Cinematography

IMDb Page - E-Mail me about your project! - Camera Resume

My passion is shooting genre films. I have a decade of experience creating creepy, cool, and crazy films on an indie budget. My style is informed by giallo, '70s arthouse, and surrealism. I enjoy incorporating colorful lighting and in-camera filters and effects.

Gear List

- Camera Bodies
  - RED Komodo 6K - RF/PL/EF Mounts
  - Blackmagic 6K Full Frame - L/PL Mounts
  - Blackmagic Pocket 6K Dual-ISO Camera - EF mount
  - Blackmagic Pocket 4K Dual-ISO Camera - MFT mount
  - Canon 5D mark II - EF Mount
- Lenses
  - DZO Vespid Primes (PL): 25, 35, 50, 75, 90 (macro), 100, 125
  - RED Cine Pro (PL): 18mm
  - Rokinon Cine (EF): 16mm, 24mm, 35mm, 85mm
  - IRONGLASS Soviet Anamorphake (EF): 37mm/T2.8 MIR-1; 58mm/T2. Helios 44; 85/T2 Jupiter-9; 135mm/T3.5 Jupiter 37-A
  - DZO (MFT) 20-70mm T3.1 parfocal cinema zoom
  - Meike (MFT) 12mm
  - Zeiss 50mm Photo lens [f/1.4 Planar T ZE Series Lens, EF]
- Filtration
  - 4x4 Tiffen Filters: ND .3, ND .6, ND 1.5, Linear Ultra Polarizer, Black Pro Mist 1/2, Warm Black Pro Mist 1, Fog 1, Clear/Tropic Blue Grad 3, Clear/Sunset Grad 2
  - Tiffen 77mm screw-on filters: VND, Black Pro Mist 1/2, Black Pro Mist 1/4, Black Pro Mist 1/8
  - Prism Lens FX kaleidoscope 77mm, Prism Lens FX Linear 77mm
  - Neewer Spiral Halo Blur Vignette 77mm
  - Misc: Star Filters (4, 6, 8 point), handheld prisms, split diopters
- Tripod/Movement
  - DJI RS2 Pro gimbal
  - Edelkrone SliderPLUS Long 1.3' Motorized Slider with panning HeadONE
  - Benro BV8 tripod
  - Tilta handheld/shoulder rig including matte box
- Misc
  - Teradek Bolt SDI/HDMI 1tx, 2rx
  - Teradek Bolt 300 HDMI (only) 1tx, 1rx
  - Tilta Nano II wireless follow focus
  - Blackmagic 4K 7" Video Assist monitor
  - Portkeys 5" monitor
  - TV Logic 7" director's monitor
- Lights:
  - Amaran 300c w/barn doors and soft dome - full RGB
  - Amaran 150c w/barn doors and soft dome - full RGB
  - Amaran Spotlight SE light modifier with Gobos
  - Amaran PT4c 4-Light Production Kit (4' pixel tubes)
  - Amaran PT1c - 1 foot tubes (2)
  - Kino Flo 4-Bank 4' Gaffer 2-Light Kit w/lamps for 3200K and 5500K
  - Aputure MC 4-light RGB mini travel kit
- Sound: (can recommend soundperson where needed)
  - Zoom F8 Pro Recorder
  - Two Rode Boom Mics / Boom pole
  - Sennheiser G4 Boom Wireless Transmitter/Receiver
  - Four G3 Sennheiser Lavs
  - RODE Wireless Pro lavs
- Grip:
  - Three Matthews 40" C-Stands
  - Matthews MiniBoom arm
  - Two sandbags
  - Two full apple boxes, one 1/2 apple box
  - 4x4 frame/diffusion
  - various flags, Roadrags, floppies
  - Fog machine
  - Smoke Ninja (handheld, great for haze, dry ice and fog effects)
  - small Rock 'n' Roller cart

Director of Photography - Feature Films

The Mystery of Emma Thorn (dir. Gregory Blair, in post-production)
Good Vibes Only (dir. Heidi Moore, in post-production)
House of Ashes (dir. Izzy Lee, 2024)
Craving (dir. J. Horton, 2023)
The Once and Future Smash (dir. Epstein/Cacciola, 2022)
End Zone 2 (dir. Epstein/Cacciola, 2022)
Clickbait (dir. Epstein/Cacciola, 2019) - 2nd Unit
Blood of the Tribades (dir. Epstein/Cacciola, 2017)

Director of Photography - Short Films

Dawn of the Dad (dir. James III, in post)
Pulling Teeth (dir. Jack Bennet, in post)
Bart & Bobbi (dir. Aaron Barrocas, in post)
Still (dir. Rakefet Abergel, 2024)
Don't F*$# With Anne Margaret (dir. Ama Lea, 2023)
Meat Friend (dir. Izzy Lee, 2022)
Memento Mori (dir. Izzy Lee, 2022)
Reel Trouble (dir. Brian Asman, 2022)
Sitting Duck (dir. Aaron Barrocas, 2021)
Shiny Diamonds (dir. Seth Chatfield, 2020)
Tea Time (dir. Tara Price, 2020)
Half-Cocked (dir. Aaron Barrocas, 2019)

Interviews

Getting Lost Doc
Women of Rock Oral History Project: Shirley Manson, Terri Nunn, Brenda Lee, Alice Bag, Phranc, Donita Sparks, Lydia Lunch, JD Samson, Mish Barber-Way, Patty Schemel, Exene Cervenka, Kate Schellenbach, Eva Gardner, and more.

Music Videos

Jimmy Eat World '555' (Camera Operator)
Lee Dewyze performance videos for Paranoia, Let Go, The Breadown
Alice Bag "Sister Dynamite"

Additional Camera Department

First Assistant Camera / Focus Puller: The Aquanaut and the Shipwreck (2025), Winter: Battleground (2025), Duende (2025), Things Change (2025), Human (2024), Degradable (2024), Wake Not the Dead (2023), Moon (2021), The Stalking Fields (2019)

Second Assistant Camera / Clapper: Lizzie Lazarus (2022), Astro (2018), Hedgehog (2017)

Camera Operator: B & B (2020), Glossary of Broken Dreams (2018), Wiles (2017)

HIRE ME to shoot your 2-camera interviews! I bring the cameras, lights, sound - you supply the questions (or join in over Zoom!). Clients include: ARROW, Kino-Lorber, SHOUT, Performer Magazine, Getting Lost Doc, Black Pearl Doc, Igniting the Spark, the Story of Magic: The Gathering, The Story of Wealth, Women of Rock Oral History Project, Howard the Doc, Direct-to-Video: Straight to Video Horror of the '90s doc, etc.

You can hire me solo to slot into your crew, or I bring in my team of talented and professional camera crew, sound people, MUA and special effects artists and more!

Awards

Best Cinematography, House of Ashes, Renegade Film Festival 2025
Best Cinematography, End Zone 2, Genreblast Film Festival 2023

Quotes

"Sophia Cacciola's lensing is so effective that you'll forget you're watching an ultra-low budgeted effort." Richard Propes, The Independent Critic
"Sophia Cacciola’s cinematography is a cut above. In particular, a couple of gorgeously lensed smoke and dust effects had me rewinding the action to watch them over and over again." - Darren Gaskell, Love Horror
Sophia Cacciola's cinematography gave us some really well-shot scenes that enhanced the actors' performances, ramped up the suspense, and accentuated the horror." - Matthew Poirier, Direct to Video Connoisseur, on Craving
"Beautifully filmed by Sophia Cacciola" - Starburst Magazine on House of Ashes