Ava Berkofsky
Ava Berkofsky is an American cinematographer. They are best known for their work on "Insecure", for which they were nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards. Berkofsky has been noted for their skill in lighting brown skin on camera. Career. Berkofsky was the director of photography for the films "Free In Deed" (2016) and the Starz series "Vida". Berkofsky was the principal cinematographer for HBO's "Insecure" from seasons two through five. They collaborated with executive producer Melina Matsoukas to develop the show's distinct visual style, which has some unique variation each season. The style frequently includes "short -siding characters and giving them lots of headroom to trap them in unbalanced frames." They also paid particular attention to framing to shoot "Insecure". They have been hailed for their uncommon skill in lighting the brown skin of "Insecure's" principal cast members. Berkofsky, who did not receive formal training on lighting non-white people in film school, uses techniques to control the levels of light throughout the shoot with tools such as LED-filled Litemats, glossy makeup on the actors, and a filter called a polarizer. The cinematography of "Insecure"'s fifth season was reviewed by Vulture's Angelica  Jade Bastién as "visually...a feast. Its graceful, sloping camerawork delights...The color scheme of cool blues, warm amber, and deep green enlivens the frame. Mirrors hold possibilities for your past to reach out to your present." Berkofsky also directed one episode in each of the final two seasons of the show. For their work they were nominated for two Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour). They are the cinematographer for the Apple TV+ film "The Sky is Everywhere". In 2021 they worked with Google to develop the Pixel 6 camera's ability to  capture high-quality photos of brown skin. Personal life. Berkofsky was born in Wales, United Kingdom and was raised in California, spending part of their childhood in Los Angeles before later moving north. They received an MFA from the American Film Institute. Berkofsky is queer. They are nonbinary and use they/them pronouns.