Nicholas Donnelly is a two-time Emmy-nominated Director of Photography and Producer with over 15 years of experience crafting cinematic visual stories for major platforms including National Geographic, Netflix, PBS, and Discovery and countless other clients.

With a foundation in classical fine arts and a passion for technical precision, Nicholas blends visual artistry with hands-on expertise to lead productions in the most demanding environments — from high-speed aerials to remote expedition shoots. His work spans branded campaigns, environmental documentaries, museum films, and interpretive storytelling with a sharp eye for both craft and narrative.

He spent over a decade as a Staff Cameraman and Equipment Manager at National Geographic Television & Film, where he filmed over 70+ domestic and  international documentaries and developed internal training programs in cinematography, lighting, DIT, and production workflows. He now leads Rapido & Sucio Digital Cinema, a boutique creative studio based in Washington, D.C., focused on elevated visuals and purpose-driven content.

Nicholas is a FAA-certified drone pilot, Phantom Flex 4K technician, and experienced cinematographer, known for balancing technical mastery with a collaborative, solution-oriented mindset on set.

When he’s not behind the lens, you can find him on his snowboard somewhere in the world, or hiking through the woods with his two wonderful Labrador retrievers.

With my extensive experience in field production and technical consulting, I specialize in navigating complex environments and delivering tailored solutions for any scale of production. I’ve had the good fortune of traveling to some of the most remote and difficult places on Earth. It’s in those places that I’ve gained the insights and learned the most valuable lessons of my life. Pre-production Creative Technical Planning is critical for any production, regardless of its scale. I collaborate with editorial teams to help them identify their needs and design or fabricate the right tools for the job. The next step of the process is to ensure success by building field execution strategies and even planning survival tactics in the event of catastrophic equipment failures. From maximizing the use of every square inch of space in your Pelican cases to determining how many hard drives you’ll need, it’s all about being prepared. If you’ve been in this industry long enough, you’ll know how a single missing tripod screw can shut down an entire production.

Additionally, I have years of experience in designing physical studios, implementing asset management systems, and crafting hyper-specific and long-term, sustainable project workflows. I understand the incredible value of having protocols and systems tailored to your company's unique needs and goals. The landscape of technology changes rapidly, and my team is here to help you plan and navigate this reality. We offer training and crash course workshops for all facets and phases of production. We realize that large crews aren’t always an option, so let us teach you the lessons so many others have had to learn the hard way. Please inquire for a custom-made syllabus of all our course offerings.

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