DP for the BBC Show Get On Up: The Triumph of Black America

I was hired as the Director of Photography for an episode of a BBC show called Get On Up: The Triumph of Black America. The series explores Black American culture and its global influence, and for the segment I worked on, the focus was hip-hop. Naturally, that meant the story had to include Atlanta.

For this shoot, I brought on a local producer to help and we rented out a studio to conduct the interviews. We interviewed two cultural historians, one of whom specialized in the history and cultural impact of hip-hop.

In addition to the interviews, we captured a ton of B-roll across the city. The team at the BBC asked us to film at some of the most iconic locations around Atlanta. I grew up just north of the city and have lived in Atlanta for over eight years, so I knew exactly where to go. I spent the day filming cityscapes, local landmarks, and pieces of the culture that represent Atlanta’s contribution to hip-hop.

Unfortunately, the show isn’t available in the U.S., so I haven’t been able to watch the final episode. Still, it was an honor to contribute to a project that highlights such an important and influential part of American culture.