Guest Column: How ‘Insecure’ Changed the Way We View Black Characters on TV

Cinematographer and director Ava Berkofsky explains how she framed the intimate moments between the HBO comedy’s leading characters.

'Insecure' Cinematographer Ava Berkofsky On Creating The Show's Iconic Visual Style

As the director of photography on Issa Rae's HBO series, Berkofsky has helped to redefine what half-hour comedies can look like.

IndieWire

20 Cinematographers You Should Know at Cannes 2019

Ava Berkofsky has made a name working in TV, specifically in establishing the look for HBO’s “Insecure.”

Filmmaker

Insecure DP Ava Berkofsky on Avoiding “Seinfeld Shots,” Faking Coachella and Lighting Mega-Churches

A row of symmetrically stacked airport luggage carts; the tumbling red-and-blue cylinders of a 7-Eleven Slurpee dispenser; the still life of neatly arranged condiments and coffee creamers on a diner countertop. 

Out

This Queer Cinematographer Is Why 'Insecure' Looks So Good

Ava Berkofsky’s lens captures Black and brown bodies in all their beauty.

RUN DOG RUN

Ava Berkofsky - Finding & Fighting For Your Place In The Insane Film Industry

We're excited to have Ava Berkofsky on the RUN DOG RUN  podcast today. Ava is a talented cinematographer who was recently nominated for an Emmy with her work on HBO's Insecure. Our episode touches on many topics from career journey, the beauty of lens choices, diversity on film sets, and the long term commitment needed to make it in this industry.

Film School Rejects

Ava Berkofsky Discusses the Evolution of Self and Style in ‘Insecure’

We chat with the Emmy-nominated cinematographer about blending the emotions of her characters with her locations.

Welcome to World Builders, our new ongoing series of conversations with the most productive and thoughtful behind-the-scenes craftspeople in the industry. In this entry, we chat with two-time Emmy-nominated cinematographer Ava Berkofsky about the evolving visual language of Insecure.

American Cinematographer

Clubhouse Conversations — Insecure

Cinematographers Ava Berkofsky and Kira Kelly discuss their camerawork in HBO’s acclaimed comedic drama series Insecure, interviewed by Larry Sher, ASC. Launched in 2016, the show explores the racial, cultural and relationship experiences of two successful African American women making their way in the world. It was recently renewed for a fifth season.

The Guardian

Aesthetic excellence: how cinematography transformed TV

Directors of photography from Atlanta, Transparent and other top shows discuss how they achieve the sensibility of cinema.

Digital Cinema Report

Creating Insecure’s Cinematic Look

After its first successful season the creative team behind the hit HBO series Insecure decided they wanted the show to have a more cinematic look. For that they turned to cinematographer Ava Berkofsky whose efforts have already earned her a primetime Emmy nomination in the category outstanding cinematography for a single-camera series.

MIC

Keeping ‘Insecure’ lit: HBO cinematographer Ava Berkofsky on properly lighting black faces

The actors on HBO’s Insecure are hotter than you. They’re hotter than your friends, they’re hotter than me and they’re even hotter than the ex the show won’t let you forget about. Co-created by writer and star Issa Rae (along with Larry Wilmore), the series gives viewers a window into black life as a late 20-/early 30-something in Los Angeles — the hookups and personal hang-ups, the office politics and friendship dynamics. But whether you’re #TeamIssa or #TeamLawrence, you have to admit the people who portray the show’s female and male leads — Rae and actor Jay Ellis — pop on screen, as do everyone else. This isn’t an accident.