A BRIEF 'RESE-TORY

"Christian Calabrese is an Ohio-born award-winning Director of Photography and Sound Editor, with over 40 TV credits to his name. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the School of Media Arts & Design in Minnesota State University Moorhead – and has shot for Emmy-award-winning NBC shows, Television Commercials, Internationally-acclaimed Web series’, and Feature Films – with substantial portfolios in both Digital and Celluloid. Also a Public Figure, Calabrese served as a Communications Liaison for the North Dakota Department of Transportation between 2015 and 2017. His myriad non-professional hobbies include poetry, hiking, automotive repair, bicycling, swimming, and just a bit of creative design."

A Free[lance] Agent (2017 - NOW)

 As an independent filmmaker and video professional, my works have screened at festivals all over the world. “The Bridge,” won the Danny Elfman Competition hosted by the LA Film Festival in 2017. Our most recent film, “Nudist of the Living Dead,” recently finished its festival circuit with 12 exhibitions and five awards.

In 2018, I entered the TV industry via Tremendous Entertainment. Since then I garnered credits on over 40 episodes of travel shows, and several other genres. Video work's taken me to nearly every corner of the country. Today I shoot for Film, TV, and Web while still orchestrating freelance shoots for weddings, nonprofits, and small businesses.

The Absolute Years (2015 - 2017)

Upon graduation in 2014, I entered public service via Absolute Marketing Group as a spokesman for the NDDOT. I quickly molded the communications position into a full-fledged video production by independently researching, shooting, producing, and starring in videos designed to increase public awareness of roadside safety, and construction projects directly affecting the public.

Eventually, the video portions overtook the marketing, and during the off-season months, Absolute employed me to shoot and edit various local ads for the Fargo-Moorhead Community. It was these two years in this position that cultivated a love of researching, client relations, and the thrill of sharing stories of the local community.

University (2010 - 2014)

While enrolled at Minnesota State University Moorhead, I cultivated a love and appreciation for celluloid film. Purchasing my own Film cameras, I set about the goal of mastering the science of shooting film and trying not to ruin developed celluloid. I wasn't always successful in the latter, but the celluloid study culminated in the creation of 2012's 'Necropolis,' Directed by Robert McDermott, shot entirely on 16mm film.

I also volunteered on a myriad of digital film sets, mustering as many skills as possible, while letting my passions for stories spur me to new heights. In 2013 I directed photography on the short “Deliver Us From Evil,” which earned four awards on the festival circuit. By senior year's end, I served major roles on five senior capstone projects and won student awards in cinematography and sound design. I graduated with not one thesis project, but two.

High School (2006 - 2010)

I’ve been cutting video and yelling at computers since I was 14 years old. Starting with only a webcam, Windows Movie Maker, and a few crazed ideas, I began my foray into Film and Video. In 2008, I moved from Nordonia High School in Macedonia, OH to Moorhead High School in MN and began a new chapter. By Senior Year,  I was Executive Producer of Moorhead High School’s ‘Spud News,' and found my first freelance jobs creating video content for the staff.

In 2010, I won the Moorhead Public Service video scholarship for ‘Conserving Energy is Easier Than You Think,’ and used the scholarship award to fund a College Career.