, Xia Fang, Stanley Kubrick and more.

Produced by ARRI, the documentary was a major undertaking – production spanned multiple continents, crews and languages. Joining the effort were also Director/Executive producer Henning Radlein and Director/Supervising Editor Sophie Kill. Cinematographer Tom Fahrmann, bvk developed the black-and-white visual design and lighting approach for the interviews.

For Tran, her goal was to bring out the personality of each interview subject, along with showcasing a diverse array of filmmakers from different backgrounds and generations. “We know these filmmakers and work; being able to share their unique experiences will inspire current film lovers and the storytellers of tomorrow.

Acclaimed cinematographer Checco Varese, ASC’s recently released feature It: Chapter Two is one of the most highly anticipated films of the year. 

It: Chapter Two, (from Warner Brothers and New Line) hits theaters Sep. 6. It is the eagerly-awaited sequel to It – director Andy Muschietti’s blockbuster adaptation of author Stephen King’s classic horror masterpiece by the same name. Within hours of its debut, It: Chapter Two’s trailer, alone, generated millions of views and sent fans and social media into a frenzy. Stephen King himself took to Twitter to praise the film.

The saga’s latest chapter finds the self-proclaimed ‘Losers’ Club’ returning to their hometown of Derry, Maine after 27 years to defeat Pennywise – the shape-shifting, dancing demonic clown portrayed in terrifying fashion by Bill Skarsgård. All grown up and ready for serious battle, the all-star cast also features Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Isaiah Mustafa, and Bill Hader.

For Muschietti, who stepped back into the director’s role, tapping veteran cinematographer Checco Varese to shoot the sequel was a natural choice. “Checco and I go back a long time. We made commercials together a decade ago in Spain, as well as a little short film, and a pilot, too. Our communication has always been great, not only because of the shorthand coming from our cultural background and language, (I was born and raised in Argentina, while he is Peruvian but lived in Buenos Aires for years) but also because we speak a similar visual language. Just a few words were enough to express my vision of this film to him, and immediately an effervescent creative dialogue began. For a cinematographer, working with a director who is very visual can be a blessing or a curse. That’s why Checco is such a trooper. His patience is monumental, and his support unconditional,” compliments the director. 

He also cites Varese’s background as a war camera person as a huge asset, “That might explain his versatility and ability to adapt to the circumstances. In production, you have to change horses many times as you’re crossing the river, and when that happens, you want someone like Checco on your side, always supportive, loyal, and ready to share his visual creativity.”

In addition to his collaborations with Muschietti, Varese has also partnered on several features with director Patricia Riggen including, Miracles From Heaven, Under the Same Moon, and the The 33, which starred Antonio Banderas and Juliette Binoche and is based on the real-life story of 33 miners trapped in a Chilean mine. 

Varese also enjoys a reputation for being the unofficial ‘pilot guy,’ lensing more than two dozen season starters – nineteen of which have been picked up for series including, True Blood; The Strain; The Returned; The Fosters; Colony; and The Defenders. He once again partnered with Riggen for the CBS’s pilot, Surveillance. His other credits include several episode of the first season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan for Amazon, and the sci-fi thriller Replicas featuring Keanu Reeves and Thomas Middleditch. 

Our conversation with Ian Seabrook continues where we left off, with Deadpool 2!

Underwater director of photography Ian Seabrook’s trailblazing work complements and enhances a story’s imagery to create cutting-edge visuals.

Seabrook recently completed underwater unit photography on M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass; director Albert Hughes’ survival drama Alpha; and the pilot for TNT’s Snowpiercer. His previous underwater photography includes Deadpool 2 for director David Leitch; Jason Reitman’s motherhood comedy Tully, starting Charlize Theron; Walt Disney’s Pirate of the Caribbean: Dad Men All No Tales; and director Dan Israelite’s Power Rangers starring Elizabeth Banks and Bryan Cranston.