2025 YEAR IN REVIEW: FROM FEATURES TO THE TEMPTATIONS. Los Angeles Director of Photography

Dennis Flippin Jr. — Director of Photography & Producer (Los Angeles)Lean, insured, payroll-capable production for narratives, documentaries, and brands.

2025 was about getting back to the core of why I do this.

Making films. Working with people I respect. And choosing projects that push the craft forward instead of just filling a calendar.

From feature films to brand campaigns and documentary work, the focus was simple: do work that holds up.

Feature Films - Los Angeles Director of Photography

Trouble Man / Deep Stage (in post production) / Uppercut (in post production)

Trouble Man — starring Michael Jai White

One of the highlights of the year was working on Trouble Man starring Michael Jai White — someone I’ve admired since I was a kid, from Spawn through his long career as one of the defining figures in modern martial-arts and action cinema.

I shot the primary action for his climactic Pavo fight sequence, along with several pickup driving scenes filmed directly with Michael as he moved through the city. I also had the chance to spend time with him off set and get to know him personally, which made the collaboration even more meaningful.

It was one of those rare projects that combines technical challenge, performance, and genuine respect for the person you’re working with.

Deep Stage

(Ungraded stills) Deep Stage, directed by Robert Beaumont, has been one of the most demanding and meaningful projects I’ve DP’d on in years.

We’ve shot it the hard way — far-out locations, overnight schedules, and real environments that don’t wait for you to be ready. From filming real races at Barona Speedway, to working at the border wall with agents passing every twenty minutes, to stealing shots outside prisons and police stations. From desert action scenes in 118-degree heat, to hanging cameras off moving cars at a pallet factory in the middle of the night in Oxnard. Long hours, tired crews, complicated gunplay and chase sequences, and constant problem-solving.

Click arrow on right to see BTS photos

We’ve also balanced that with classic film locations like Blue Cloud Ranch and Middleton Ranch, where you have full sets and the biggest concern is not driving faster than five miles an hour.

Robert and I have been building this film piece by piece, shooting whenever talent, crew, and locations align. It’s not a large, union-style machine where everyone stays in one narrow lane. Everyone wears multiple hats. Because at the end of the day, the audience doesn’t care how hard it was — the film just has to work.

There’s a story Sylvester Stallone has told about rewriting a scene when an entire skating rink full of extras never showed up, and simply making the moment work with what he had. And George Lucas has famously said that you can’t explain problems to the audience — you can’t say, “it rained,” or “we ran out of time.” The movie either works or it doesn’t.

That’s what Deep Stage has been.

Real guerrilla filmmaking. Real problem solving. And the kind of process you only survive — and enjoy — if you truly love making movies.

The film is currently in post-production.

Uppercut

Uppercut is a narrative feature also directed by Robert Beaumont.

I served as Director of Photography on the project, again working in that same environment of lean crews, compressed schedules, and high expectations for visual quality. It’s the kind of filmmaking that forces you to be precise, efficient, and intentional with every decision.

This film is currently in post-production.

NANOcell — Feature in Development

NANOcell, written and directed by Gavin Hignight, is the project Flippin Entertainment is building our future around. I’m producing and deeply involved in development, packaging, and long-term planning, while also serving as the Director of Photography.

This year we completed a proof-of-concept short to establish tone and visual language and create sales material for partners and investors.

Read more about NANOcell here:https://www.dennisflippin.com/post/stop-making-proof-of-concepts

That approach brought in serious collaborators, including producers Denise Di Novi and Margaret French Isaac, along with post partners FotoKem (Colorist Alastor Arnold) and Coupe Studios (Eric Singer & Aaron Garrison on sound). We also worked with actors including Ray Wise, Cristina Vee and Nikko Austen Smith.

The short isn’t the destination.

It’s groundwork.

The feature is the goal.

FLATTERS

I previously directed, shot, and edited the short film FLATTERS.

While the project itself was completed earlier, it went on to win Best Cinematography at the Los Angeles Cinematography Awards (LACA) last year.

Watch here:https://vimeo.com/793685969

We’re also actively developing FLATTERS as a feature — a comedy about a group of people trying to find the edge of the earth.

Universal Music Group — The Temptations Campaign

This year, I began a partnership with Universal Music Group through my company, Flippin Entertainment. Working with one of the three major record labels was a meaningful milestone and a collaboration I was proud to land.

The project focused on Otis Williams, the last surviving founding member of The Temptations. The material we created supported a broader seasonal marketing initiative and was used across digital platforms.

This project also marked a creative milestone for me. Working alongside Morgan a creative genius. An instrumental in our compositing efforts.

Dropout TV — Campaign Work That Actually Moved the Needle

Dropout is a subscription-based streaming platform known for its uncensored comedy and tabletop role-playing shows.

I was brought onto the project by Alex Black-Davis, who led the campaign with real clarity and confidence. She had a strong instinct for what the project needed and how to guide it there — the kind of leader you trust when things get complex.

The project was creatively led by Randy McKay (Creative Director / Director), who was excellent with talent and created a relaxed, natural environment on set.

Dropout uses their actual on-screen talent to front their merchandise campaigns, and we expanded that approach by adding behind-the-scenes coverage and interviews so audiences could connect with them on a more personal level.

It was their first time trying this format, and the response was strong.

Sibling Rivalry — Cinematic Aerial Campaign

This year I had the opportunity to work with Sibling Rivalry, an independent, award-winning creative agency, brand studio, and production company with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Sibling Rivalry blends strategic branding, design, and high-end film production to build and market work for major brands across entertainment, tech, and media.

They brought me in to capture cinematic aerial footage of their billboard placements across Los Angeles for one of their largest campaigns to date. Instead of relying on stock aerial footage and graphic replacements, they wanted real locations and real cinematic visuals tailored specifically to this campaign — a challenge that pushed both creative and technical execution.

I was especially pleased to collaborate with my friend Mitch Monson, Executive Director of Creative + Partnerships at Sibling Rivalry. Mitch’s background spans award-winning branding, design, and production work across major commercial and entertainment projects, and working with him elevated the collaboration.

Working with a hybrid creative studio like Sibling Rivalry — one that seamlessly bridges strategy, design, and production — was a great experience and the kind of client engagement that aligns with the kind of elevated, integrated work I enjoy doing.

Yale Project — Directed by Tyrone Dixon

This year I worked on a documentary project at Yale directed by Tyrone Dixon, focused on the Transitional Year Program (TYP) — a five-year initiative that brought inner-city and low-income students to Yale for a full academic year to prepare for Ivy League education.

The film documents the program’s 50-year reunion and the release of a long-term study examining its impact on participants’ lives.

Lost/Found — Short Film (Director of Photography)

Released on YouTube in 2025

Watch here:https://youtu.be/l9Y0Z2ICFlo

Aerial & Real Estate Drone Work

Alongside narrative projects, I continued growing aerial and real estate production with repeat clients including West Mac Real Estate and RE/MAX.

Practical, dependable, and scalable work that supports everything else I’m building.

SEEfest 2025

A Full-Circle Moment — The Cove

Last year I finally got to hold the Oscar we won for The Cove (Best Documentary, 2009).

I worked on the film as an editor and camera operator, but this was the first time I’d ever physically held the statue — standing next to the film’s director, Louie Psihoyos, at Skywalker Ranch.

Being there, surrounded by decades of film history on George Lucas’s property, made it surreal in the best way. It was one of those quiet moments that puts the long road into perspective — the years of work, the risks, the uncertainty, and why it’s all worth it.

A true full-circle moment.

Closing

This year wasn’t about volume.

It was about choosing the harder path — the one built around stories, sets, long nights, problem-solving, and that strange nostalgia that comes from making movies out of nothing with people who care.

I’ve sacrificed a lot to stay in this world. I’ve passed on safer work. I’ve turned down jobs that made sense on paper but pulled me too far away from what I’m building. I didn’t move to California just for the romance of it — I came here to build something lasting, stable, and meaningful.

I care about the craft. I care about the people I work with. And I care about capturing moments that feel real — whether that’s in a feature film, a campaign, or something in between.

I’m here to make strong work and to build a body of credits I’m proud of.

— Dennis Flippin Jr.