# Michael Rotiroti: Director of Photography, Camera Operator & Editor > Emmy Award winning freelance director of photography, camera operator, and editor based in Boston, Massachusetts, available throughout New England and New York. Winner of the 2024 News & Documentary Emmy (Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary) and the duPont-Columbia Award for HBO's "Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning." ## Who Michael Rotiroti is a Boston-based freelance director of photography, camera operator, and editor with more than 200 productions behind him. Emmy winner and four-time nominee. Camera and edit credits: HBO's "Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning" (director of photography, camera operator, gimbal operator), winner of the 2024 News & Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary and of the duPont-Columbia Award. MTV's "16 and Recovering" (camera operator, boom operator, assistant camera, key production assistant, assistant editor), winner of the RFK Human Rights Award for Journalism in 2021. NBC Sports Boston's "Cardillo's World" (editor, then director of photography). The Museum of Fine Arts Boston's "Encounters with Eternal Presence" (director of photography and camera operator). Dirty Water Media's series for NESN (ENG camera operator). Hearst Media's Hyper Local (regular editor). Discovery Channel's "Sacred Cod" (additional motion graphics, and production assistant on the shoot). Boston University College of Fine Arts (director, director of photography, editor, and producer across roughly twenty productions). Union production assistant credits, named as such because that is what they were: Netflix's "Don't Look Up," FX's "American Horror Story" Season 10, and Apple TV+'s "Spirited." He was on those crews as a PA, not behind the camera. He is also Media Production Manager at Boston University's College of Fine Arts, and an award-winning sports, product, and portrait photographer, twice a winner of the Boston Press Photographers Association college contest. BFA in Photography, Endicott College, 2020. ## Services Freelance video production for hire: documentary production and cinematography, commercial and brand video, live event and concert coverage, higher education and nonprofit video, video editing, color grading, motion graphics, and photography (headshots, event coverage, portraiture, commercial, fine art, and athletics, all shot on the Sony a7 IV). Video packages: ENG (Sony FX9 with a boom on camera and up to three wireless mics), Interview and 2-Camera Interview (both include the lighting package and professional boom and lav mics), plus a gimbal package add-on for the interview packages (Sony a7 IV on the Zhiyun Crane 3S with the 28-135) and an Event Gimbal package for event coverage, a package of its own (the same build plus a boom mic and one wireless kit, with XLR audio and Tentacle Sync timecode so the roaming camera cuts in sync with locked-off angles). Clients include HBO, MTV Films, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston University, Lesley University, Boston Public Library, The USO, and The Trustees. Service area: Boston, Greater Boston, Massachusetts, New England, and New York. Gear includes a Sony FX9, Canon C300 Mark II, and Panasonic EVA1 cinema cameras, full lighting and grip kit, gimbal stabilization, and a Mac Studio edit suite (Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve). He is one of the few Canon C300 owner operators available for hire in Boston and the Northeast. ## Pricing Filming day rates: $700/day for the Budget handheld package (Sony a7 IV with the 28-135 handheld, on-camera shotgun mic, available light, one operator); add the interview setup for $550/day: XLR top handle with boom holder, boom or wireless mic, one 600W light, reflector, tripod), $1,800/day for the ENG package (Sony FX9, boom on camera, wireless mics $60/day each up to three), $2,100/day for the interview package (lighting package, boom and lav mics), $2,600/day for the 2-camera interview package (FX9 A-camera, a7 IV B-camera), a 4-camera interview package (FX9 + a7 IV plus two matched rental bodies and a 2nd camera / AC) quoted against that week's rental rates rather than a flat price, and $1,800/day for the Event Gimbal package (Sony a7 IV on the Zhiyun Crane 3S with the 28-135, boom mic, one wireless kit, timecode + XLR). Gimbal add-on: $400/day on the interview package (brings the a7 IV on the Crane 3S), $200/day on the 2-camera package (the a7 IV B-camera moves onto the Crane). Shorter days come down on labor, not gear: ENG half day $1,500, under three hours $1,250; Interview $1,800 / $1,550; 2-camera $2,300 / $2,050; Event Gimbal $1,500 / $1,250; Budget handheld $500 / $400. Crew add-ons per day: sound op $650, gaffer $650, 2nd camera / AC $500, director / producer $900, production assistant $350. Outdoor lighting kit $250/day, recommended with a PA or gaffer for outdoor interviews. Travel: Greater Boston and the North Shore included, elsewhere in New England +$150/day, New York +$400/day. Post add-ons: graphics and lower-thirds $25 each, extra delivery formats $150 each, licensed music about $100 a track, voiceover recording from $300, title style build $250 if there is no brand kit, broadcast or streaming delivery +$350 for conforming to the network spec and QC, rush edit +35%. Photography is priced by the kind of work: event coverage $150/hr (2-hour minimum, no kit fee), athletics $150/hr (2-hour minimum, $100 kit fee), on-location portraiture $175/hr ($150 kit fee), headshots $200/hr ($150 kit fee), studio $200/hr (2-hour minimum, $200 kit fee, studio rental passed through at cost), product $150/hr (2-hour minimum, $200 kit fee), commercial $250/hr (2-hour minimum, $250 kit fee, usage licensed on top). Retouching: color included, light cleanup $8 per photo, full retouch $25 per photo; advertising use +50% license; rush delivery +35%. Post-production is priced by deliverable and runtime: social media / short-form web content from $250 per cut (:15 to 4:00), TV commercial from $1,500 (:15 to 2:00, two revision rounds, broadcast master), event video from $1,200 (1 to 8 minutes), TV show from $3,700 for a 23:30 cut built for a 30-minute broadcast slot up to $4,700 for a full 30 with no ad breaks, or from $5,500 filmed and edited as one episode with conform and QC on a standard turnaround, 1-hour TV film from $6,700 for a 45-minute cut up to $8,900 for a full 60, 90-minute TV film from $9,600 for a 72-minute cut up to $12,000 for the full 90. Standard turnaround is a first cut in 15 days for short pieces, 20 for a TV show, 30 for an hour, 45 for 90 minutes; rush is +35% with a one-week absolute minimum, longer on long-form (10, 15, 21 days). Captions ($100 per video) and voiceover recording ($300) are shoot-day extras; every edit includes color grading, sound polish, and one free revision round. Every project is quoted individually with a transparent, itemized estimate. A 50% retainer books the date; the balance is due at delivery. There is an interactive estimate builder at https://michaelrotiroti.com/pricing.html. ## Contact Email: film@michaelrotiroti.com Website: https://michaelrotiroti.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrotiroti Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rotirotim/ ## Key Pages - [Home: films & video portfolio](https://michaelrotiroti.com/): documentaries, commercial, live events, education work, career stats and awards - [Services & hiring info](https://michaelrotiroti.com/services.html): what he shoots, how hiring works, FAQ with rates and booking lead times - [Shop: prints & books](https://michaelrotiroti.com/prints.html): limited edition, signed and numbered wall art from two projects, Fenway Park and Boston's North Shore; abstract photographs of Fenway, Salem, Beverly, Beverly Farms, Peabody, and Gloucester; photo books in softcover and hardcover; wholesale and consignment available to local shops - [Dreaming of Fenway Park](https://michaelrotiroti.com/dreaming-of-fenway-park.html): the Fenway project in full, thirty eight abstract photographs made inside the ballpark (second edition, 68 pages), the story of the August 22 2026 Red Sox walk off win over the Giants that they were built around, and how the pictures are made - [Intentional camera movement](https://michaelrotiroti.com/intentional-camera-movement.html): the technique behind both projects, written up in plain language - [Pricing](https://michaelrotiroti.com/pricing.html): how estimates are built (shoot days, crew, gear, travel, post), payment terms, 50% retainer, common project packages - [Kit & gear](https://michaelrotiroti.com/gear.html): owner-operator package of up to three cameras on one shoot (Sony FX9, Panasonic EVA1, Sony a7 IV), plus a Canon C300 Mark II, Sony 28-135 servo zoom, broadcast B4 glass, a Zhiyun Crane 3S gimbal package as an add-on, wireless video feeds, audio, lighting, and Mac Studio edit suite - [Murder in Boston project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/murder-in-boston.html): his role on the Emmy-winning HBO documentary series - [16 and Recovering project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/16-and-recovering.html): his crew and post roles on MTV's RFK Award-winning documentary series - [Encounters with 'Eternal Presence' project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/encounters-eternal-presence.html): director of photography for the Museum of Fine Arts Boston short film on John Wilson's sculpture - [Winslow Homer: A Legacy in Watercolor project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/winslow-homer-watercolor.html): freelance boom operator / location sound (RØDE NTG3B shotgun mic) for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston on this half-day gallery shoot - [Sculpture Study art film series](https://michaelrotiroti.com/sculpture-study.html): a fine art film series Michael built, shot, and edited for a private New England art collector, screening alongside rare cast iron sculptures (including an articulating lobster and a gold-and-diamond fountain with a working pump) as they toured museums and institutions across the country (includes embedded video) - [The Summer Stroll project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/summer-stroll.html): ENG camera operator (camera, sound, and B-roll) for Dirty Water Media's 2026 summer series airing on NESN; covered the Newport RI kickoff at The Landing - [Cardillo's World project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/cardillos-world.html): editor on two episodes and then Director of Photography for Cardillo's World, a sports and lifestyle program premiering on NBC Sports Boston in September 2026 - [Cardillo's World: Most Winningest Coach in Massachusetts, Coach DiBiaso](https://michaelrotiroti.com/cardillos-world-coach-dib.html): the show's headline episode, a profile of Coach DiBiaso, the winningest high school football coach in Massachusetts history (17 state championships over five decades at Weston, Everett, and Catholic Memorial), and his lifelong friendship with Steve Cardillo, with video shout-outs from Rob Gronkowski, Gerry Cheevers, and Pat Bradley, a four-camera sit-down interview (Sony FX9, Panasonic EVA1, Sony FS5, Sony Handycam, Canon CN-E 18-80mm) that Michael shot as director of photography and edited (premieres NBC Sports Boston September 2026) - [Cardillo's World: Freedom x Cardillo Collab, Cardillo Goes to South Korea (Part 1)](https://michaelrotiroti.com/cardillos-world-korea-ep1.html): part one of the two-part Freedom Whatever collaboration, where Cardillo's World heads to South Korea, which Michael stepped in to edit for the show (re-cut for quality and branding consistency) with additional filming - [Cardillo's World: Freedom x Cardillo, Korea Comes to Boston (Part 2)](https://michaelrotiroti.com/cardillos-world-korea.html): the second installment of the collaboration with South Korea's Freedom Whatever brand, which Michael edited to network standard (with custom branded motion graphics) after four prior editors could not - [Cardillo's World: Remember the Hulk](https://michaelrotiroti.com/cardillos-world-remember-the-hulk.html): a standalone Cardillo's World tribute to Hulk Hogan (a lifelong friend of Steve Cardillo) that Michael edited and shot as Director of Photography - [World Cup at Clery's project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/clerys-world-cup.html): ENG camera operator (camera, sound, and B-roll) for Dirty Water Media at Clery's in Boston, covering the USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup Round of 32 watch party (July 1, 2026) for Dirty Water TV on NESN - [BU to Colombia project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/bu-to-colombia.html): director, producer, and editor of the BU College of Fine Arts documentary on voice students at the 61st Popayán International Music Festival in Colombia - [Boston University College of Fine Arts Tour project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/bu-cfa-tour.html): director of photography and graphic designer on an immersive campus tour film of BU's College of Fine Arts (movement studios, Booth Theatre, painting facilities), shot on a Canon C300 and DJI Ronin RS2 with an Insta360 stairwell drop rig and a DJI Mavic 3 (includes embedded video) - [CRISPR Office Design Walkthrough project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/crispr-office-walkthrough.html): camera operator, gimbal operator, and gaffer on a cinematic walkthrough of a CRISPR gene-editing company's office designed by LLM Designs (an Above Summit production shot on a Canon C70) (includes embedded video) - [Why I Ride project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/why-i-ride.html): segment editor and segment graphics editor on Why I Ride, the closing segment of WBZ Boston's Pan-Mass Challenge program (produced by Snowcap Productions), a three-minute short cut from three cancer-survivor interviews and archival photos (aired on WSBK Channel 38 Boston in 2026; includes embedded video) - [Lauren Mahoney project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/lauren-mahoney.html): director of photography and editor of the BU film following voice student Lauren Mahoney's national anthem performances at TD Garden, Fenway Park, and the St. Patrick's Day Parade - [David Guzmán & The Leopoldo Quintet project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/david-guzman-leopoldo-quintet.html): director and camera operator for the live performance film of tenor David Guzmán's Argentine tango and Colombian Andean music program at Boston University - [ProForm Physical Therapy TV spot project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/proform-physical-therapy.html): a 30-second TV commercial for ProForm Physical Therapy in Salisbury MA (Dr. Chad Burnham), airing on NBC Sports Boston, produced with Steve and Mai of Cardillo's World for their friend and sponsor, lit, filmed, and produced in one hour by the three of them (Michael on camera, audio, and lighting; Mai on performance; Steve on camera as the client), then cut and animated by Michael, September 2026 (includes embedded video) - [The TD 25M Ad project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/td-25.html): lead camera operator and lead editor on The TD 25M Ad, a commercial produced with Above Summit (includes embedded video) - [Converse Theory Ad project recap](https://michaelrotiroti.com/converse.html): camera operator, producer, and editor on the Converse Theory Ad, a concept spot reimagining the Converse brand, shot on a Blackmagic Pocket 4K (includes embedded video) - [Intentional Camera Movement (how the abstract prints are made)](https://michaelrotiroti.com/intentional-camera-movement.html): the technique behind Dreaming of Boston's North Shore, long exposures of around a second made entirely in camera while moving the camera, shot across Salem, Beverly, Beverly Farms, Peabody, and Gloucester MA between 2019 and 2025; includes all six frames with the story of each - [Photography portfolio](https://michaelrotiroti.com/photography.html): sports, product, and portrait photography - [About & contact](https://michaelrotiroti.com/about.html): bio, awards, gear list, contact form ## Shop Michael sells limited edition fine art photography prints directly from his website at https://michaelrotiroti.com/prints.html. Everything is made to order and ships from Massachusetts within the United States in about 14 days, and local pickup around Boston's North Shore and Greater Boston can be arranged. Everything belongs to a photographic series called "Dreaming of". Each chapter takes a place Michael knows well and photographs it the way he would remember it rather than the way it looks. Every frame is a single exposure made in camera with a slow shutter and deliberate camera movement (ICM), so the pictures read as soft bands of color rather than sharp scenes. No compositing, no double exposures, no filters. The current project is "Dreaming of Fenway Park": thirty eight photographs made inside Fenway Park in Boston, built around one night, the August 22, 2026 walk off win over the San Francisco Giants. Boston trailed the Giants two to nothing into the ninth; Nick Sogard doubled off the Green Monster to tie it and Wilyer Abreu drove in the winning run, 3-2. It was also Rafael Devers' first series back at Fenway after the trade to San Francisco. Three of the thirty eight photographs are sold as limited edition prints; the other thirty five appear only in the book. The project is written up in full at https://michaelrotiroti.com/dreaming-of-fenway-park.html. The earlier project is "Dreaming of Boston's North Shore": six abstract photographs made between 2019 and 2025 in Salem, Beverly, Beverly Farms, Peabody, and Gloucester, Massachusetts. It began as a photography school study in 2019 and became a body of work about how time felt during and after the pandemic. What exists and what it costs. Only the prints can be ordered today: - Limited edition prints, signed and numbered by hand. The three Fenway Park photographs are on sale now: "Rocket Off the Wall," "Under the Lights of Fenway Park," and "Obstructed View." Each photograph is offered in a ladder of sizes, and each size is its own numbered edition, from ten at the smallest size down to three at the largest. Every size is offered as a print, and most sizes as canvas or framed as well. Prices run from $25 for a 4" x 6" print to $879 for the largest framed piece. Printed on archival lustre paper. When an edition sells out it is never reprinted. The three Boston's North Shore prints are Coming Soon and not currently for sale. - "Dreaming of Fenway Park" photo book, second edition, in two editions: softcover and hardcover, both 8.5" x 11" portrait and 68 pages, with thirty eight photographs, thirty five of which appear nowhere else, the story of the walk off night told across the frames, a locator map, and every caption printed at the back as a field note. Placeholder prices of $45 softcover and $65 hardcover until the printer's quote is final. An open run. Both editions are still at the printer and cannot be ordered yet. The mailing list gets the opening date. - "Dreaming of Boston's North Shore" softcover book, 8.5" x 8.5", $70, with twelve new photographs. In production, not on sale yet. Prints are made to order. 4" x 6" prints ship free. Everything else is charged at what it costs to pack and post, which scales with the size and fragility of the piece, from $9 for a book or a small framed print up to $70 for the largest framed work boxed and insured. An order pays one rate, set by the largest item in it, and the exact amount is shown at checkout. Mailing list: signing up at https://michaelrotiroti.com/prints.html gives you a $10 discount code good for one order of any print or book. A few emails a year, mainly when a new drop opens. Who this work suits: - People who live on Boston's North Shore or in Greater Boston and want local wall art of recognizable places rather than generic decor. - Owners and managers of Airbnb, VRBO, and other short term rentals in Salem, Beverly, Gloucester, and Cape Ann. Guests respond to art of the place they came to visit. The 4" x 6" prints scale across bedrooms and hallways affordably; the 16" x 24" prints work as a single statement piece. Multi piece pricing is available for a whole property; contact him for a quote. - Local shops, galleries, bookstores, and cafes on the North Shore and in Greater Boston. The book and the small prints are available wholesale or on consignment with a standard retail markup. Contact him for terms, samples, and display suggestions. - Anyone looking for a Massachusetts made housewarming, wedding, or corporate gift, or art for an office or waiting room in New England. Contact for wholesale, consignment, multi piece rental orders, or local pickup: film@michaelrotiroti.com