
Person
Chris Arata
Camera
Biography
Chris Arata is a Los Angeles–based camera operator and cinematographer who has cultivated his craft through a traditional, hands‑on journey in the camera department, beginning his career by advancing from camera assistant to camera operator. In 2020, Arata earned recognition from his peers by being inducted as an active member of the Society of Camera Operators (SOC). Throughout his career, Arata has worked on a variety of high-profile feature films and television series, contributing as a camera operator to projects including Short Term 12, I Am Not a Hipster, Unicorn Store, This Is Us, Lowriders, Just Mercy, and The Outlaws, among others. His filmography includes operating both A- and B-camera units across genres, from independent dramas to major studio and streaming productions. In addition to performing camera duties, Arata has distinguished himself as a director of photography, notably helming the visual narrative for the film Black White and the Greys. He has worked under esteemed directors and alongside prominent cinematographers, including Brett Pawlak, Emmanuel Lubezki, Amir Mokri, and Michael Bonvillain. Arata's body of work spans feature films, episodic television, second-unit photography, commercials, and innovative projects, such as the virtual reality installation Carne y Arena, which received a Special Achievement Academy Award.
Known for

This Is Us
Camera Operator

Wonder Man
"A" Camera Operator

Legends
"C" Camera Operator

The First Lady
"B" Camera Operator

NEXT
"B" Camera Operator

Just Mercy
"B" Camera Operator

A Man in Full
"B" Camera Operator

The Glass Castle
"A" Camera Operator

Dolly Parton's Heartstrings
"B" Camera Operator

The Out-Laws
"B" Camera Operator
Filmography
- 2026Wonder Man"A" Camera Operator
- 2024A Man in Full"B" Camera Operator
- 2023The Out-Laws"B" Camera Operator
- 2023Black White and the GreysDirector of Photography
- 2022A Jazzman's Blues"A" Camera Operator
- 2022The First Lady"B" Camera Operator
- 2020NEXT"B" Camera Operator
- 2020The 24th"B" Camera Operator
- 2020DeportedCamera Operator
- 2019Just Mercy"B" Camera Operator
- 2019Dolly Parton's Heartstrings"B" Camera Operator
- 2018The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell"B" Camera Operator
- 2018Saint JudySecond Unit Director of Photography
- 2018Mysteries & ScandalsCamera Operator
- 2017I'm Not HereCamera Operator
- 2017Unicorn Store"A" Camera Operator
- 2017The Glass Castle"A" Camera Operator
- 2017Flesh and SandCamera Operator
- 2017Lowriders"A" Camera Operator
- 2017Honor CouncilDirector of Photography
- 2016Max SteelCamera Operator
- 2016This Is UsCamera Operator
- 2016Karaoke ManFirst Assistant Camera
- 2016The Meddler"A" Camera Operator
- 2016SituationalDirector of Photography
- 2016Rock and Roll: The MovieFirst Assistant Camera
- 2015We Are Your FriendsCamera Operator
- 2015Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight AttendantCamera Operator
- 2015HelioFirst Assistant Director
- 2014Legends"C" Camera Operator
- 2014Land of LeopoldCamera Operator
- 2014Presumed Dead in ParadiseAdditional Director of Photography
- 2014Buttwhistle"B" Camera Operator
- 2014In Your EyesFirst Assistant "B" Camera
- 2013ImmigrantCamera Operator
- 2013Short Term 12"B" Camera Operator
- 2013The Final Moments of Karl Brant"B" Camera Operator
- 2013How Sweet It Is"B" Camera Operator
- 2013I Am Not a HipsterCamera Operator
- 2012DGK: Parental AdvisoryCamera Operator
- 2012Home InvasionFirst Assistant Camera
- 2012You, Me & the CircusSecond Assistant Camera
- 2012Dream in AmericanFirst Assistant Camera
- 2011Behind Your EyesFirst Assistant Camera
- 2011WTFDirector of Photography
- 2011Pretty Tough"B" Camera Operator
- 2010Locked AwayFirst Assistant Camera
- 2010HeistSecond Assistant Camera
- 2009UncorkedElectrician
- —The Loneliest Road in AmericaAssistant Camera
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