IEC
#1: 2007
#2: 2005
#3: With dir Spike Lee [left]
Born: 19 July 1968, Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, as Matthew Jose Libatique. His parents came from the Philippines.
Education: California State University, Fullerton [Sociology & Communications; graduated in 1992]; American Film Institute [AFI] [1992-95; MFA in Cinematography].
Career: Worked on an internship at Chanticleer Films and became a post-prod coordinator. 'My first job as a cinematographer was shooting karaoke's. I had a friend at Chanticleer who wanted to be an actor, and his brother wanted to be a director. We'd shoot six karaoke's over a weekend. They would edit and put them on laser discs so that people could sing to them. At that point, I was more interested in shooting music videos than features. It was the beginning of the electronic age in post-production, and I didn't think that feature films were going to allow the opportunity to really explore that. I didn't want to miss out on the beginning of a new technology. Finally, through a friend, I got an opportunity to shoot a music video for a rapper named E40, and the rest is history.' [From KODAK website.]
Ph 100+ music videos [see below] and commercials [dir by McG, a.o.].
Member of the ASC since 2002.
Married to c.op/ph Magela Crosignani.
Appeared in the doc 'Cinematographer Style' [2005, Jon Fauer; ph: J. Fauer, Jeff Laszlo, Brian Heller & David Morgan].
Awards: Chlotrudis Award [1998] & Independent Spirit Award nom [1999] for 'Pi'; BSFC Award 3rd place [2000], Independent Spirit Award [2001] & Chlotrudis Award nom [2001] for 'Requiem for a Dream'; MVPA 'Panavision Award' [2002] for 'Mad Season'; Kodak Vision Award [2006]; 'Oscar' AA nom [2010], BAFTA Film Award nom [2010] & Independent Spirit Award [2011] for 'Black Swan'.
Matthew Libatique: 'For me, the photography in music videos is driven by the tempo of the music and certain instruments. I still hold out hope that in today's pop climate, music videos have the potential to be an art. There are some directors and cinematographers who constantly strive for that. I don't like to sit around between pictures, so videos provide an opportunity for me to practice, not unlike a musician. It gives me the ability to constantly work on my craft and apply techniques of cinematography.' [From KODAK website.]
FILMS | |
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1993 |
Protozoa [Darren Aronofsky] dv/c; short/?m; prod AFI (USA) |
1993 |
Redneck [Shane Kuhn] c; 2uc: Alan Caudillo |
1994 |
The Bedroom [David Crabtree] c; short/11m |
1994 |
No Time [Darren Aronofsky] b&w-c; short/23m |
1995 |
Til Death Do Us Part [Phil Leirness] c |
1995 |
Soldier Boyz [Louis Morneau] c; 2uc; ph: Mauro Fiore |
1995 |
Duke of Groove [Griffin Dunne] c; short/32m; 2uc (+ co-2nd c.asst); ph: John J. Campbell |
1996 |
Grinders [Gary Ellenberg] c |
1996 |
Pi [Darren Aronofsky] s16-35bu/b&w |
1997 |
The Party Crashers/Until Yesterday Is Done [Phil Leirness] c |
1998 |
Saturn/Speed of Life [Rob Schmidt] c; add time-lapse ph: Sarah Cawley |
1998 |
Ted [Gary Ellenberg] 16mm/b&w-c; 2uc (+ 2ud); ph: Stephen S. Langensteiner |
1999 |
Requiem for a Dream/Delusion Over Addiction [Darren Aronofsky] c; 2uc: Richard Rutkowski |
2000 |
When Incubus Attacks Volume 2 [Philip Harder, a.o.] c/V; mus perf/150m (incl music videos); cph: Clark DePastino, Tom Marvel & Brett Spivey; filmed during SnoCore Tour 2000 |
2000 |
Tigerland [Joel Schumacher] 16mm-35bu/c |
2000 |
Josie and the Pussycats [Harry Elfont & Deborah Kaplan] c; 2uc: Ron Williams |
2000 |
Phone Booth [Joel Schumacher] s35/c |
2001 |
Cosmic Coffee [Charles Wall] b&w-c |
2001 |
Abandon [Stephen Gaghan] s35/c; uwph: Cynthia Pusheck |
2002 |
Batman: Year One [Darren Aronofsky] announced; prod cancelled |
2002 |
The 7th Man [Jason Liggett] c; short/13m; vfx: Bert Yukich |
2003 |
Never Die Alone [Ernest R. Dickerson] s16-35bu/c; 2uc: Richard Rutkowski |
2003 |
Gothika [Mathieu Kassovitz] c; 2uc: Igor Meglic; uwph: Pete Romano |
2003 |
The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things [Asia Argento] announced as doph, but ph by Eric Alan Edwards |
2003 |
She Hate Me [Spike Lee] s16+35mm-to-35mm/c |
2004 |
Everything Is Illuminated [Liev Schreiber] c; 2uc: Milan Chadima |
2004 |
The Fountain [Darren Aronofsky] s35-to-35mm/ c; 2uc: Sylvaine Dufaux; uwph: Pete Romano |
With dir Spike Lee [right] - "Inside Man"
2005 |
Inside Man [Spike Lee] s35/c |
2006 |
The Number 23 [Joel Schumacher] p/c; 2uc: Richard Rutkowski |
2007 |
Iron Man [Jon Favreau] s35/c; addph: Gabriel Beristáin; 2uc: Jonathan Taylor; aph: David B. Nowell |
2007 |
Miracle at St. Anna [Spike Lee] s35+s16-to-35mm scope/c; 2uc: Ernest Dickerson; 2uc New York: Ricardo Sarmiento |
2008 |
The Fighter [Darren Aronofsky] announced in 2007 (not to be confused with Aronofsky's 'The Wrestler'); scheduled to start filming in October 2008; dir in 2009 by David O. Russell and ph by Hoyte van Hoytema |
2008 |
Inside Man 2 [Spike Lee] pre-production; status unknown |
2008 |
RoboCop [Darren Aronofsky] announced; remake of film (1986-87, Paul Verhoeven; ph: Jost Vacano); filmed in 2012 by dir José Padilha and ph by Lula Carvalho |
2008 |
My Own Love Song [Olivier Dahan] s35-to-35mm/c; 2uc: Magela Crosignani |
2009 |
Iron Man 2 [Jon Favreau] s35 (+ IMAX-70bu & D-Cinema)/c; addph: Gabriel Beristain; 2uc: Jonathan Taylor; ph New York: Richard Rutkowski; aph: David B. Nowell & (Monaco) Adam Dale |
[Left] with Darren Aronofsky - "Black Swan"
2009 |
Black Swan [Darren Aronofsky] s16+HD (Canon EOS 5D & 7D)-to-35mm scope (+ D-Cinema)/c; filmed 2009-10 |
2010 |
Despair [Alex Prager] RED/c; short/5m; prod for Nowness (a brand of the luxury group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) |
2010 |
Cowboys & Aliens [Jon Favreau] p (+ D-Cinema)/c; 2uc: Paul Hughen; aph: David B. Nowell |
2010 |
The Wolverine/X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2 [James Mangold (replaced Darren Aronofsky)] announced as doph, but prod started filming in August 2012 with ph Amir Mokri |
2011 |
Ruby Sparks/He Loves Me [Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris] HD (ARRI ALEXA)-to-35mm (+ D-Cinema)/c; 2uc: Tommy Maddox-Upshaw |
2011 |
La Petite Mort [Alex Prager] HD/c; short/7m; part of A. Prager's exhibition 'Compulsion' (2012; film + series of photographs) |
2012 |
Noah [Darren Aronofsky] s35+HD (ARRI ALEXA Plus + Canon EOS 5D Mark II)-to-35mm (+ D-Cinema)/c; 2uc: Lukasz Jogalla; ph Iceland: Chris Moseley (+ main unit co-c.op) & Karl Oskarsson; aph: Steve Koster; uwph: Pete Romano |
2013 |
Pelé [Jeff & Michael Zimbalist] RED Epic Dragon/c; addph: Felipe Reinheimer |
2014 |
The Jungle Book [Jon Favreau] announced as doph, but replaced by Bill Pope |
2014 |
Straight Outta Compton [F. Gary Gray] RED Epic Dragon/c; 2uc: Tommy Maddox-Upshaw; aph: Dylan Goss |
2015 |
Money Monster [Jodie Foster] HD (ARRI ALEXA XT Plus/p)-to-D-Cinema (scope)/c |
2015 |
The Circle [James Ponsoldt] RED Epic Dragon/c; addph: Tommy Maddox-Upshaw |
2016 |
mother! [Darren Aronofsky] s16+s35+RED Epic Dragon-to-D-Cinema (scope)/c; splinter unit ph: Robert Mattigetz |
2017 |
A Star Is Born [Bradley Cooper] HD (ARRI ALEXA Mini/scope)-to-D-Cinema (scope)/c; 2uc (+ main unit c.op 'b' cam): Chris Moseley; remake of film (1936, William A. Wellman & (uncred) Jack Conway; ph: W. Howard Greene) |
2017 |
Venom [Ruben Fleischer] HD/c |
2018 |
Native Son [Rashid Johnson] HD (ARRI ALEXA Mini/tao35)-to-D-Cinema (scope)/c |
TELEVISION | |
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1997 |
Women: Stories of Passion [ep #16 'Grip Till It Hurts' dir by Julie Dash] 26-part series; other ph: John Aronson, Theo van de Sande, Arturo Smith, Denise Brassard, a.o. |
2002 |
A Darkness More Than Night [?] tvm; status unknown |
2008 |
Kobe Doin' Work/Game Day with Kobe [Spike Lee] sports doc/90m (including prologue & epilogue)/HD; for ESPN-tv |
2008 |
Passing Strange [Spike Lee] rock musical/136m/HD; filmed 19 July (Belasco Theatre, New York); also released theatrically as 'Passing Strange The Movie' |
2014 |
Jerrod Carmichael: Love at the Store [Spike Lee] standup comedy special/54m; for HBO-tv; filmed 7 May (Comedy Store, Hollywood) |
MISCELLANEOUS | |
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1991 |
Without a Pass [Marco Williams; short] electric prod asst 2u; ph: Stephen McNutt; also ep of Showtime-tv series '30-Minute Movie' |
1991 |
Session Man [Seth Winston; short] post-prod co-ord; ph: Charlie Lieberman; also ep of Showtime-tv series '30-Minute Movie' |
1991 |
The Washing Machine Man [Dean Pitchford; short] post-prod co-ord; ph: Eric J. Goldstein; also ep of Showtime-tv series '30-Minute Movie' |
1992 |
Extreme Justice [Mark L. Lester] co-2nd c.asst; ph: Mark Irwin |
1992 |
The Witness [Chris Gerolmo; short] 2nd c.asst; ph: Peter Lang; also ep of Showtime-tv series '30-Minute Movie' |
1992 |
Contact [Jonathan Darby; short] post-prod co-ord; ph: Eric J. Goldstein; also ep of Showtime-tv series '30-Minute Movie' |
1993 |
Traveler's Rest [Craig Belknap; short] cam prod asst; ph: Steve McMahon; also ep of Showtime-tv series '30-Minute Movie' |
1993 |
Lush Life [Michael Elias; tvm] co-cam loader; ph: Nancy Schreiber |
1993 |
Under the Car [Alan McElroy; short] 2nd c.asst (insert ph) (+ post-prod co-ord); ph: John J. Connor; also ep of Showtime-tv series '30-Minute Movie' |
1994 |
My Family/Mi familia/Cafe con leche/East L.A. [Gregory Nava] cam loader; ph: Edward Lachman |
1995 |
Duke of Groove [Griffin Dunne; short] co-2nd c.asst (+ 2uc); ph: John J. Campbell |
1996 |
Fox Hunt [Michael Berns] electrician; ph: John P. Tarver |
MUSIC VIDEOS [Selection] | |
---|---|
1996 |
Give Me One Reason [a: Tracy Chapman; d: Julie Dash] |
1997 |
Anytime [a: Brian McKnight; d: Darren Grant] |
1998 |
What U See Is What U Get [a: Xzibit; d: Gregory Dark] |
1999 |
Just My Imagination [a: The Cranberries; d: Phil Harder] |
1999 |
Westside [a: TQ; d: Darren Grant] |
1999 |
Aisha [a: Death In Vegas; d: Terry Richardson] |
1999 |
Ooh La La [a: The Wiseguys; d: Scott Bibo] |
1999 |
My Favorite Girl [a: Dave Hollister; d: Steven Carr] |
1999 |
Bodyrock [a: Moby; d: Steven Carr] |
2000 |
I'll Do Anything [a: Jay-Z; d: Chris Robinson] |
2000 |
Boyz In the Hood [a: Dynamite Hack; d: Evan Bernard] |
2000 |
Stellar [a: Incubus; d: Phil Harder] |
2001 |
Fool [a: Mansun; d: Phil Harder] |
2001 |
Mad Season [a: Matchbox 20; d: Phil Harder] |
2001 |
The Trees [a: Pulp; d: Phil Harder] |
2001 |
Save Me [a: Remy Zero; d: Phil Harder] |
2001 |
Goodbye [a: Jagged Edge; d: Forest Whitaker] |
2002 |
Pitiful [a: Blindside; d: Nathan Cox] |
2002 |
Dem Girls [a: Oxide & Neutrino; d: Nathan Cox] |
2004 |
Taking Off [a: The Cure; d: The Saline Project] |