Director of Photography | Snapchat Originals
An Invitation
Endless Summer was built for a generation that watches vertically, moves quickly, and feels deeply. Set inside youth culture and social intimacy, the series doesn’t pause to explain itself—it pulls you in through energy, immediacy, and emotional recognition.
This was long-form storytelling reimagined for mobile: cinematic instincts translated into a format where connection has to happen instantly, and authenticity is the currency that keeps viewers watching.
The Work
Across multiple seasons, including Season 3, my role as cinematographer was to help define and sustain a visual language that could live natively on phones while still feeling authored and intentional.
The camera is kinetic but controlled—prioritizing faces, movement, and social proximity. Light is naturalistic and sun-forward, emphasizing warmth and physical presence. Framing respects vertical composition without sacrificing depth, allowing environments and relationships to coexist in a single glance.
The challenge wasn’t scale—it was precision. Every shot had to read immediately, emotionally, and truthfully within seconds.
The Experience
Watching Endless Summer feels like stepping into a moment already in motion. The experience is immersive, youthful, and emotionally legible—less like observing a story and more like being folded into it.
The camera mirrors how this audience experiences the world: close, fluid, and responsive. The result is a series that feels alive in the hand, not distant on a screen.
Impact & Reach
Premiering in early 2020, Endless Summer reached over 32 million viewers, with Season 3 continuing the series’ strong visual identity and audience engagement. Its success demonstrated that cinematic craft and mobile-first storytelling are not opposing forces—they are complementary when treated with respect.
As a flagship Snapchat Original, the series stands as proof that vertical storytelling can carry emotional weight, longevity, and scale.
Reflection
This project sharpened my understanding of modern audience behavior: attention isn’t lost—it’s earned differently. When visual language adapts to platform without compromising intention, the work travels further.
Endless Summer reinforced a guiding principle in my practice—no matter the screen size, intimacy is the constant. And when intimacy is protected, reach follows.
Featuring
Summer Mckeen, Dylan Jordan,
Snapchat Originals