CHRISTOS BITSAKOS: WITCHWISE
 Christos
Bitsakos was born and raised in Southern California. When he was 8 years
old, his father brought him to film sets where he was fascinated by the
camera crew. He began experimenting with a 35mm still camera, which fueled
his interest in photography. Bitsakos studied film with a cinematography
emphasis at the University of Southern California. He graduated in 1994.
His credits as a loader and second assistant include K-Pax, Magnolia
and 8MM. His credits as a cinematographer include Dating Games People
Play, Dinner and Is This Your Mother? He also photographed The Raven,
which was selected for inclusion in the 2005 ICG Film Showcase.
 Witchwise is the story of Andrew, an innocent boy whose curiosity is piqued by
the mysterious death of his Aunt Mary. Andrew suspects that she possessed
great power, and his frenzied search through a spooky old house leads
him to desire that power. Writer/director Joe Harris and Bitsakos framed
the story in the Academy 1.85:1 aspect ratio and used composition in
combination with lighting and other production values to sell the haunted
house location. They chose to shoot on film due to its latitude. Bitsakos,
whose goal was to "push the envelope," says the challenges
included a tight budget, skeleton crews and time restraints. Witchwise
has been accepted in the San Diego Comic-Con Festival.
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