Biography
The career of Julio Macat is a study in a gradual, steady advancement up the Hollywood ladder. Starting out in the business while still in his teens, Macat began as a cameraman, apprenticing under working movie lensmen. Within a few years, Macat had sufficient experience under his belt to take the cinematographer chair himself. His first credits as a cinematographer were in music and concert videos for groups such as The Hooters and Van Halen. Later in his career, once he'd graduated to big-budget films, he still retained a passion for the confluence of music and film; he continued to work on musical projects for many years. In the movie world, Macat developed a reputation as a steady and reliable craftsman. He was a favorite cinematographer of Russian emigre director Andrei Konchalovsky, with whom he shot the actioner "Runaway Train" (1985) and the cop buddy drama "Tango & Cash" (1989). Macat was also a top choice for director Chris Columbus, serving as the director of photography for all three "Home Alone" movies (1990-1997), among numerous other Columbus projects. Another prominent director who repeatedly utilized Macat's talents was director Tom Shadyac (1994's "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and the 1996 remake of "The Nutty Professor").
