in New York. So I realized I
had to come out."
In 1992, he relocated to Los
Angeles and found work
immediately. Hooking up with
cinematographer Mac Ahlberg,
he worked on three features:
Innocent Blood, My Boyfriend's
Back, and Striking Distance.
Ahlberg promoted him to first
assistant for the television
movie The Late Shift, followed
by the feature A Very Brady
Sequel.
Volcano was the next big
break for Cappello. "It was my
first big budget feature. A DP
I had never worked with,
Theo van de Sande, gave me an
opportunity to first. He is the
director of photography that I
have worked with the longest.
I've done eight features with
Theo." Those credits include:
Blade, Cruel Intentions, Double
Take, High Crimes, and the tele-
vision film Tuesdays with Morrie.
In between, Cappello
worked on three Barry
Levinson films: Disclosure, Liberty
Heights, and Bandits, and the television series pilot Birds of Prey. He is cur-
rently working on the Adam Sandler picture Anger Management.
Job Overview
The second assistant cameraman orders and maintains the camera
equipment, ensures it is on set when needed, marks the actors' positions
during rehearsals, and slates each take. The second is also responsible for
JOB TITLE: SECOND ASSISTANT
CAMERAMAN, ASSISTANT CAMERAMAN, OR
SECOND ASSISTANT CAMERA OPERATOR
"You have to
channel what you want
to do early on in your
career because you
get pigeon-holed very
easily . . . You start in an area, you do a good
job, people like you, and you get rehired in
that position--you get hired, and you get
hired, and you get hired. It's a bigger show
and a bigger director and a bigger actor. You
just keep getting better jobs, and before you
know it, time flies and it's seven years, and
you're in a profession that you never wanted.
You've got to channel yourself in the direction
you want to be: If you want to do feature
films, get into feature films; if you want to do
commercials, do commercials; if you want to
do TV, do TV; and if you want to do camera-
work, try to get your way into camera early
on."--Anthony Cappello
"While you're working as a production
assistant, befriend everybody. Never have
attitude--never have attitude and you'll
never piss anybody off. Everyone will like
you and when you need a break, when you
need a favor--which everyone does--someone
will give it to you."--Anthony Cappello
CAREER TIPS
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