Christian Calabrese
Camera Op | Drone op | Gimbal Op
Gaffer | Assistant Camera | Media Mgr
612-548-4193 | chr.cala@gmail.com
COMMERCIAL PORTFOLIO
Christian has no lack of experience on large-scale commercials. With years of hands-on training in high end commercial production, he brings more than just technical expertise: he brings presence. Whether interfacing with A-list talent or Fortune 500 clients, his on-set demeanor is defined by discretion, grace, and focus. Christian's a production powerhouse: deeply collaborative, trusted by crews, and in sync with every department from pre-to-post. He thoroughly understands the choreography of razor-thin deadlines, divisions of labor, and peaks & valleys of the creative process. And when the pressure’s on? He simply delivers.
BOSE: Ant Vision
Featuring NBA Star Anthony Edwards & his love for Bose Headphones, Christian shot BTS & several interview moments for social media, while delicately navigating the Edwards’s time constraints, with minutes between setups.
BTS / B Camera Operator
January 2025
Matte Projects
Sony PXW-FX9
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Something from Sprite
Featuring Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, this series of 4 ads shot over several days required Christian to jump from location to location, setup to setup, assisting two simultaneous camera crews as they worked at lightning pace to complete these ads within Edwards’ narrow time constraints.
2nd Assistant Camera
November 2024
Biscuit Filmworks
Arri Alexa 35
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Regan smith chooses nulo
Featuring Olympic athlete Regan Smith and her cat Roo, this ad features fast-paced scenes in the water, underwater, with live pets, and spur-of-the-moment interactions, all of which must remain in focus in order to convey a story of an athlete and the love of her beloved cat.
1st AC / Focus Puller
May 2024
Widespread Creative
Alexa Mini LF / Sony FX3
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GATORADE: FAST TWITCH
Featuring NBA Star Karl Anthony Towns, this ad relied on Drone work in tightly-congested urban settings, as well as parks requiring airspace authorizations. Drone footage was also taken for VFX plates, allowing the locations to be built in a fully digital environment for any additional work that may be required.
Drone Operator
October 2023
Softspot
DJI Inspire 2
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General Mills: Salesforce
This longform special involved impromptu scenes with talent, children, and pets in floating, unscripted home settings. The project also entailed building the camera for eye-direct prompters and switching quickly back to verite modes to accommodate executives’ schedules, as well as custom rigs to place a camera into a chopping cart, among other places.
1st AC / Focus Puller
May 2023
Caruso Co
Arri Alexa Mini
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Amazon: Employee SPotlightS
A series of spotlight pieces were shot directly in an Amazon facility, where time and discretion was of the essence. From diagnosing transmitter firmware, to ingesting images for upload, to building color-graded video timelines, this jack-of-all-trades role was essential for finishing in time and on-budget.
DIT, VTR Assist
Jan 2023
Animals, Anomaly
Arri Alexa Mini LF
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Due to the confidential /Sensitive nature of
this project, production stills are not available
Made in Minnesota
For this Multicam Minnesota-centric special, not only did Christian shoot as a Camera Operator for the project; being a Minneapolis-based Crew, he also doubled as on-screen talent as Camera Operator for the ad itself. Shot mostly on a crab dolly, Framing and focus pulling both done by Christian.
Camera Operator
December 2022
Al Zimuth Films
Arri Alexa Mini LF
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NBC SPorts Thanksgiving
This broadcasted pre-game special entailed Christian building Ronin, as well as acting as both stand-in, emergency technician, and occasionally being operator for the DP, and wirelessly controlling the pan and tilt function via monitor for the DP when they operated. Filmed with children, and hall-of-fame players.
Ronin Operator / Tech
November 2022
Shoehorn Films
Arri Alexa Mini LF
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Sport Check - Joy of Hockey
Featuring Canadian Pro Hockey Player Matt Dumba, this ad entailed blacking out an entire hockey rink and lighting the space entirely with Aputure 600C Pros, as well as blacking out the locker room area and lighting with several colors / stylistic choices. Also bounce & reflector; shout out to Christian’s grip crew!
Gaffer
June 2022
Glean Productions
Canon C70
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Here & Now With the Kasners: A DMD Story
This longform special involved impromptu scenes with talent, children, and pets in floating, unscripted home settings, as well as navigating sensitive subjects regarding medial history and the meaningful change it triggered in the Kasner family’s lives. All very important to keep in focus.
1st AC / Focus Puller
April 2022
Collective at LAIR
Arri Alexa Mini
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Due to the confidential /Sensitive nature of
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Cue Health: Karl Anthony Towns
Featuring Pro basketball player Karl Anthony Towns, Christian assisted the Union Crew as they jumped between three distinct setups, all while maintaining Covid compliance, and respecting the very tight schedule of the basketball star.
2nd Assistant Camera
November 2021
Cahoots / CMS / Doner
Arri Alexa Mini
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Ford Maverick
Featuring Pre-release vehicles, and closed courses, Calabrese managed the high volume of media produced from the crane car, as well as managed the upload pipeline to transfer all footage electronically to the post dept every night. Setup moved frequently, demanding an on-the-go modular syste.
Media Manager
September 2021
Tomorrow Wonder, GTB
Arri Alexa Mini LF
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Yardbird furniture
Christian served as Focus Puller and build camera / rigging for this outdoor ad, and fight against the weather. Duties also included rigging camera safely for overhead shots, and assisting the Gaffer building out massive frames for sun and rain control.
1st AC / Focus Puller
August 2021
Born Ready Films
Arri Alexa Mini
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SHP: Celebrating your medicare
Christian pulled focus on this 2-day Union Commercial, featuring multiple company moves, a variety of match-cuts, and constant camera reframes at very wide open apertures, occasionally without the luxury of setting focus marks prior, due to intense schedule pressure, and jumping from setup to setup to maintain schedule. He particularly thanks his 2nd AC, Hannah, for being so proactive in the face of constant schedule shifts.
1st AC / Focus Puller
August 2021
Cahoots / Yamamoto
Arri Alexa Mini
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Footlocker series
Christian’s first large-scale commercial as AC, he managed all equipment, as well as pulled focus, zoom, and iris off the lenses, set marks, balanced color, and coordinated log / power needs with his excellent 2nd AC, Willow. He even hand-painted diffusion onto clear filters in order to achieve the unique glow effects present in this ad.
1st AC / Focus Puller
October 2019
Bleacher Report
Arri Alexa Mini
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Looking for more?
Take a look at Christian’s full portfolio, as well as his production company, CCAC Films, by clicking on the logo below.