His mom calls him Jake, but to the rest of the world he’s just “Pinger”. His hallmarks as a DP are shooting fast, being story-driven and helping create an aura of positivity on set. Creatively he believes that cinematography is a language, and that every film deserves its own visual strategy that is guided by the themes of the script. The tenets of his on-set philosophy are communication, collaboration and respect for all crewmembers.

 

Pinger was born and raised in Los Angeles, just blocks from Paramount Studios. He learned his craft the old-school way, working up from PA to lighting electrician, to camera assistant, to camera operator, to DP. Being on set is in his blood, and he has worked in nearly every genre and travelled the world many times over with a camera in his hands. His broad range of experience has taught him how to be flexible and work quickly for maximum results.

 

Pinger got his B.A. at UC Santa Cruz and attended the A.F.I. for cinematography. He is a winner of the IA Local 600 Emerging Cinematographer Award and author of So You Want to Direct TV?, a collection of interviews with a diverse group of television directors intended to encourage aspiring filmmakers of all backgrounds to achieve their dream.

 

In his spare time Pinger is a guest lecturer at film schools, follows the Dodgers and is teaching himself how to be a woodworker one splinter at a time.