The Documentary DP

Like many documentary cinematographers, Malcolm Mandela Serrette began his career in unscripted television. During a twenty-year career, Serrette has filmed such series as Rhythm and Flow for Netflix, Baking It for Peacock, and Titan Games for NBC.

Named after Malcom X and Nelson Mandela, Malcom filmed his first documentary in high school. He and his brother Desmond made a film about racial profiling and police brutality in their hometown of Prince George’s County Maryland. That film paved the way to NYU, where Malcom began operating camera for various shows at MTV while still a student. After graduating, he continued at MTV, where he became a director of photography at age 24.

Whether filming interviews for American Idol or lensing a football documentary for ESPN, Malcom has traveled to all corners of the country telling stories of people in towns large and small. His goal is to portray a person’s truth in way that is both cinematic and honest. Now based in Los Angeles, Malcolm continues to be in high demand for his drive to capture vibrant images and authentic moments. See samples of Malcolm’s work at delavisions.com.

Joe Gabriel has been honing his craft as a cinematographer and director for over twenty years, moving fluidly between large-scale productions, intimate documentaries, and everything in between. He began his career as lead cinematographer for NBC’s in-house agency before going on to shoot global brand campaigns and acclaimed long-form projects, including the Emmy-nominated Brain Games (National Geographic) and Netflix’s Brainchild, produced by Pharrell Williams. Learn more at joegabriel.tv.

A graduate of the American Film Institute, Andrew is a highly sought-after Director of Photography with credits across more than 30 network and streaming platforms. His diverse portfolio includes documentaries, commercials, films, and reality series. In this episode, Andrew discusses his work on "Two Sides," a docuseries about police brutality; "as1one," a behind-the-scenes docuseries following an Israeli-Palestinian boy band; and "Control Your Fear," an interactive ghost-hunting experience.

Based in Bogotá, Colombia, cinematographer Helkin René Diaz (helkinrenediaz.com) has filmed award-winning documentaries, including "The River Below" about efforts to protect the Amazon's pink river dolphins; "Ganges," about India's most sacred river; and "El Sueño de Ciniguetas" (The Dream of Cieniguetas), an Emmy-award winning short he filmed for the National Football League featuring children in a remote Mexican village learning to play American flag football.

We also discuss a treacherous, 7-day shoot for CBS news in the jungles of the Darién Gap between Colombia and Panama. Diaz describes his love of photojournalism, the importance of observing both light and human behavior, and how essential ethics and humility are to the documentary process.