David McFarland is a Director of Photography of features, music videos, documentaries and commercials. Born and raised in Texas, David began studying photography, art, and music at an early age. He is a graduate of Boston University where he studied cinematography and anthropology.
His work is defined by unique shot composition, bold use of color, and subtle camera movement. Whether it is the use of a period color palette, the case in Mathew Wilder’s film YOUR NAME HERE (MEB Ent.) starring Bill Pullman and Taryn Manning, or dynamic camera movement, as seen in THE RUN, a thriller set in Mexico, McFarland strives to define a visual language for each project he photographs. It is his goal as Director of Photography to create images that will not only tell the story, but affect the viewer on a subliminal level.
David began his career in cinematography as a 2nd Unit DP and camera operator, working on films such as TRY SEVENTEEN (Millenium Films) starring Elijah Woods and Mandy Moore, HARD CASH (Nu Image) starring Val Kilmer and Christian Slater, as well as ABC’s GREY’S ANATOMY. He has been lucky enough to work with and learn from LA’s top DP’s including Tim Surhstedt, ASC (Little Miss Sunshine) and Jim Denault (Six Feet Under, Carnivale, Freedom Writers). A member of the International Cinematographer’s Guild (IATSE 600), David McFarland has worked internationally, shooting films and documentaries in Europe, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Mexico.