Director of photography Blake McClure, ASC shoots in a wide variety of styles, connected by his ever-present attention to detail when it comes to lighting a set.
He just wrapped production on Season 2 of Apple TVs, Loot and is currently nominated for an ASC award in the Half-Hour category for his work on season 2 of the Starz series, Minx; starring Ophelia Lovibond, Jake Johnson, Oscar Montoya, and Lennon Parham.
In addition, McClure shot seasons 2-4 of the TBS Anthology Series, Miracle Workers, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi; including directing episodes 408 & 307. Seasons 1 & 2 of the NBC series, A.P. Bio, created by Mike O’Brien and starring Glenn Howerton; including directing episode 208. He shot episodes 7 & 8 of the Hulu limited series, The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried, William H. Macy, and Naveen Andrews and various episodes on American Crime Story: Impeachment, Hollywood & Ratched, all for Ryan Murphy TV.
McClure’s past television credits also include the first 4 seasons of Comedy Central’s Drunk History. The show focuses each episode on a famous moment in history as narrated by a drunk person and acted out by a cast of famous comedians. Every episode of Drunk History takes place during a different time period, for which McClure created an entirely new look and tone for each story – displaying his diverse skills with lighting styles, lenses and camera movement.
In 2014, the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) honored McClure with the Award for Best Cinematography in a Half-Hour Episodic Series for his work on the first season of Drunk History. The same year, McClure lensed Listening, a sci-fi thriller directed by Khalil Sullins; and The Grace of Jake, a character drama about a man seeking revenge against the father who abandoned him. He shot the southern gothic tale in the delta region of Arkansas, where the textures of the location made for a moody backdrop. Additionally, McClure lensed the short film Record/Play, which qualified for the 86th Academy Awards Live-Action Shorts Oscar.
Other TV series McClure has lensed include: Still the King for CMT; You’re the Worst for FX Network; and Big Time in Hollywood, FL. for Comedy Central. He has also filmed numerous segments for NBC hit show, Saturday Night Live!
McClure’s earliest on-set experiences include working as a PA on the Coen Brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? directed by Joel Coen and shot by Roger Deakins. He credits those two months on set with Deakins with teaching him as much about cinematography as he learned in film school. McClure has worked in almost every department, from editing and casting to the camera department, before narrowing his focus to his preferred role of cinematographer.
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, McClure got his first spark of inspiration from an unlikely source, the Ernest movies (Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Scared Stupid, etc.), because they filmed in and around his East Nashville neighborhood. Seeing crews moving about and setting up big lights revealed the world of filmmaking to McClure, who went on to attend and graduate from Watkins Film School.
While always striving to innovate with his lighting, McClure takes great pleasure in the collaborative nature of filmmaking. He values working with actors, crew and directors to tell a story above all else. He has shot in a variety of locations including Prague, Cambodia, Mexico City, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Copenhagen, Toronto and all over the United States.
McClure is currently based in Los Angeles. A member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), International Cinematographers Guild (Local 600) and represented by Intrinsic Talent Agency.
CV available upon request.