Director of Photography · Los Angeles & San Diego
Sean MurphyDocumentary Cinematographer
Brands I've shot for
Disney, Toyota, Xbox, Pokémon, MotorTrend, Febreze, iHealth, Axis Communications, Vitamasques, Practice by Palmer and 76 Kustoms.
The best stories are hiding in plain sight.Documentary films and brand stories, shot in real places with real people.
Documentary taught me to shape light with whatever a location gives me: work with what's in the room, know where the sun is falling, and bend it to the story. It also taught me how to make real people feel comfortable on camera. That's what I bring to every set, whether it's a documentary, a commercial or a branded film.
Documentary
2:33Legacy documentary
Andrew and Nancy
Twenty-five years together, told through old photo albums, the city they built a life in, and the family they raised.
3 filmsDocumentary series
Philippines Vignettes
Three short portraits of everyday life: a grandmother at her sewing machine, a bike builder in the street, a shop owner after dark.
3:51Documentary short · 76 Kustoms
Never Standard
California bike builder Noel Ojerio on why he rides, and what happens when a dirt bike puts you in a flow state.
6:22Documentary
Built on the Bayou
A Louisiana senator looks back on the humble beginnings that started it all.
2:58Documentary short · 76 Kustoms
Biltwell 100
Noel strips down his bike and takes on the Biltwell 100, one of the toughest desert races out there.
A documentary eye, for brands
Commercial and branded work, shot like documentary so it never feels staged.
About
I'm a documentary cinematographer based in Southern California. I came to Los Angeles from Ohio to make films, and documentary is what stuck.
What pulls me in is the window it opens into the life of someone I'd never otherwise cross paths with. A bike builder in his garage. A sign painter at her bench. A couple on their couch, telling their story. Most of us walk past people like that every day without knowing what they carry. My job is to slow down, light the room and let them be seen.
I shoot documentaries, branded films, commercials and, when the project fits, narrative and music videos.
My kit
- Sony FX6 camera package
- SLR Magic Microprimes
- DZO Catta zooms
- Godox KNOWLED lighting package
- Audio package
On Instagram
Follow @seanmurphy.dp →
Got a story to shoot?
Send the dates and the gist. I reply within a day.