Matthew Woolf
Matthew Woolf (born July 13, 1971, London) is a British cinematographer and producer, working in the United States and internationally.[1]
Woolf has been shooting commercials, music videos, documentaries and films internationally since 1995.
He was the Director of Photography on The Inbetweeners (2001), the first digitally shot UK feature to be given a national box office release, distributed by Universal Studios.[2]
After moving to the USA in 2003, Woolf helmed numerous productions for many of the major US networks and cable channels. He was Director of Photography on Sebastian Doggart’s 15 Films About Madonna (A&E) as well as major TV shows America's Most Wanted (Fox), Wife Swap (ABC), Town Haul (Discovery), Growing Up Gotti (A&E) and the cult MTV hit The City. He filmed one of the last interviews with soul legend James Brown in his house for Sid Bernstein Presents (2007), a feature documentary about the agent who brought The Beatles to America, along with Jason Ressler. He was also at the cinematography helm for a Promax-award winning spot for MTV's Dirty Sanchez.
He was Director of Photography and co-Producer on two feature films directed by his long-time collaborator Sebastian Doggart: Courting Condi (which won 26 awards on the festival circuit), and American Faust: From Condi to Neo-Condi. Film Snobbery reviewed his cinematography on the latter film thus: "This documentary is exactly how docs should be shot, and would make veteran documentary directors like Albert Maysles proud... Regardless if you are a Republican or a Democrat (hell, Condi was both), you would do well to take a peek at this documentary as it gives some great insight into the political process from several points of view close to Condoleezza, and from moments that have been recorded throughout her career... It is certainly shot well, it keeps attention focused (which can sometimes be hard to do with a documentary), and makes you both sympathize with and hate the subject all within the span of an hour and a half."[3]
He was co-Director of Photography on Peace One Day, a documentary about World Peace Day (September 21), which shot in Sudan and Kenya in 2006. He helmed MTV's flagship sketch comedy show Short Circuitz (2007). He has shot nationally-broadcast commercials for Puma, Pirelli, ING and Maxim, and shot music videos for The Rolling Stones (It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)), B. B. King, and Annie Lennox.[4] He also lensed and co-produced the feature film Crimson Mask (2009),[5] most notably the martial arts fight scenes.