"With reenactments that Errol Morris would approve of, he uses everything at his disposal to create a storytelling rhythm."

"Although Kauffman is a cinematographer himself and would operate a camera on Tigerland, he also turned to veteran documentary cinematographer Matt Porwoll (Cartel Land, The Trade) to join the cause. 'Looking for a cinematographer for this film was a little bit difficult because were two main talents that I needed,' attests Kauffman. 'I was looking for someone who could do vérité, but then the other part was this magical quality. How do we bring this film and the cinematography to a level that is just hopefully transcendent at certain points? To try to find someone who could do both was a big challenge and we thought long and hard about it. Then Matt came on and really fit both of those needs very well.' "

“Directed by Academy Award winner Ross Kauffman (“Born into Brothels”), the film is an enthralling documentary that examines mankind’s relationship with one of the world’s most revered creatures by focusing on activists who track down and attempt to save the endangered tigers in Russia and India.”

“Matt enjoys sharing what he’s learned about the technical aspects of his craft. Recently, we had the chance sit down for an in-depth discussion on his current favorite gear.”

“Thankfully for Matt, he has done all of the hard work and compiled all of the results into a nice resource for all of us to use. Not only has he put together these cheat sheets but you can also watch video footage showing how the different combinations of material changes how the light wraps around the subject.”

“The Trade is a five-part Showtime documentary mini-series that follows every step of the heroin problem — from the addicts and their families to the dealers to law enforcement trying to stop the trade to the traffickers bringing drugs across the boarder to farmers harvesting opium poppies in the fields to the cartel bosses in Mexico. Every facet of the supply chain is investigated in detail. “

“The Trade is, like Heineman’s other documentaries, beautifully shot. The lush poppy fields, sparkling skylines and images of urban squalor and suburban sterility are lovingly captured, as are even conventional talking heads or intimate close-ups. It seems like such a small thing, but the amount of scene coverage the editors have to work with makes The Trade look like carefully composed narrative cinema.”

“AbelCine has partnered with Cartel Land cinematographer Matt Porwoll to give viewers a hands-on look at many of the best lenses available on the market. Often, the true quality of a lens is drowned out by endless tech specs, so this series focuses on the non-technical aspects of cinematography. It’s all about the look each lens produces.”

“The eye of “Cartel Land” cinematographer Matt Porwoll beautifully captures farmland from above, as well as reflecting the lives of the individual animals featured on screen.”

“The filmmakers draw a hard line between representation and direct influence. ‘You direct by choosing where to point the camera, when you make editing decisions in your head about coverage,’ Porwoll says. ‘But you also have to react the what’s happening and let the subject direct the action.'”

"He was one of three speakers on the documentary panel at MEWShop's "Sight, Sound & Story: The Art of Cinematography," 2015 event. We recently caught up with him to ask some in-depth questions about his career and experiences as a cinematographer."

“While there’s no minimizing the valor and skill of the filmmaker, credit also goes to his talented co-cinematographer, Matt Porwoll, for capturing the mayhem and malice in the lands ravaged by the cartels.”