“Think Walker Evans meets Blade Runner”

Photo gallery and project pitch below. Click on the images for a larger view.

Dear Mr. Franck,

        While having coffee with Chad Coleman in Brooklyn, he said that playing Fred Johnson felt less like a sci-fi character and more like embodying a leader in the Middle East: lines are blurred, good and bad are ambiguously defined, decisions are never clear cut. As a photojournalist and street photographer, I know that capturing texture and grit in an image is critical to clarifying a point of view. Making photographs that capture strength of character is what I do. In fact, strength of character in the MMO RPG world of The Expanse created the universe that makes the series so potent.

        Why am I telling you this? Because I’ve been in conversation with Cas Anvar, who loves my street photography work. (Small bragging point: it was Emmy-nominated.) When I told him I wanted to capture the sensibility of blue-collar science fiction on the set of The Expanse, he said – and this is a quote: “Love your work! You’re a rock star and a great photographer!” … and he suggested I contact you. So here I am.

        If you’re thinking the last thing you need is some SciFi photographer-fanboy on your set (though I am a huge fan of The Expanse, having read the whole book series three times so far), let me redirect that thought. Publicity shots can only do so much; technology is featured, actors are posed. But it’s the real-world, character-driven story of The Expanse that captivates viewers… it’s why people tune in every week. My photography, as you can see, is about people; it captures the essence of what makes people unique, edgy, and ultimately human. The style of photography that I can bring to the set connects the world of The Expanse to a fan base who understands it’s the characters, the people, that makes the series exceptional. A side benefit of the work is that my photographs can expand the appeal of the show to a broader audience, particularly via social media. As a quick example, in February I took a spontaneous portrait of Chad in the coffee shop and it got 15,000 impressions on Twitter. Imagine an Instagram “street photography” feed during the airing of the second season of the Expanse. You can’t buy that publicity.

        So here’s my pitch: Allow me to come to the set and photograph the cast and crew. I won’t be there to photograph what you’ve built or what you’ve already seen and I’m not wanting to replace your set photographer. What I have in mind is a project that fits together my style of photography with your style of science fiction. My photographs reveal things you can’t see when you’re filming; nuances of gestures and expressions that are integral parts of the fabric of the world you and Daniel and the entire Expanse team has created. To prove I’m the real deal,  click here to view my street portraiture, and follow this link to the Emmy-nominated video about my street photography. I photograph for BRIC-TV, one of the largest arts organizations in New York City, and am also a videographer there, so I know my way around studio sets. I am a union member, although not IATSE. If we can make this project happen, maybe they’d see fit to extend a courtesy to a fellow union worker (NABET) for a short period of time.

        Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you like what you see, I’d love to have a conversation with you about making this happen. I hope filming Season 2 brings satisfaction and pride to you and to the entire cast and crew.

Sincerely,

Antonio M. Rosario, photographer

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