Milton Santiago

Cinematographer | Assistant Professor of Visual Communications
Director, Advanced Military Visual Journalism Program

Milton Santiago is a seasoned cinematographer, educator, and creative technologist whose career spans professional production stages, university classrooms, and the frontier of AI-enabled visual storytelling. He is an Assistant Professor of Visual Communications at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Director of the Advanced Military Visual Journalism program, where he trains enlisted service members in advanced photography, design, and video production.

Santiago arrived at Newhouse after building a sixteen-year career in Los Angeles as a freelance cinematographer and content creator. His feature film, documentary, and short film work has screened at festivals around the world — including the Tribeca Film Festival, South by Southwest, the Copenhagen International Film Festival, CineQuest, and Dances with Films — and he has lensed commercial and branded content for clients such as Disney, Reebok, Levi's, Dockers, and Princess Cruise Lines. Early in his career, Santiago held creative production roles at Showtime Networks and Sundance Channel, where he produced and edited original programming. His craft has been recognized by the industry's leading institutions: Santiago is a former Academy of Television Arts and Sciences apprentice in cinematography, an American Society of Cinematographers Vision Program honoree, and an active member of the Society of Camera Operators.

That depth of professional experience now drives his teaching. Santiago has earned an uncommon constellation of awards for a pre-tenure faculty member: Syracuse University's Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Teaching Recognition Award, the Broadcast Education Association's Innovation in Teaching Award, the University Film and Video Association's Teaching Excellence Award for Junior Faculty, and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication's Innovations in Teaching Award. He also held an Emerging Technology Faculty Fellowship at Newhouse. Whether he is guiding students through cinematic lighting design, nonfiction storytelling, or the ethical integration of generative AI, his courses are built on a simple conviction — students learn best when they are making real work for real audiences.

The results show in his students' work. Under Santiago's mentorship, Newhouse students have earned a first-place finish in the Hearst Multimedia Narrative Storytelling national competition, back-to-back Best of Festival honors at the BEA Media Arts Festival, and awards from the White House Press Photographers Association, the College Media Association, the Associated College Press, and the Collegiate Photographer of the Year program. His students have gone on to place in nearly every major collegiate media competition in the country — not as isolated wins, but as a consistent pattern of excellence that reflects the rigor and ambition he cultivates in every cohort.

Santiago's research sits at the intersection of emerging technology and the evolution of visual storytelling pedagogy. His early investigations into virtual production and augmented reality — including Unreal Engine certification and an ongoing collaboration with Canon U.S.A. on their AMLOS interactive imaging platform — have expanded into a broader inquiry into how technology is reshaping creative practice. He has designed and launched multiple AI-integrated courses at Newhouse, co-founded the Newhouse AI Creative Summit, and contributed a chapter on AI and cinematographic practice to the

I grew up in New York City, spent almost two decades behind the camera in Los Angeles, and came to Syracuse to help shape the next generation of talented and compassionate image makers. My goal has never been to get students to fit some prescribed idea of what a storyteller should be — it's to help them tap into their own unique talents and perspectives and equip them with the craft to mature their own voices and visions. My work lives at the intersection of craft and curiosity — whether I'm lighting a scene, building a new course, or exploring what emerging tech means for the future of the frame. Every student arrives with a different story, and my job is to make sure each one gets the best chance to create their best work. If you're a student, a fellow researcher, or someone with a story to tell, I'd love to hear from you.

"What sets Professor Santiago apart is his humanity. He hears and sees his students as people. He doesn't treat us like robots with unrealistic expectations — he treats us like equals capable of greatness."

— Murphy McFarlane, Newhouse '24

Hearst National Champion, BEA and CMA Award Winner

"I currently work for one of the most renowned visual production organizations in the world. And much of my ability to do so has come through my M.S. at Newhouse. One of the people who played a major role is certainly Professor Milton Santiago."

— Erik Makić, M.S. '23

Photo Team, National Geographic Magazine

"My first call for every project, a great eye, fast worker and knows not only how to make a pretty picture, but to help tell the story."

— Nick Fituri Scown

Emmy-Nominated Filmmaker

"I watched as students who had barely held a camera or opened Premiere took on documentary projects, became enthralled in video editing and came out the end of the semester feeling inspired and uplifted by Professor Santiago."

— Lydia Herne, B.S. '20, M.S. '23

Master's Committee Advisee

"On a personal level, I would not be pursuing filmmaking if I hadn't studied with Professor Santiago at Newhouse. The creation of my own projects, combined with his participatory teaching approach, convinced me that it was indeed possible for me to be part of this field."

— Xinning Li, B.S. '23

College Photographer of the Year Gold, Hearst Award Winner

"Milton possesses an immense fountain of knowledge, wisdom, and humility which allows him to approach creative collaboration with openness and practicality."

— Arnold Chun

Director and Actor

forthcoming Routledge volume Provoking Generative AI Futures: Merging Theory and Praxis. His conference presentations at BEA, UFVA, AEJMC, and the Visual Media Lab in Stuttgart reflect a scholar actively mapping how practitioners and educators should navigate this technological inflection point.

Santiago holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and English from Canisius College and an M.F.A. in Motion Picture Production from the University of Miami. He is an active member of the Society of Camera Operators, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Broadcast Educators Association, and the University Film and Video Association, and serves as faculty advisor to the Syracuse University Society of Cinematographers and the Syracuse chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.