David Claessen(I)

While working as Camera Operator for legendary French Directors of Photography Henri Alekan on A Strange Love Affair and Sacha Vierny on Zed and Two Naughts, I started working as a Feature Film Director of Photography. My first opportunity was the French Film Haute Mer for Argentinean director Eduardo Cozarinsky. Once settled in the USA, I photographed The Telephone [Whoopi Goldberg], Getting In for Doug Liman [The Bourne Identity.] An Evil Town directed by Richard Sears won Best Short Film @ the Film Festival of Cannes, France. The Kodak Achievement Award for Best Cinematography for Marc Chiat's Every Dog Has Its Day came next. While primarily focusing on commercials [Google, Nike, Cadillac] and Music Videos [Britney Spears, Jay Z, Snoop Dogg, Back Street Boys, Aaliyah ] during the '90 I have completed several films with director Julie Dash [Daughters of the Dust] including The Rosa Parks Story for which she received a DGA best direction nomination. Tyler Perry's Diary of A Mad Black Woman was my only # 1 Box Office Hit. Make It Happen reunited me with director Darren Grant [Diary Of A Mad Black Woman.] Besides primarily photographing commercials globally, I have ventured into international productions such as Jellyfish in the Moon in Lithuania, Het Bestand for Dutch TV, and several Museum Installations. I make my home in New York City and consider myself local in Los Angeles, CA, and Rome, Italy.