Alice Brooks ASC, is an American director of photography best known for her cinematography work on feature films.[1][2]

Alice Brooks
NationalityAmerican
EducationUSC School of Cinematic Arts
OccupationCinematographer
Years active2000-present
Spouse
Samuel Spencer
(m. 2012)
Websitewww.alicebrooks.com

Early life

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Brooks grew up in Los Angeles and New York, the daughter of Candace Coulston of South Bristol, ME, and Stephen Levi, the late playwright who had numerous plays published by New York publishing company Samuel French.[3][4][5] As a child, she acted in various national television commercial spots and was in a recurring skit on Late Night With David Letterman.[6][7] Brooks graduated USC School of Cinematic Arts magna cum laude in 2001.[8]

Career

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Her work includes In the Heights, the film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway production directed by Jon M. Chu,[9][10] which received widespread critical acclaim for its cinematography;[11] and Tick, Tick... Boom!, Miranda's directorial debut starring Andrew Garfield and produced by Ron Howard, based on the stage show by Jonathan Larson.[12]

Brooks collaborates with Chu frequently; prior to In The Heights, the two worked together on The LXD: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers in 2011,[13] Jem and the Holograms in 2015[14] and Home Before Dark, Apple TV+'s 2020 crime-drama series.[15][16][17] She will work again with Chu on the two-part film adaptation of Stephan Schwartz's Broadway musical Wicked for Universal Pictures. The first part will be released in 2024.[18]

Her work on The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion from directors Farah X and Lisa Cortés premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and went on to win awards from Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, Milwaukee Film Festival, Napa Valley Film Festival and the Sidewalk Film Festival.[19] Her work has been featured on the cover of ICG Magazine [20] Brooks also worked on 2021's Queen Bees, director Michael Lembeck's comedy-drama starring Ellen Burstyn, Jane Curtin, Loretta Devine and James Caan.[21]

Accolades

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In 2004, Brooks was nominated and awarded WorldFest-Houston's Independent Short Subject-Films & Video - Cinematography - Shorts Platinum Award for her work on Charlie 2.0, Matthew Hsu's comedy short.[22] In 2024, she and gaffer Dave Smith became the first recipients of the SUMOLIGHT Creative Synergy Award at the 2024 Manaki Brothers Film Festival for their work on Wicked.[23]

Personal life

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She has been married to Samuel Spencer since September 8, 2012.[24]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Director Notes
2006 Monday Heidi Van Lier
Ten 'til Noon Scott Storm
You Did What? Jeff Morris
Grand Junction Freddy F. Hakimi
2007 A Light for Greytowers Robin Saex Garbose
2008 Mulligans Chip Hale
2009 Hungry Years Eva James
Isaak James
2010 American Flyer Mark L. Christensen
2011 Lucid Possession Toni Dove
2015 Sweethearts of the Gridiron Chip Hale
Apparition Quinn Saunders
Jem and the Holograms Jon M. Chu
2016 Dance Camp Bert and Bertie
Girl Flu. Dorie Barton
North by El Norte Mark L. Christensen
One Fall Marcus Dean Fuller
We Love You Huck Botko
2018 Alex & Me Eric Champnella
Emma Tim Kashani
Kent Nicholson
2021 In the Heights Jon M. Chu
Queen Bees Michael Lembeck
Tick, Tick... Boom! Lin-Manuel Miranda Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Cinematography
2024 Wicked Jon M. Chu Shot back-to-back
2025 Wicked Part Two

Direct-to-video

Year Title Director
2004 The Hillz Saran Barnun
2006 Bit Parts Dave Reda

Documentary film

Year Title Director Notes
2010 Design Revolution Sally Levi
2019 The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion Farah X
Lisa Cortés
With Nausheen Dadabhoy and Jendra Jarnagin

Television

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Year Title Director Notes
2010 Wainy Days David Wain Episode "Donna"
2010-2011 The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers Jon M. Chu
Scott Speer
Ryan Landels
Charles Oliver
Christopher Scott
21 episodes
2012 S2udio City Christopher Scott
Herself
Jamal Sims
15 episodes
2013 Tainted Love Avi Youabian All 6 episodes
2015 The Kennedy Files 4 episodes
2017 Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands: War Within the Cartel Avi Youabian TV short
The Walking Dead: Red Machete 6 episodes
2020 Home Before Dark Jon M. Chu
Kat Candler
4 episodes

References

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  1. ^ "ASC Welcomes New Member Alice Brooks". American Society of Cinematographers. 2021-10-12.
  2. ^ Daniel Eagan (2021-06-10). "500 Extras on a Hot Summer Day: DP Alice Brooks on In the Heights". Filmmakers Magazine.
  3. ^ "Stephen Levi". Playbill.
  4. ^ "Stephen Levi". Concord Theatricals.
  5. ^ "Stephen Levi Theatre Credits". Broadway World. 2018-10-10.
  6. ^ "Cinematographer Alice Brooks of Portland has first studio release with 'Jem and the Holograms'". Press Herald. 2015-10-29.
  7. ^ "Behind the Scenes: In the Heights". IBC.
  8. ^ "USC Alumni Hotsheet". USC. 2014-06-01.
  9. ^ "Alice Brooks-In The Heights". British Cinematographer. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-28.
  10. ^ "'In the Heights': How Cinematographer Alice Brooks Captured a Hollywood Musical on Location". Indiewire. 2021-06-01.
  11. ^ Jazz Tangcay (2021-06-07). "'In the Heights' Cinematographer Alice Brooks on Capturing the Film's Stunning Reflection Shot". Variety.
  12. ^ "Watch the First Trailer for the Tick, Tick...Boom! Movie, Starring Andrew Garfield". Theater Mania. 2021-06-10.
  13. ^ "Alice Brooks". Maine Media.
  14. ^ "June 2021 Digital Edition". ICG Magazine. 2021-06-01.
  15. ^ "Alice Brooks". IFC Film. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  16. ^ "ASC Welcomes New Member Alice Brooks". The ASC.
  17. ^ "'In the Heights' DP Alice Brooks talks crafting a big look". Reel Chicago. 2021-06-29.
  18. ^ Adam Chitwood (2021-08-31). "'Wicked' Movie Will Reunite Director Jon M. Chu With His 'In the Heights' Cinematographer Alice Brooks". Collider.
  19. ^ "THE REMIX: HIP HOP X FASHION". Tribeca Film Festival. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  20. ^ "digital edition". ICG Magazine. 2021-06-01.
  21. ^ "ASC Welcomes New Member Alice Brooks". The ASC. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  22. ^ "WorldFest Houston 2004". Famous Fix. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  23. ^ https://manaki.com.mk/introducing-the-sumolight-creative-synergy-award-at-the-icff-manaki-brothers-film-festival/
  24. ^ "Alice Brooks, Samuel Spencer". New York Times. 2012-09-09.
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