Discover Top Documentary DPs in Daly City, California, USA

Ellie Wen is an award-winning filmmaker from Hong Kong and Los Angeles. She began her career in Los Angeles where she produced independent films and worked at CAA, CBS Films, and Super Deluxe. Ellie is an alumna of Film Independent's Project Involve fellowship program. Her first short documentary "Single Mother Only Daughter" premiered on Short of the Week, is a Vimeo Staff Pick, and was featured by The New York Times. “Doing Good Business,” her short documentary series about social entrepreneurs worldwide, was released on Participant Media's SoulPancake. Ellie recently received her MFA in Documentary Film from Stanford University where she produced four short documentary films. "Share," has screened at DOC NYC, Frameline, Big Sky, DOK Leipzig, and was released on The Guardian. Ellie was awarded the Best Local Filmmaker Award at the UN Women Global Voices Film Festival for "On Mother’s Day," which was recently released by The New Yorker. “25 Hours” was a finalist in the WrapWomen/STARZ film contest and was distributed by STARZ. Her thesis film, "The Missfits," was awarded the UFVA Carole Fielding Student Grant and was released on KQED's Truly CA. She now lives in San Francisco and is developing her next documentary as a resident in the SFFILM FilmHouse Residency Program.

• Documentary DP
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Non-Fiction Film Director

J.P. Dobrin is a multiracial Korean American documentary filmmaker based in San Jose, California. He's a two-time Emmy nominated producer/director of photography that frequently works with news outlets, documentary production companies, and corporate clients. J.P.’s projects have revolved around themes of immigration, wealth disparity, and criminal justice, often portrayed through the experiences of ordinary individuals. Notably, he co-directed the Al Jazeera Witness documentary "Irse - Leaving Venezuela" in 2020, delving into the Venezuelan exodus by focusing on the narratives of two expectant women. In 2022, he directed "The Lookout," his latest film presented on World Channel/PBS, offering an Asian American outlook on deportation issues. His directorial work has been supported by SFFILM, the Berkeley Film Foundation, the Center for Asian American Media, the Video Consortium, and the Asian American Journalist Association. He’s been commissioned to make documentaries for Verizon, Capital One, Voice of America, and Vox / Eater. His educational journey led him to study photojournalism at the Academy of Art San Francisco before pursuing documentary filmmaking at U.C. Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.

• Documentary DP
• Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist
• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Video Editor - News
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Commercial DP
• Production Company
• Field Producer
• TV News Producer
• Mobile Journalist / Livestreamer
• Drone Operator
• Event Photographer
• Corporate Videographer

I am Claudia Escobar and I like creating and following stories, making things and trying to find where reality meets magic. I am the director of the documentary Dear Homeland, produced by KQED. Currently I am producing a series with AJ+ Español about decolonization in Latin America together with it’s creator Paula Daibert, and In the past years I had been focused on making short documentary and experimental works about Bay Area artists and culture makers for KQED Arts. With the work I did with the arts team I had been nominated for three local Emmy's and I had won one, I had also won a Webby for the series I co-created together with Kelly Whalen, If Cities Could Dance. Before joining KQED, I directed, produced and edited short fiction films, fashion videos, stop motion animations, as well as non-fiction journalism work for AJ+, Common Sense Media, National Geographic, Mission Local, NBC’s former The Feast, and was the editor for the feature documentary “In The Red." directed bu Mimi Chakarova. Some of the indie films I had been part of, have screened all over the world, with the documentary “La Bicicleta Vieja" premiering at San Francisco International Latino Film Festival; "Antonio's Closet" screening at Miami International Fashion Film Festival, and "Mercado de Lagrimas," at Bokeh South Africa International Fashion Film Festival, and the La Jolla International Fashion Festival.

• Documentary DP
• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Video Editor - News
• Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Non-Fiction Film Director
• Creative Director
• Series Producer / Show Runner

To see my work and more about me please visit my website: MatthewCaton.com Matthew sees his craft of filmmaking and cinematography as an adventure. He loves to inhabit new places, explore new cultures, and share unique stories with the world. Matthew’s documentary work has taken him around the globe for acclaimed films including Jose Antonio Vargas’ “White People,” which was recently nominated for an Emmy award, and “Assault in the Ring” which won an Emmy award for Outstanding Sports Documentary. His other documentary work has aired on HBO, ESPN 30 for 30, Sundance, CNN Intl, MTV, and others. Filming everything from native villages in the Amazon, to Neo-Nazis in Germany, to eunuchs in India, Matthew prides himself in blending easily into different cultures and allowing the story to unfold naturally. Matthew’s television work includes “100 Days of Summer,” where he directed two crews with six cameras total, and “Ultimate Road Trips,” where he traveled Route 66, the Mississippi Delta, and the Florida Keys (shooting extensively underwater). His television credits include everything from travel, to fashion, to home building and decorating -- and a bit of drama, too. His work has aired on NBC, Bravo, Travel, A&E, HGTV, and Smithsonian. With past technical experience as a gaffer, Matthew knows how to light any situation or style including commercials and music videos, which he has shot for many years. His national commercial credits include JC Penney, Glade, Pringles, Nokia, to name a few. Matthew’s passion for music has extended into shooting both music videos and live music events including some of his favorite artists: Common, Spoon, Bon Iver, and Sigur Ros, among others. He has also shot at music festivals including Bonnaroo and Outside Lands.

• Documentary DP
• Commercial DP
• Corporate Videographer
• Fixer

I am a DP based in Berkeley with extensive experience in creating compelling visuals for journalism and documentary projects. I shoot on a Sony FX6, supported by three Sony A7S III cameras for multi-angle coverage. I use the full line of Sony G Master prime lenses to ensure sharp, cinematic visuals. For audio, I rely on a Tascam X8 recorder with a Sennheiser MKE400 shotgun mic and G3 wireless lavalier. I’m also an FAA-certified drone pilot with a Mavic Air 2S for aerial footage. My expertise includes using gimbals with Raven Eye technology for seamless multi-camera movement, even in solo setups. Additionally, I have a professional 3-point lighting kit with a beauty dish for high-quality interview and narrative lighting. Storytelling is my passion, and I pride myself on showing up on time and working discreetly, efficiently, and professionally to deliver polished results. You can view my full portfolio at www.ekfproductions.com.

• Documentary DP
• Sound Mixer
• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Commercial DP
• Video Editor - News
• Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist
• Reporter / Journalist
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Drone Operator

Contessa Gayles is an independent documentary filmmaker, an award-winning journalist and an Emmy-nominated producer. She tells stories about identity, movement and social change, with a focus on race, ethnicity and gender. From 2014 - 2018, she was a producer at CNN, where she created, produced, directed, shot and edited award-winning original series and documentaries, including 'The Feminist on Cellblock Y' (2018 Vera Institute Award Winner, 2018 Eppy Award Finalist), 'Women Who March' (2018 Webby Award Honoree, 2017 Eppy Award Finalist), 'Women Who March: The Movement' (2018 Eppy Award Winner), 'This Is Birth with Lisa Ling' & 'This Is Sex with Lisa Ling' (2017 & 2018 Namic Vision Award Nominees), 'Unstereotyped' and the 2016 News & Documentary Emmy-nominated 'Feeding America's Most Vulnerable Children.' She has additionally contributed to VICE, PBS NewsHour, PBS Frontline, AFROPUNK and forthcoming independent documentary features, including 'Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project' (dir. Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster), 'Surge' (dir. Hannah Rosenzweig, Wendy Sachs) and 'Black Mothers' (dir. Débora Souza Silva). Contessa holds a B.A. from Columbia University and an M.A. in Journalism from New York University, with a concentration in Documentary Film. Her thesis documentary, 'School of Yoga,' screened at the 2015 DOC NYC film festival.

• Documentary DP
• Video Editor - News
• Fixer
• On-Air Reporter / Host
• Reporter / Journalist
• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Field Producer
• Series Producer / Show Runner
• Senior Producer / Project Manager
• TV News Producer
• Non-Fiction Film Director

I’ve been working in the visual arts for more than 20 years constantly learning lighting and composition styles that I love. My work has brought me to nearly every continent and the passion I have for creating beautiful visuals continues to grow. I run a small production company that handles many small projects every year focusing on multi cam, interview-based narratives supported by cinematic b-roll. My small grip truck stores all the lighting, audio equipment and filmmaking gear needed for these small shoots allowing me to easily travel throughout California and beyond to work on projects. I am an FAA licensed and insured drone operator and own a drone shooting high quality 4K content. On a team I usually find myself in the role of principal Director and/or DP, and I’m happy to lend my experience to larger projects.

• Commercial DP
• Drone Operator
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Documentary DP
• Corporate Videographer
• Production Company

I am a filmmaker and documentarian with over fourteen years of experience in production and run my own production company, Darling Street Pictures, with my producing partner. I have worked with many notable clients including Google, YouTube, Bloomberg, and the City of San Francisco as well as pursuing creative work, recently selling out the historic Great Star Theater in San Francisco for the premiere of my dance film "Panels" with an accompanying live dance performance. I attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts for Film & TV production. I have over five years of experience with Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, Audition, and DaVinci Resolve and can take a production from start to finish. I'm also a drone pilot with an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate fro commercial drone work.

• Commercial DP
• Production Company
• Documentary DP
• Field Producer
• Sound Mixer
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Music Composer
• Sound Designer
• Fixer
• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Creative Director
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Corporate Videographer
• Colorist
• Drone Operator

Bryon Evans is an award-winning director, cinematographer, & filmmaker specializing in commercial, documentary and narrative video productions. Bryon has been directing and producing for over a decade. His commercial productions have racked up millions of views worldwide and have been featured in Adweek and have won various advertising awards. He has filmed productions around the world; from travel TV pilot’s in Eastern Europe and South America to documentary film making in Kenya. Bryon has a real passion to tell meaningful stories with heart. He creates a unique cinematic style that engages the audience and tells a powerful story. He brings a real passion to every project, incorporating his unwavering standards of production into any work that he produces. Bryon is based in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area.

• Commercial DP
• Creative Director
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Documentary DP
• Fixer
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Production Assistant
• Production Company
• Corporate Videographer
• News Shooter / Video Journalist

Jesse Rosenberg has been working as a freelance director and cinematographer since graduating from New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 2014. He is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since January 2016 he has been working as a camera operator on a trekking series for television, with shoots completed in 16 countries over six continents. He is producing and directing a series of short documentaries titled 1 Minute 1 Life, showcasing the stories inspiring people, each in one minute. Two episodes have been completed: Susan Helmrich, featuring a three-time cancer survivor who found healing and solace through swimming; and Elizabeth Jameson featuring a lawyer who became an artist after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, transforming her brain scans into pieces of art that challenge how the viewer perceives the brain, disability, and illness.

• Documentary DP
• Commercial DP
• Production Company
• Creative Director
• Fixer
• Production Assistant
• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Drone Operator

I’m a visual journalist in San Francisco. Before moving to news and documentary I worked for a decade as a commercial producer creating content for agencies like Leo Burnett, design studios like IDEO, and big brands like Google and Apple. I’ve also produced for CNN, The Washington Post, and Público, Portugal’s largest newspaper, as well. In 2022, I completed my master’s at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism after working for a decade as a commercial producer. My thesis documentary Hasta la última gota, following the fight for water and a new constitution in Chile, was published in The Intercept. The film also screened at the Mill Valley and Banff Mountain Film Festivals. I work in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

• Video Editor - Documentary
• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Reporter / Journalist
• Field Producer
• TV News Producer

Kat O’Toole is a documentary cinematographer based in Oakland, California. She delights in falling into the rhythm of another person’s life while filming handheld. She loves collaborating with directors so that the images they make together can best support the story. She creates beautiful, comfortable and intimate interview setups that allow her collaborators to sink in and open up. Most of all, Kat takes pride in pre-production planning because having all the tools you need frees you up to follow an unexpected thread to someplace even better than you planned to go. Kat studied at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke. Her work has been shown on PBS, the BBC and at Sundance Satellite Programming.

• Documentary DP
• Production Company
• Video Editor - Documentary
• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Field Producer
• Reporter / Journalist
• Production Assistant
• Creative Director

Matt Martin, the owner of MVP Media, has been creating digital media since 2003. He founded MVP Media, based in Fresno, CA, in 2011. Matt loves to create concepts, write scripts, create storyboards, shoot in a cinematic style in 4K raw utilizing camera movement with steadicams, motorized gimbals, sliders, and drones. He also enjoys editing, creating motion graphics, and 3D animation using Cinema 4D. MVP Media has grown into a team of talented people taking projects from concept to finished product. We've created commercials, corporate videos, real estate, and event videos for more than 80 clients including BD Medical Technology, Coherent, Farmers Insurance of Fresno, Giro Pack Inc., Omnicell, Prison Fellowship, and many more.

• Commercial DP
• Documentary DP
• Drone Operator
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Creative Director
• Production Company
• Motion Graphics Designer

I'm a documentary filmmaker with 9 years of experience in producing, filming, and editing for media organizations and businesses. My career started in a newsroom in Sacramento as part of their special projects unit. I now own a production company and have worked to create docs, and other forms of video content for nationally recognized brands and TV networks like Footlocker, Nike, Adidas, VICE, AJ+, Bloomberg, Weather Channel, ATTN, MSNBC, and HEARST. My documentaries range in focus from massive fire issues in California, to water rights all over the U.S. I've earned 9x regional Emmy awards, a Cronkite, an Edward R Murrow award, and my cinematography is featured in Ron Howard’s latest film with National Geographic, “Re-building Paradise".

• Documentary DP
• Commercial DP
• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Corporate Videographer
• Drone Operator
• Production Company
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Colorist
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist

Hello! I've been a filmmaker for 7 years, running a small production company in the SF Bay Area. I've had the honor to film projects all over the world (South Sudan, Laos, Honduras, just to name a few). I am passionate about telling compelling stories in a way to really connects with the audience. Currently my largest finished project is a short documentary about micro-lot coffee farmers in Honduras. It has been shown around the world and has garnered three film festival awards. This film was a personal project that I used to learn all the aspects of filmmaking, so I did all aspects of the film and it was a great learning experience! My favorite projects are ones where I get to be involved in the strategy and development phase and when I get to travel.

• Commercial DP
• Documentary DP
• Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Production Company
• Creative Director
• Event Photographer

I have had a 16+ year career as a video producer, shooter and editor. I’ve created hundreds of video stories in collaboration with dozens of high profile clients and content producers. Previously I produced at TripAdvisor, shaping travel content into concise original pieces for their global brand partners. I also spent time as a Senior Producer creating pieces and series’ at wellness startup, Thrive Global, as well as viral platform, Upworthy. I honed my craft as an editor at CNN and won an Emmy as a PBS videographer. I also directed an award winning feature documentary film that has nearly 350k views on YouTube. I’ve played every role in the production process from camera op to lead producer, director and more.

• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Field Producer
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Documentary DP
• Video Editor - News
• Fixer
• Commercial DP
• Production Assistant

Originally from story-rich Mississippi, I began making films with my parents' home movie camera & friends in the early '90s. Now working mostly in the world of narrative and commercial media, I spent much of my formative years living, learning & working on film/TV sets in New Orleans and abroad. Naturally curious and very inspired by travel, my passions revolve around filmmaking, writing, still photography & design, more or less the case since 6. I've spent a substantial time just roaming about everywhere with a camera as a great admirer of everyday history & the physical world and generally staying ahead of the curve. Which could explain my fascination now with all things Unreal and aerial imagery. Thanks for looking!

• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Commercial DP
• Corporate Videographer
• Drone Operator
• Documentary DP
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Series Producer / Show Runner
• Non-Fiction Film Director
• Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist
• Copywriter
• Creative Director
• Video Editor - Commercial

Emily Fraser is an Oakland based documentary filmmaker and cinematographer. Her work has screened at Doc NYC, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, LUNAFEST, the International Wildlife Film Festival, and the Pacific Film Archive, among others. She also teaches film production and eco cinema classes at Santa Clara University and California College of the Arts. In a previous life, she worked as an environmental consultant, focusing on projects in conservation, resource management, and alternative energy. Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy and art/architecture from the College of William and Mary and an M.F.A in Documentary Film and Video from Stanford University. She shoots primarily on a C300mii.

• Documentary DP
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Commercial DP
• Production Company
• Gaffer
• News Shooter / Video Journalist

Emmy Award winning Bay Area / Sac based DP, camera operator, drone operator and sound recordist with over 20 years experience. Owner of a One-Ton Grip Van, Sony FX9, FX3, Canon C300 Mark II, Phantom 4 drone, 1080 HD Sony PMW-500 XDcam, Sound Devices 664 audio mixer / recorder with Lectrosonics 411a Series lavs. News, corporate, documentaries are his specialties with clients such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Show with David Letterman, CNN, MSNBC, ESPN, MLBtv, Bloomberg TV, The History Channel, PBS etc. Based out of Sacramento and serving the Bay Area and Los Angeles, Felix has full audio and video gear available on request: (c-stands, HMI's, LED's, silk scrims, light kits, Dana Dolly, booms)

• Sound Mixer
• Documentary DP
• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Commercial DP
• Gaffer
• Corporate Videographer
• Video Editor - News
• Event Photographer
• Reporter / Journalist
• Fixer
• Production Assistant
• Drone Operator
• Production Company

Owner and founder of Active Alliance creative, Jason Charles Smith got into film by sneaking his parents video camera out of the house and filming his friends and him doing stupid stunts on skateboards, bikes and the like. He started his production career in 2004 working for NBC helping with the Olympic profiles of some of America’s top athletes. From there his career took off working with the likes of NFL Films, ESPN, and The Discovery Channel to name just a few. During his years he made it a point to learn every aspect of production and post-production to make sure his talents were well-rounded. Today he loves working on documentaries telling stories of those that the world would otherwise pass by, as well as working with entities that are making the world a better place for all of us.

• Documentary DP
• Drone Operator
• Animator / Visual Effects Artist
• Motion Graphics Designer
• Senior Editor
• Corporate Videographer