New York Film Academy (NYFA) Filmmaking Alum Rozette Rago Photographs Steven Spielberg and the Cast of 'Crazy Rich Asians'
Freelance photographer and New York Film Academy (NYFA) Workshop alum Rozette Rago was recently profiled by ABS-CBN news. Rago has photographed several high-profile subjects, including Steven Spielberg, U2, and the cast of Crazy Rich Asians, and often shoots for The New York Times.
Rago hails from Marilao in the Philippines and is currently based in Los Angeles. In 2011, Rago completed New York Film Academy's 8-week Filmmaking Workshop. Her first big break came after shooting legendary rock group U2. Since then, she has worked for national publications including FADER, Buzzfeed News, Bloomberg, TIME, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, Smithsonian Books, VICE, and HBO. Additionally, she has shot on the set of famed sitcom Will & Grace, and has worked as a photo editor for Time Out Los Angeles.
Rago is also a freelance photographer for The New York Times, and has worked with the publication to shoot subjects including musician Shirley Manson, actor Riz Ahmed, racing driver Robert Shwartzman, the cast of Crazy Rich Asians, and filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
When asked about shooting such high-profile subjects, Rago told ABS-CBN, "The biggest challenge with these shoots is maintaining composure. I have very limited time with them so I always have to stay focused on the images I need. I allow myself to freak out later when I'm driving home."
The interview and profile also focuses on Rago's position as a woman of color in an industry that has been traditionally male-dominated, but that has been undergoing a seismic—yet, gradual—shift in the past few years.
Rago currently works as photo editor at Wirecutter, a product review website owned by The New York Times. She also continues to shoot freelance.
The New York Film Academy congratulates Filmmaking alum Rozette Rago on her continued success as a photographer!
#Repost @nytimes ・・・ "I wanted this to be the 'Avengers' of Asian actors." @crazyrichasians isn't a Marvel superhero film, but the movie does have epic ambitions of its own: with an all-Asian cast (featuring @constancewu, @henrygolding, @awkwafina, @kenjeong and others), #CrazyRichAsians hopes to pave the way for Asian-led films in Hollywood. "If we make a decent showing on that first weekend, there are like 6 Asian-American lead movies set up at different studios," said the director @jonmchu. But for @crazyrichasians, the casting process was anything but simple. The search began in 2013, when producers acquired the right to the book from @kevinkwanbooks. Then, to assemble the movie's cast, @jonmchu and the producers embarked on an extensive talent search process, including an open casting call for Asian and Asian-American performers. "We just didn't want to miss anybody," he said. As a result, the film features an international cast, with actors from Singapore, China, Britain, Australia, Malaysia and more. When it hits theaters next week, it comes not just as a #romcom but also as the first major Hollywood film set in the present day to showcase a majority Asian cast in 25 years. @hellorozette took this portrait of members of the cast. Visit the link in our profile to read about what being in @crazyrichasians means to the movie's stars. (And if you're in NYC, join a few of them for a @timestalks screening and talk on August 14. You can find the details at the link in our profile.)
A post shared by Rozette Rago (@hellorozette) on Aug 8, 2018 at 7:23pm PDT
Issa Rae for @nytimes ✨ thank you @amandaboe! And thanks @danielago for the assist. ????
A post shared by Rozette Rago (@hellorozette) on Apr 6, 2019 at 9:44am PDT
Steven Spielberg (???!!!?!?!!!) for @nytimes. Love and thanks to @christyyyyk for this dream assignment and happy birthday, Mr. Spielberg ????❤️ see slide 2 for his "conversation" with Pinchas Gutter
A post shared by Rozette Rago (@hellorozette) on Dec 18, 2018 at 3:32pm PST
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About the Author: Jack Picone
Written by: Jack Picone
Filled Under: Filmmaking, Photography, Student & Alumni Spotlights
Tags: crazy rich asians, filmmaking, New York Times, photography, rozette rago, u2, workshop
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