My Favorite Film Was Shot By

My favorite film to date is Captain America: Civil War.  The Cinematographer/ DP for this film is Trent Opaloch.

Trent Opaloch is a Canadian cinematographer  and actor best known for his work with directors Neill Blomkamp and the Russo brothers. His major works include District 9 (2009), Elysium (2013), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Chappie (2015).  He was born on
December 31, 1969 (age 46).  He ha been nominated for
BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography. Some of the videos he has shot include: 

Katy Perry "Part Of Me"	Cinematographer	Ben Mor/RSA     Director
Mythos "New Day"	Cinematographer	Neill Blomkamp  Director
Sunlike Star "Day Survive"	Cinematographer	Neill Blomkamp  Director
Sunlike Star "50/50"	Cinematographer	Robert Brooks      Director

 He has also filmed tons of commercials that are just too many to name.

Trent Opaloch

 His FILMOGRAPHY includes:

• Yellow (2006)
• Tempbot (2006)
• Terminus (2007)
• District 9 (2009)
• Elysium (2013)
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
• Chappie (2015)
• Captain America: Civil War (2016)
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
• Unnamed Avengers sequel (2019)     

 He grew up in a place called Thunder Bay in Ontario Canada.  He went to film school at Confederation College also in Thunder Bay.
In an interview with Matthew Toffolo, when asked if there was a specific genre of movies he preferred to film, Trent was quoted as saying this " I don’t have any specific genre goals as far as the types of films I’d like to work on really. I’m always just looking for scripts that I enjoy and that hopefully have something to add to what’s out there already. I shoot a lot of commercials in between film projects so I don’t mind turning down things & waiting until something interesting comes along. Feature films have such a long development period & then you’re away from home for most of the year prepping & shooting so you have to choose your projects carefully."

District 9

Captain America: Civil War

When asked about having a mentor his response was, "I don’t have one individual really but there are countless people that I learned from when I first started shooting. I started working at Clairmont Camera in Vancouver after film school so I was around professional camera crews full time & just tried to learn everything I could, just hoover up as much information as you can. Why that lens over this one, when to use a fluid head vs. wheels etc. Just tons of little details that you absorb over time. I think that was a great introduction to how things worked on set but at the same time I wasn’t that interested in working on tv shows or MOV’s at the time so I shot my own stuff or with friends on the weekends & was able to develop over time and make mistakes in a safe environment where there wasn’t a ton of money on the line."

10 FAVORITE THINGS TO WATCH

10. Killjoys - The premise of this sci-fi action series is about Space bounty Hunters set sometime in the future but not on earth. The style is light hearted in ways but but also its  edgy. Aesthetically this show works because of the flow from the characters to the camera work.

  9. Dark Matter - This sci-fi thriller shown on the SyFy channel is about 5 criminals aboard a prison ship who awaken out of stasis with no memory of who they are or about their past.  its ironic that they decided to call this show Dark Matter because it is dark, its edgy its action packed with lots of intertwining subplots that links these individuals even more than they realize.  This show has to be one of my faves because the camera work, the angles, the framing is so artsy but in a dark action oriented way.

8. NCIS- The name almost tells its own story but this is crime procedural series based upon the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.  This show takes an all business approach with a few moments of comedy mixed in to keep it honest. 

7. DC's Legends of Tomorrow- If you like comic books and shows with an ensemble cast then this should be your destination point.  This is about a mashup of heroes and villains brought together to travel through time to stop an evil would be conqueror named Vandal Savage.  The way it is filmed to make these larger than life legends come to life is just beautiful.

6. Orphan Black- Wow talk about "Twin Magic" this is a show about the amazing world of clones....Sarah Manning grew up with enough problems and she thought she was alone in this world except for her foster brother Felix and her daughter Keira but boy was she ever wrong.  This dark and edgy clone action drama.  is filmed in a disturbed but artsy way that can only be described as gutsy and clever....the camera shots and angles alone tell part of this story that's why i love it.

5. Jessica Jones- This show is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and is about a former superhero who quits being a superhero because she was forced to kill an innocent person using her powers, and becomes a private investigator, because she still wanted to help people but in a different way.  I think dark and edgy is becoming a thing with me because Hell's Kitchen, New York could not be anything other than dark and edgy and the town is just as much a character in this show as the protagonist is.

4. Supergirl- This show is based off of the DC Comics character of the same name and is about Kara El aka Kara Danvers aka Superman's cousin, aka Supergirl.  This show is smartly filmed given that it doesnt have a phenomenal budget it makes use of the things that it does have and that's strong characters and strong story.

3. Arrow- This show is based off of the DC Comics character Green Arrow.  Keep in mind that since Batman was off limits because of studio rights, the decision was made to not only do the Green Arrow story but to also make him a lot darker and edgier than he is in the comic books.  They also mixed in elements of the Batman story.  This show makes Oliver Queen into a most interesting yet tormented character and the dark tones of the film work sort of lets you into The Arrow's world almost which can be quite riveting at times.

2. The Flash- This show is another that is based off of a DC Comics Character of the same name and chronicles the life of Barry Allen a crime scene investigator who becomes endowed with the gift of superspeed after being left comaatose by a freak lab accident.  His prime mission besides stopping crime is to find out who killed his mother when he was a kid. The special effects alone won me over but the well written stories and camera work keep me coming back again and again.

1.  Daredevil- This Marvel Comics based show is about Matt Murdock or The Devil of Hell's Kitchen, blinded as a child through a freak accident that gave him enhanced senses and reflexes, leads a never ending battle to protect the people of his city.  This show is on the dark side and a lot of the scenes are filmed to depict late night hours....it is feature film quality but for the small screen....Netflix indeed gas a winner with this one.