2D Creative Signs Cinematographer Julian Focareta

2D Creative is thrilled to announce the signing of Julian Focareta to its roster. The talented cinematographer has already collaborated with fellow 2D Creative artists such as Alex Lau on campaigns for the likes of Lean Cuisine and Hive.

As a first-generation American, Julian draws inspiration from the wealth of Italian culture he has always been surrounded by. Describing his lineage as “deeply rooted in makers” — full of chefs, winemakers, masons, and seamstresses — he has demonstrated that creative, hands-on instinct throughout his life, from his childhood filming skate videos on camcorder to his career now as a cinematographer.

Renowned for his expertise in a wide range of fields, including commercial, documentary, and tabletop cinematography, the standout piece in his portfolio is ‘Recipe For Disaster,’ a compelling documentary investigating the impact of the pandemic on Boston’s restaurant scene. Starring the likes of James Beard Award-winning restaurateur, Jamie Bissonnette, celebrity chef Ming Tsai, and the city’s then mayor, Marty Walsh, it casts these entrepreneurs in a rockstar-like light to honour their impressive grit through an incredibly tough time.

Having grown up working in restaurants, Julian endeavoured to set aside everything he knew about the service industry to allow the chefs and restaurateurs to tell their own story in their own words. The Kowa Prominar Anamorphics (rehoused by TLS) on which Julian shot further helped him to convey the restaurant environment authentically, light enough to allow him to be nimble and record the dynamism, while also capturing the accurate colour of the food and natural conditions. The 40mm in particular was key to highlighting the true extent of the abandonment some of the restaurants faced, opening the spaces up to lay their emptiness bare.

Julian Focareta comments, “As a cinematographer, I find every way to keep this sense of creating as fun and beautiful as it always was when I was younger. I believe at this point in my career and age, what inspires me most is this consistent awe of how talented people can be and how much they can push me in a certain direction. As artists, we are sometimes easy to forget what we do is fucking cool. At the end of the day, I want to simply make beautiful images with talented people.”