In an industry fueled by talk, few can walk as boldly as Matthew Libatique.

Revered by filmmakers for his visual experimentation, the LA-based director of photography's reel is testament to his talent for reinvention.

No two projects look the same; they are bound only by ambition. A music video for Matchbox 20's "Mad Season" (directed by A Band Apart's Phil Harder) is driven by choreographed dance sequences, while a PSA helmed by Joel Schumacher for MTV uses portraiture to promote safe sex. The DP's collaborations with feature director Darren Aronofsky are complex and range from Pi's black and white Bolex shots to the drug-induced split-screens in Requiem For A Dream.

The son of an amateur photographer, Libatique began shooting stills with a Nikon F in high school. Drawn to the images of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Nan Golden, and Corinne Day, he went on to study at The American Film Institute alongside Aronofsky and Patrick Sherman, now with bicoastal Anonymous Content.

"I have always referenced still photography in everything I do whether it's commercial, music video or film," says Libatique. "His knowledge of still photographers allows us to communicate in shorthand when it comes to referencing visuals," adds Sherman.

Nowhere is the shorthand more evident than in his relationship with Aronofsky. "He's one of my best friends and that goes a long way in making films with him because I don't have to figure out how to get into the guy's head," explains Libatique.

Elaborating on their collaboration on Requiem, Libatique says, "Darren's brilliant at getting a lot of information placed into a movie that moves like a freight train. Information might be repetitive but it drives the story, so you get these hip-hop montages where the visuals are like beats and you see the sequence of addiction boom-boom-boom-boom. Those quick cuts really allow him to get more information into the story to propel it.

"To me it's a brilliant editing concept and it goes hand in hand with the split screens. He wanted to show what Ellen Burstyn's character was doing without getting away from her emotion. So he splits the screen horizontally and you see what she's doing in the bottom of the frame and you see her reaction at the top. That's experimentation with form as far as I'm concerned and that's what people need to do."

Many of Libatique's experimentations have been in music videos directed by Harder, including Pulp's "Trees," Incubus' "Wish You Were Here," and Mansun's "Fool."

"I throw some weird film stock at him and he may not even know what it is, it might be titling film but he'll figure out a way to use it," says Harder. In addition to a willingness to experiment, Harder cites Libatique's ability to translate abstract ideas into technical realities and define the parameters of a project. "With me he loves to get two Bolexes and make music videos that way. I think a Bolex is one of his most friendly tools."

But nothing can take the place of trust on the set. During the Matchbox 20 shoot, Harder recalls the DP pulling him aside to tell him that the footage was not in keeping with the original concept.

"I had hardly done any choreographed dance before and he told me it looked like all of the hip-hop videos he'd done and that we weren't doing what we had set out to do. That's a good relationship when you can trust a DP's opinions and attitudes with respect to what you're doing. Most DPs would have just agreed to do it."

Libatique maintains that a good DP cannot be selfish. By this he means visualizing a project in its entirety as opposed to a single shot to beautify the reel. His commitment extends into the telecine, which he deems essential to finalizing the director's vision. For at the end of the day, it's the relationship with the director that the DP values most.

Libatique is repped by LA-based The Mack Agency. His upcoming projects include a feature film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan called Abandon and Phone Booth by Joel Schumacher.