Ava_Berkofsky

Ava Berkofsky

Ava Berkofsky

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Ava Berkofsky is an American cinematographer and director. They are best known for their work on Insecure, for which they were nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards. Berkofsky has been noted for their skill in lighting brown skin on camera.

Quick Facts Born, Nationality ...

Career

Berkofsky was the director of photography for the films Free In Deed (2016) and the Starz series Vida.[1][2]

Berkofsky was the principal cinematographer for HBO's Insecure from seasons two through five.[3] They collaborated with executive producer Melina Matsoukas to develop the show's distinct visual style, which has some unique variation each season.[4] The style frequently includes "short-siding characters and giving them lots of headroom to trap them in unbalanced frames."[5] They also paid particular attention to framing to shoot Insecure.[6]

They have been hailed for their uncommon skill in lighting the brown skin of Insecure's principal cast members.[3][6][7] Berkofsky, who did not receive formal training on lighting non-white people in film school,[8][9] uses techniques to control the levels of light throughout the shoot with tools such as LED-filled Litemats, glossy makeup on the actors, and a filter called a polarizer.[8] The cinematography of Insecure's fifth season was reviewed by Vulture's Angelica Jade Bastién as "visually...a feast. Its graceful, sloping camerawork delights...The color scheme of cool blues, warm amber, and deep green enlivens the frame. Mirrors hold possibilities for your past to reach out to your present."[10]

Berkofsky also directed one episode in each of the final two seasons of the show.[3] For their work they were nominated for three Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour).[11]

They are the cinematographer for the Apple TV+ film The Sky is Everywhere.[4] In 2021 they worked with Google to develop the Pixel 6 camera's ability to capture high-quality photos of brown skin.[12]

Personal life

Berkofsky was born in Wales, United Kingdom[13] and was raised in California, spending part of their childhood in Los Angeles before later moving north.[5] They received an MFA from the American Film Institute.[14]

Berkofsky is queer.[15] They are nonbinary and use they/them pronouns.[4]

Filmography

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Awards and nominations

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References

  1. [1]
    Turchiano, Danielle (2019-12-02). "From 'Unbelievable' to 'Truth Be Told,' How Parity and Perspective in Cinematography Aids in Storytelling". Variety. Archived from the original on 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  2. [2]
    Buendia, Diana (2017-07-21). "Consumed: Ava Berkofsky on Insecure, Instagram and Dirty Three". Film Independent. Archived from the original on 2019-09-01. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  3. [3]
    Gullickson, Brad (2020-08-17). "Ava Berkofsky Discusses the Evolution of Self and Style in 'Insecure'". Film School Rejects. Archived from the original on 2020-08-25. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  4. [4]
    Fang, Marina (2021-12-02). "'Insecure' Cinematographer Ava Berkofsky On Creating The Show's Iconic Visual Style". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  5. [5]
    Mulcahey, Matt (2018-10-10). "Insecure DP Ava Berkofsky on Avoiding "Seinfeld Shots," Faking Coachella and Lighting Mega-Churches". Filmmaker Magazine. Archived from the original on 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  6. [6]
    Peay, Ava Berkofsky; Peay, As Told To Malik (2021-11-22). "Guest Column: How 'Insecure' Changed the Way We View Black Characters on TV". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  7. [7]
    Latif, Nadia (2017-09-21). "It's lit! How film finally learned to light black skin". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 2017-09-21. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  8. [8]
    Harding, Xavier (2017-09-06). "Keeping 'Insecure' lit: HBO cinematographer Ava Berkofsky on properly lighting black faces". Mic. Archived from the original on 2017-10-13. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  9. [9]
    Anderson, Tre'Vell (2019-03-18). "This Queer Cinematographer Is Why 'Insecure' Looks So Good". www.out.com. Archived from the original on 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  10. [10]
    Bastién, Angelica Jade (2021-10-22). "Insecure Remains Magical and Messy in Its Final Season". Vulture. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  11. [11]
    "Ava Berkofsky". Television Academy. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  12. [12]
    Holland, Patrick (2021-10-21). "Google builds equity into the Pixel 6 with Real Tone photos and new voice features". CNET. Archived from the original on 2021-10-19.
  13. [13]
    "Ava Berkofsky". SXSW 2022 Schedule. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  14. [14]
    "Apply Now: AFI Cinematography Intensive for Women". womenandhollywood.com. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  15. [15]
    Baldwin, Kristen. "Inside Vida's writers' room — one of the queerest spaces in Hollywood". ph.news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  16. [16]
    "Sailing Down the Hudson River on Junk Sculptures: The Movie". The L Magazine. 2010-07-07. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  17. [17]
    "The Missing Girl Review". We Got This Covered. 2015-09-15. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  18. [18]
    "cherries". www.sundance.org. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  19. [19]
    "Sundance Begins Today. Let's Meet the Film Independent Fellows Who'll Be There". Film Independent. 2019-01-24. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  20. [20]
    "ON THE RECORD". DOC NYC. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  21. [21]
    "ASC Announces 2021 Awards Nominees — Register Now To Watch Event Live - The American Society of Cinematographers". theasc.com. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  22. [22]
    Hipes, Patrick (2020-07-19). "Emmy Nominations: The Complete List". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
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