Joe Provenzano
Cinematic Artist | VFX Specialist | Lighting Camera Operator
Los Angeles, CA | (310) 488-7707 | joepro@mac.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joepro600 | IMDb: Joe Provenzano | Demo Reel: www.joeprodp.com
Professional Summary
Accomplished cinematic artist and VFX specialist with 30+ years of hybrid experience across film, television, and video games. Expert in Unreal Engine 5 cinematics, lighting, animation, camera systems, and performance-capture technology. Proven ability to bridge on-set production with virtual workflows, collaborating with A-list directors, ASC cinematographers, and major studios including Universal, Warner Bros, and NBC Universal. Certified in Unreal Engine by Epic Games.
Core Technical Skills
Unreal Engine 5 (Sequencer, Lighting, Previsualization, Animation), Blender (3D Modeling, Materials), Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects), DaVinci Resolve, Lidar / Photogrammetry, VFX Compositing, Motion Capture, Performance Capture, Motion Control (Flair, Kuper, Techno Dolly), Remote Camera Systems, Pipeline Development, Team Leadership, Technical Supervision, Color Correction, rendering, post-process. 30+ years of shot design and lighting.
Professional Experience
Cinematic Artist / VFX Camera Specialist | Freelance / Studio Projects
2020 – Present
• Stormgate – Frost Giant Studios (2025) video game: Collaborated with directors to build camera, animation, and lighting design for campaign cinematics in Unreal Engine 5.
• Unannouinced title – Chaos Manufacturing (2025) video game: Designed and built narrative cinematics, including animation, shot design, and lighting in Unreal Engine 5.
• The Killer – John Woo (2024) feature film: Developed previsualization sequences using Lidar data and Metahuman rigs.
• After the Hunt – Luca Guadagnino (2025) feature film: Led VFX camera operations, coordinating VFX composite sequences. Shot cloud-point photogrammetry for 3D modeling.
• Suicide Squad – Warner Bros. (2021): Executed precision VFX camera work for CGI integration.
• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Lifeboat Productions (2019): Operated miniature and VFX camera systems.
• First Man – Universal Pictures (2018): Supervised motion-control camera systems for lunar surface and miniature sequences.
Camera Operator & 2nd Unit DP | Freelance
2006 – Present
• Shooting Stars – NBC Universal (2023): Directed 2nd unit cinematography, managing multi-camera setups for sports and narrative scenes.
• Music Videos – Sabrina Carpenter, 2024: Directed 2nd unit cinematography for 'Espresso' and 'Taste', totaling 500M+ combined views.
• Commercials – Smoothie King, Nationwide, Folgers, Coors Light, TroyBilt, KNBC News, Food Network: Designed and executed high-end visual campaigns with strong narrative and VFX integration.
Camera Assistant & Operator | Various Productions
1995 – 2005
Progressed from camera assistant to lead operator on 300+ productions. Developed expertise in motion-control and digital workflows, training over 25 junior assistants and maintaining flawless production reliability.
Education & Certifications
Completed 2-Year Certificate Course in Lighting Camera - Laboratorio Cinema - Rome, Italy
Epic Games Unreal Engine Certifications – Fundamentals, Game Design
Blender & Unreal Engine Certifications – Udemy & Coursera
Notable Collaborations
Quentin Tarantino, Taika Waititi, Jonathan Chu, John Woo, John Dykstra, Cris Blyth, Andy MacDonald, Glenn Darry, David Sanger, Dennis Berardi, Ian Hunter.
Professional References
Available upon request - Extensive list of industry references from 30+ years of professional relationships
"Team collaboration and pipeline management is the key to any efficient and creative job. I have a true passion for tackling complex cinematic and animation projects that are heavy in 3D animation and compositing.”