Embalmer

Gus Sacks grew up in Philadelphia, PA. Inspired by his grandfather’s passion for making home movies, Sacks begged for a Panasonic VHS-C camcorder of his own for his 9th birthday. He was fortunate enough to receive one, and it changed everything. His goal was to someday be behind the camera, making films for a living.

In 2006 Sacks moved to New York City to follow his dream of working in the film industry. In 2008, he served as DP on his first feature, a film called Ice Grill, USA. He subsequently shot a number of award-winning independent features and shorts.

Solid-state video recording and new camera workflows presented another avenue for Sacks to be on set and learning while pursuing a shooting career. Sacks joined the ICG in 2013 as a digital imaging technician, and mostly worked in commercials. He often worked with cinematographers like Anthony Wolberg, Martin Ahlgren, and Trent Opaloch. Being able to watch them work and to collaborate with them was invaluable and educational.

In 2016 the cart and monitors went up for sale. Sacks, his wife Lindsey, the dogs and cat got into the car and headed west in search of gold and new opportunities. Since moving to Los Angeles, he’s shot an award-winning short doc, Long Shot, and projects for brands like KFC, Amazon, GE and Disney.

Sacks says, “Embalmer was shot in two days out in Riverside, California. Our director, Jimmy Moreno, and producer, Stephanie Barnes, created a textured, nuanced film with very few resources. Our modest equipment package was a SONY FS7 with Rokinon lenses, a few Quasars and Nila lights. I’d like to thank Jimmy and Stephanie for the opportunity to make something really special, and my crew for their ingenuity and hard work.”