About
Born and bred in the North West, now based in London.
Having worked as a camera operator for many years and with an eight year track record as a DoP shooting; commercials, music promos, shorts and second unit feature, I have built up a wealth of experience. I love working, I love collaborating, and my personality certainly reflects this, I make a point of being open and friendly to everybody, building rapport on and off set. Getting on with everyone means for a true collaborative and smooth experience for all.
Having started at grass roots level at university, all of my early projects were low budget. This has taught me the art of simplicity within cinematography. Always being short for time and shooting most projects in one or two days has also taught me to work fast, something that directors and producers alike had given great feedback on.
Outside of filmmaking, as an ex-weightlifter, I love keeping active and I also enjoy new challenges. I was recently bought a longboard, and I am enjoying learning to skate while exploring the city. I have also been trying my hand at climbing.
Get in touch!
I love meeting fellow filmmakers and am always keen to grab a coffee or a pint. Whether it is for commissions and collaborations or just to hang out to chat, feel free to email on jmcdonald.ac@gmail.com or reach out via Instagram.
Dir: Mark Reynaud
"Thank you again for your herculean efforts over (and leading up to) the shoot. Really pleased with what we got esp. under pressure and I appreciate you pulling out all the stops to get there with kit, crew etc. Hopefully we will do it again soon."
Dir: Anthony Smith
"Having worked with Joseph on numerous projects, he is one of only a select few of people that I could recommend 100%. Every project we worked on required their own challenges and varied through genre, budget and style, however Joe was always able to think clearly and efficiently to over come any obstacles and help create an amazing piece of work. He’s professional, passionate and has a genuine love for film and helping directors to bring their vision to life. You can bounce ideas with him, try something new and experiment with him and, without doubt, end up with an outcome that you’ll be proud off."
Dir: Vijay D. Varu
"Joseph was a pleasure to work with throughout the project. From the start he was enthusiastic and really brought in to my vision and contributed so many ideas in building the world of 'Downward Seb'.
We worked remotely until the day of the shoot. We did this via video chat, and messages. The communication between us was fantastic. He created a look book which encapsulated all our discussions and was spot on.
On set he was a charm to work with and really supported me my vision and brought great ideas to the table."