Recently, AbelCine’s Matt Livingston came up with a stunning way to show off the new Angenieux Optimo Ultra 12x FF/VV, a night flight over Manhattan.

You may be familiar with Matt Porwoll from last year's Behind the Lens blog series, but did you know he's also an Emmy Award-winning cinematographer who used to work in the AbelCine rental department? It's true! Luckily for us, Matt enjoys sharing what he's learned about the technical aspects of his craft. Recently, we had the chance sit down for an in-depth discussion on his current favorite gear.

When elite athletes with difficult pasts want to turn their lives around for another shot at achieving their dreams, where do they go? Last Chance U. The Netflix series, which debuted in 2016, gives an intense look inside the world of junior college football, following the stories of players and coaches both in the classroom and on the field.

For cinematographer Tom Bergmann, inspiration can come from anywhere, but especially from his world travels. As a documentary filmmaker and DP, he embraces his experiences as a still photographer and combines them with his narrative storytelling ability.

Everyone has an idea for their great passion project, but it takes a certain level of commitment to turn that idea into reality. For director and DP Alexander Hankoff, his short film Yellow was something he knew he wanted to make and it was his (along with his team's) creativity that made it possible.

Derek Frankowski is a director and cinematographer who has specialized in shooting sports and wildlife for commercial clients and documentaries for close to 20 years. For his latest project, Derek shot a commercial with the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. With the fast-paced nature of the NHL and action sports, Derek had to be prepared for any challenges that came his way. Derek was kind enough to discuss how he tackled some of these challenges and how he has been getting it done for all of these years.

Jonathan Barenboim is a director and cinematographer; sometimes, depending on the project, he's both simultaneously. On his latest project, for a series called The Table launching later this summer, he was tasked with bringing to life short documentaries highlighting the human side of the unemployment crisis in the US. Because of the documentary nature of these pieces, he had to be ready to travel quickly and shoot in varied locations, all with the same basic camera setup. Jonathan was kind enough to answer a few questions about how he pulled it all off.

Red Bull Media House is no stranger to epic footage. In one of their recent videos, Chain Reaction (which you can watch above), Director Nicholas Schrunk and his team had to find a way to capture multiple, specifically-timed stunts on a tight shooting schedule and in a remote location.

The Knicks may not be having their most winning season this year, but the video being created by Tom puts the team at the top of the league. Tom shoots court-side play, where following quick action is an obvious necessity. A couple of years ago, AbelCine helped him put together a custom solution for his small DSLR with a shoulder rig and follow focus system. This year, Tom wanted to step up his game with a higher-end solution for greater quality and flexibility.