Biography Jonathan Wenstrup

Jonathan Wenstrup

Director of Photography

Jonathan was born 31 years ago into a family with no previous filmmaking experience.  He figured out he wanted to be a cinematographer by the seventh grade, and after much experimentation with his father’s video camera, his supportive parents saw him into New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts on scholarship.  After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts, Jonathan moved to Los Angeles to attend the American Film Institute.  He found success there, shooting a well received thesis film, “Hal Buckley” whose feature rights were purchased by New Line Cinema and also shooting a music video for popular indie band Nada Surf’s hit song “Inside of Love.”  After earning his Master’s degree in Fine Arts, Jonathan worked as a set lighting technician with such D.P.’s as Matthew Libatique, and Peter Deming, A.S.C., while continuing to shoot a number of shorts, music videos, corporates, and finding time to teach part-time at New York Film Academy.  After shooting his first feature back in New York, Jonathan was lucky enough to work as the Chief Lighting Technician on David Lynch’s “Inland Empire” for several months, working directly with Lynch to establish the look for much of the film.  He recently finished shooting a 13 episode documentary TV series, “On the Road in America” on which he served as 2nd Unit D.P. on the American episodes and the primary D.P. on the Middle East episodes.