We provide high-caliber video production services and gear rentals through a human-centric approach to filmmaking.
We’re owned and operated by working crew members in the New York film industry.
Juli (she/her) is a director of photography native to New York City with a focus on narrative filmmaking. She works professionally as a cinematographer, operator, and assistant camera shooting music videos, commercials, and fashion, but she has always been most at home in narrative work. She loves building worlds from behind the camera, and the creativity allowed by doing that with a team is extraordinary. She is grateful to be in a line of work that is fulfilling and creative in her home town.
Juli has always found that characters in shows and movies feel like actual friends, and she feels blessed to get to make those kinds of projects with her closest friends. Her most recent work has screened at Soho Film Festival.
Juli Alonso
Cinematographer | Producer | 1st AC
juli@secondsunpictures.com
Calvin Ryerse
Producer | Director | 1st AD
Calvin (they/them) is a filmmaker and organizer based in Brooklyn and originally from Springdale, Arkansas. They have experience in everything from nuclear weapons deterrence, arts education, resistance to Christian Nationalism, program coordination, and online content creation, but have found a home helming productions as an assistant director and producer. Their filmmaking work has screened at Film at Lincoln Center, Anthology Film Archives, DCTV, Millennium Film Workshop, The Roxy Cinema, and more.
Calvin is a dedicated community member, driven by the beauty of "making it happen." Always at the center of the storm on set, Calvin executes plans that achieve shots, make days, save money, and keep crew members feeling valued. When they finally take a break, you can find them in the woods, romping around in a creek, and listening to George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.
calvin@secondsunpictures.com
Roberto Manco-Stenz
Cinematographer | Gaffer | Projectionist
roberto@secondsunpictures.com
Roberto (he/him) is drawn to strong, abstract visuals and seeks to tell stories that speak to the lives and experiences of everyday people. He is driven by finding creative ways to use lighting, blocking, and camera movement to tell a story. Roberto is focused on narrative and music videos but is open to a wide range of projects, since he loves the challenge of creating something new.
Roberto has a broad background that spans across most of the entertainment industry. He has worked as a camera director and operator for live events like concerts, sporting events and corporate conferences. He has also worked as an electrician in theatre and live events and has experience projecting with film and digital mediums as well. When he can find time away from film, Roberto loves to find the perfect photo or song to get stuck in his head, tinker with one of his endless projects, or set a new personal best at the karting track. He is a cardholding member of IATSE Local 306.
Nicholas Aragon-Maresca
Director | Producer | Key Grip
nicholas@secondsunpictures.com
Nicholas (he/him) is originally from Austin, TX, now at home in Brooklyn, NY. He has been creating and crewing for almost a decade. He works in narrative and commercial work, but feels most at home on a narrative set as producer or key grip. A creative problem solver at his core, Nicholas aims to make every set run as smoothly and safely as possible. He always approaches the Murphy's law of film sets with a positive attitude.
Nicholas’ main objective in film is to create art that makes people feel seen. He sought to bring about this emotional catharsis both by directing his own film American Therapy and by producing and acting in Where Desires Go To Live, two Second Sun productions. In addition to being known as an incredible crew member and technician, Nicholas is always known for having a full bottle of hot sauce holstered on his tool belt. He is most certainly the most popular person at lunch.
Nick Shadix
Director | Producer | 1st AD
Nick Shadix (he/him) was born and raised in San Francisco and is now based in NYC. He has a background in leadership roles, talent management, and end-to-end coordination for projects ranging from feature films to high-profile events. In 2025, he assistant directed two feature films, produced a myriad of projects, and directed two music videos for a local artist.
When he’s not working on set, Nick manages a studio & event space, Ideal Glass Studios, where he works with high-profile clients like Nike, Facebook, Coach, Complex, Sephora, TikTok, and the VMAs. His friends and coworkers say he’s the epitome of even-keeled. Leading with kindness and remaining calm in high stress environments is Nick’s specialty. He loves making things work for people and making a vision become a reality no matter what the production demands. His short film Thanks for Nothing premiered at Big Apple Film Festival, and Ghazi, a production he assistant directed, premiered at Hollyshorts.
shadix@secondsunpictures.com
Noah Engle
Writer | Director | Gaffer
noah@secondsunpictures.com
Noah (he/him) is a Brooklyn based gaffer, writer and director hailing from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. His goal as a filmmaker is to tell intimate, human stories, while taking advantage of the aspects of film that allow us the ability to portray the more abstract elements of the human experience.
His passion for both visual storytelling and mechanical problem-solving led him to his niche as a gaffer. When not on set or loading a truck, you’ll likely find him carving the current of a whitewater rapid.
Harrison Gatlin
Writer | Director | Production Designer
Harrison (he/him) is a writer-director with a passion for character-driven stories, the kinds of stories filled with people so crazy they must be real. He earned an MFA in Fiction Writing and published a book of short stories before making his foray into filmmaking. In 2024, he raised over $30,000 through a viral IndieGoGo campaign to finance his indie tv project, Not Just Friends, and he hasn’t looked back.
Since then, he has put his entire soul into writing, directing, and designing sets. He has met a lot of people in the New York film world, but none have been as passionate and reliable as his cofounders at Second Sun. Harrison is currently seeking funding for the feature-length version of his short Old Habits Dyed Pink. He comes from a long line of storytellers, or, as they’re called back down South, bullshitters. He loves his mom and Texas.
harrison@secondsunpictures.com
