Nicholas Donnelly,

Director of Photography

Emmy-nominated, Award winning.

global visual storyteller.

National Geographic, Netflix, PBS, Disney+, PBS, TLC, and more.

Natural History, Documentary Selections

Rapido + Sucio Digital Cinema is the result of nearly 2 decades of relentless work in an industry where experience truly matters. Founded by Director of Photography Nicholas Donnelly, the company’s core values are rooted in classical fine art principles—emphasizing aesthetic literacy, historical awareness, color theory, and effective framing. On many of our projects, our core values are intentionally inverted to create work that feels more authentic, unexpected, and thought-provoking.

Update:

Recently, Rapido + Sucio expanded its team by partnering with 2.0TV. Isabel Pérez-Loehmann, the founder of 2.0TV, is a powerhouse bilingual director and producer whose vast experience expands the realm of what’s possible. Isabel routinely oversees more than 150 hours of programming per year—a feat few others can claim. Her voracity, paired with Nic’s unrelenting passion for working with both small and large crews, makes R+S a boutique production company like no other. With the addition of other creative partners, each an expert in their own craft-Rapido + Sucio is now thrilled to offer full-scale production services, managing every phase of a project, from napkin sketch to final delivery, no matter the scope. As we continue to integrate our expanded body of work, we invite you to read Isabel’s full bio and credits here.

Our Process, in detail:

Nicholas once said, “I break the rules all the time—I think you’re supposed to! Once you’ve really dialed in and become fluent in the art of nuance, you know exactly when to flip them on their head… or not. Either way, it’s fun to play with expectations.”

Nicholas’ approach is to curate and tailor-fit the crew to the project—just as you would with screen talent. He remarked, “We all have our thing, and there’s always a right tool for the job. At first, I tend to do whatever makes the most sense, then walk backwards from there. Like, should I really hire a plumber to re-roof my house, Let me think about that?”

This way of thinking is what shaped Rapido + Sucio’s highly practical production methodologies. And decades of boots-in-the-mud, good old-fashioned hard work is what has proven and battle-tested it.

We’re artists, creative, inquisitive, maybe a bit unconventional at times, but we’re human. We understand vision, and we understand reality. We get it.

Please explore the evidence of this philosophy by clicking the embedded links in each title below.

Selected Credits

2024

2023