Brendan Swift

Cinematographer and Director of Photography

New York City, New York

Member Since:
March 2016

Last online:
> 2 weeks ago

Invites sent:
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About Brendan

I fell in love with movies at a young age, absorbing every detail of every movie I watched to be retold to those unlucky enough to admit not having seen it. As a teen I became obsessed with the impact cinematography has on the story of a movie, always preferring films whose camera and lighting work took the forefront in communicating the emotion and story.

Despite my obsession I decided to put aside the idea of film as a career and went on to earn a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering. It was a quick two years in the nine-to-five world before I realized my mistake.

I corrected my course with a move to New York City to start a career in filmmaking. Choosing to forgo film schooling for the more direct education of working on professional sets, I went about the work of cutting my teeth. After a very brief stint in PAing, I quickly ascended the camera department ranks to being a topnotch 1st AC working and learning under a number of veteran Cinematographers.

As a Director of Photography, I believe and embrace the philosophy that the lighting and frame of a film are chief in conveying story and emotion. I’m never satisfied with a single style so I relish the work of developing a unique look to satisfy the Director’s vision for each new project. Always striving to increase the beauty of each frame with every tool at my disposal.

I’m incredibly lucky and excited to be a part of the freelance film community in New York City. There are a lot of great DP’s in this city, however I believe my engineering background gives me an edge with the daily problem solving puzzles of filmmaking. My lack of structured film schooling allows me the mental and creative flexibility to achieve truly unique looks for every project that comes my way.

Unique traits: Quick problem solver, hard worker, tall, not bound by the rules that film schools drill into their cinematography students.

Gender:
Male

Height:
6' 5"

Badges

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Credits

Meet Your Match (2015)
Film (Short, Comedy, Fantasy and Romance) Camera and Electrical Department A crummy supervillain ends up on a blind date with his strong and handsome superhero nemesis.
Abstract Poverty (2015)
Television (Comedy) Camera and Electrical Department Add a Plot »
Splattered Words (2015)
Film (Short) Camera and Electrical Department A live-action Jackson Pollock piece.
The Birch Grove (2015)
Film (Short, Drama, Family and Romance) Camera and Electrical Department Caught between love and death, two brothers wrestle with their past in a dance towards reconciliation.
Party of the Year (2015)
Film (Short, Comedy, Drama and Family) Cinematographer A financially struggling single mother and her son rush to make his classmate's extravagant birthday party.
Without an Alibi (2015)
Film (Short and Drama) Cinematographer Charlie Sullivan has been wrongfully committed of murder. When it comes time to prove his innocence Charlie finds himself with his back against the wall, his only alibi is the last person he should be caught with.
Silent Wood (2015)
Film (Short, Drama, Horror and Thriller) Camera and Electrical Department A man enters the forest intent on taking his own life, but when something attacks him from the darkness beyond his tent, the tables quickly turn, and he is forced to fight for his life instead.
Scavenger Killers (2014)
Film (Crime, Horror and Thriller) Camera and Electrical Department 'Bonnie and Clyde' are reinvented in SCAVENGER KILLERS, where a charming judge and a hot criminal defense attorney go on a maniacal killing rampage. With bizarre, yet somehow believable, FBI agents (a physically powerful, condescending mute with wooden legs, and a Tourette's Syndrome introvert with psychic abilities) on the hunt, the deranged duo amp up their rampage, never murdering with the same method but always with same untamed ferocity. Written by Anonymous
Movement and Location (2014)
Film (Drama, Sci-Fi and Thriller) Camera and Electrical Department Kim Getty is an immigrant from 400 years in the future, sent back to modern day Brooklyn to live out an easier life. She's built a new identity in this time that nearly satisfies: she has a full time job, shares an apartment with a roommate, and is falling in love. But when she finds two other people from the future--a 15-year-old girl and Kim's own long-lost husband--Kim must fight to keep the life she once had from destroying the life she built here. Written by Anonymous
Big Bad Art (2014)
Film (Documentary, Comedy and Drama) Cinematographer This no-holds-barred look at the making of Brooklyn hip may just be the funniest documentary to ever come busting out of the art world.
Blood Diamonds (2014)
Film (Short and Horror) Cinematographer Add a Plot »
Tough Love (2014)
Television (Comedy) Cinematographer An odd couple comedy about love and friendship featuring a messy lesbian and her uptight gay best friend. Tough Love follows the awkward misadventures of Steven and Blaire as they navigate their way through love, sex, and friendship in NYC.
The Bumblebees (2014)
Film (Short and Drama) Camera and Electrical Department New initiate Betty Sue shares a daunting story that redefines 'new blood' to one of the deadliest gangs in New York, The Bumblebees.
Power of Love (2013)
Film (Short, Drama, Romance and Sci-Fi) Camera and Electrical Department Eric will not force Jennifer to love him
Black Box (2013)
Film (Short and Comedy) Camera and Electrical Department Black Box is a story as inspirational as being beat at pool by a one-armed lesbian. Or, doing lines of blow off a toilet seat with a Canadian Ballerina. Stories that come once in a lifetime. Stories you don't tell your mother. Or, your therapist. Written by Anonymous
White Picket World (2013)
Film (Short and Drama) Camera and Electrical Department A struggling writer suffers a psychotic break and is now unable to distinguish fiction from reality.
From the Future with Love (2013)
Film (Short and Sci-Fi) Camera and Electrical Department From The Future With Love is more or less a trailer. In this short piece, three officers meet in a Brooklyn diner for breakfast. We then follow them through their day. While two cops patrol Manhattan and advertise their corporation police insurances and package, their captain encounters a new breed of criminal. Ultimately, they all share the exact same faith. Written by Anynymous
Truth (2013)
Film (Drama and Thriller) Camera and Electrical Department A suspenseful, psychological thriller, "Truth" exposes the hidden demons buried deep inside each and every one of us. After a chance encounter over the Internet, Caleb, who suffers from borderline personality disorder, meets and falls head over heels for Jeremy, and soon the line between love and lies blur. Struggling to keep his past a secret, including his mentally ill mother, Caleb slowly succumbs to his darker side. A sudden turn of events finds Jeremy held captive, until Caleb's quest for the truth be revealed. Written by Truth
The Birthday Girl (2012)
Film (Short and Sci-Fi) Camera and Electrical Department A shy, unpopular girl is given a thoughtless present for her birthday. She discovers that the present has magical powers, and goes out to exact vengeance upon those who have ignored and made fun of her over the years.