CINQUA | Creative Documentary Agency, produces documentaries, non-fiction series, and branded content. Our work has been nominated for Emmys®, won multiple film festival awards, and appeared on The Criterion Channel, Starz, PBS, in movie theaters, and at art and cultural institutions worldwide.
John Carluccio & Tracy E. Hopkins a husband-and-wife creative duo whose work effortlessly blends artistry, journalism, and a deep love for storytelling. John, a visionary artist and filmmaker, and Tracy, an arts and culture writer, bring together their unique points of view and instincts to craft stories that are rich in spirit, emotion, and musicality. Whether through documentary film, entertainment journalism, or branded storytelling, their work sings with authenticity, uncovering hidden narratives and amplifying underrepresented voices.
John’s artistic vision is rooted in capturing subcultures and creative expression, translating movement, sound, and feeling into striking visual compositions.
Tracy’s journalistic sensibility infuses their storytelling with heart, nuance, and lyrical depth.
Together, they compose narratives that are both intimate and powerful—stories that pulse with life, resonate with history, and celebrate the artistry of the human experience. Their collaboration is more than storytelling; it’s a symphony of sight and sound, crafted to educate, entertain, and inspire.
John Carluccio | Cinematographer, Director, Editor, Producer
John is a two-time Emmy® nominated filmmaker who is best known for documenting obscure pockets of urban society and the creative process. He served as the Head of Development and Production at Dubspot music school. He produced over 400 short viral videos and created new web series and short documentaries as co-founder of the Dubspot Original Programming arm. Battle Sounds: Hip-hop DJ Documentary(1997), his seminal documentary project, is hailed as the first film to document the Turntablism movement in the 1990s. Additionally, John has directed and produced over 500 short films and pieces of branded content for broadcast TV and digital networks that have aired nationally and internationally. He shoots and edits many of his projects, which all have an intimate quality created by his unmistakable hand and ability to get up close and personal with his subjects literally. The award-winning Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back (2019) is a shining example of John’s signature style which has a distinct musicality.
Tracy E. Hopkins | Writer, Director, Producer
Tracy is an award-winning and accomplished lifestyle and entertainment journalist. She is a “story first” producer/writer/director, who brings heart, soul, and honesty to her depictions of race, class, and culture. Her work has appeared in numerous media outlets including The Associated Press, PEOPLE, Essence, Entertainment Weekly, Prevention, Dance Magazine, and Sisters from AARP. For the Maurice Hines documentary, Tracy leveraged her considerable writing, research, and project and talent management skills throughout the production process to guide, shape, and inform the storytelling. She also has worked on documentaries for the Emmy-winning Drifting Cloud Productions, including Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Hulu) and Look Into My Eyes (A24/Max).
John Carluccio is a visionary Brooklyn-based filmmaker and artist renowned for documenting niche urban cultures and the creative process, using innovative storytelling designed to elevate underrepresented communities.
His groundbreaking documentary Battle Sounds captured the rise of Turntablism in the 1990s and premiered at the prestigious 1997 Whitney Biennial. The project brought legitimacy and recognition to an underground phenomenon, cementing its place in music history. Celebrated as a pioneer, Carluccio has earned legendary status within the Turntablism and DJ community, where his work continues to innovate, inspire, and shape the vision of artists, DJs, and avant-garde musicians worldwide.
Carluccio’s early career saw him create a wide range of short films documenting various aspects of the urban world, including art, sports, and community. His work includes The Price of Getting Up, a short film about a collaborative installation with graffiti artists ESPO, REAS, and Barry McGee at Deitch Projects, and Cease & Desist, which explores sneaker culture with artist Ari Saal Forman. A reliable cameraman for networks like BET and Madison Square Garden, Carluccio also worked as a producer, editor, and shooter for Current TV, where he produced over 20 documentaries covering diverse creative communities in New York City. As staff editor/producer at Brooklyn Independent Television (BIT), he earned the network its first-ever Emmy nomination.
In 2010, Carluccio joined the staff of the electronic music school Dubspot as Head of Development and Production. There, he built a small video team that created over 400 educational and inspirational videos for the Dubspot YouTube Channel. He co-founded the Dubspot Original Programming arm, producing web series and short documentaries featuring prominent figures in electronic music, such as Nile Rodgers, Carl Craig, DJ Spinna, and Richie Hawtin. His programming also included shows like Paul Vs. Paul, Clive Chin: The Lost Archives, and Marley Marl ‘Classic Recipes’ which highlighted the contributions of key musicians, DJs, and producers within the EDM world.
In 2014, Carluccio founded CINQUA, a creative documentary company that produces innovative content to educate, entertain, and inspire. Through CINQUA, he has directed and produced projects for organizations such as the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, NYC DOT Art, Smack Mellon Gallery, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, and brands like Ableton, Native Instruments, Serato, and Roland Corp. In 2019, Carluccio directed the award-winning documentary feature Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back, a heartfelt portrait of the often-overlooked elder song-and-dance man Maurice Hines.
Tracy has a 20+ year career in journalism, during which she has interviewed hundreds of performing artists and celebrities. Her journey began at Howard University, where she was a dedicated reporter for the school’s prestigious The Hilltop newspaper. After graduating, Tracy became a staff reporter and entertainment columnist for the historic Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper in her hometown.
In the early ’90s, Tracy moved to New York City and achieved her dream of writing for Rolling Stone Magazine. She went on to build a successful career in lifestyle and entertainment publishing as a staff editor at Heart & Soul Magazine, a health and fitness publication for Black women, and a freelance writer for Essence, Vibe, The Associated Press, Woman’s Day, Fodor’s, and Dance Magazine. Additionally, she worked as a fact-checker for Entertainment Weekly and Ladies’ Home Journal and served as a red carpet reporter for PEOPLE Magazine.
Tracy played a key role in shaping the digital music experience as a Music Content Editor for Barnes & Noble’s e-commerce site, curating music collections and editorial features that highlighted both emerging and legendary artists across genres. Through in-depth interviews with such as Erykah Badu, Al Green, Chaka Khan, and Lionel Richie, she explored their artistic journeys, cultural impact, and lasting influence on music history, providing deeper storytelling for the platform’s audience. Currently, she contributes as a writer and music playlist curator for Sisters from AARP, a newsletter for women of color aged 40+.
Tracy transitioned into documentary filmmaking by collaborating with John on the award-winning Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back. Her journalistic instincts kept the story grounded, while John’s art school background shaped the film’s visual and musical rhythm. As a nonfiction filmmaker, Tracy is passionate about amplifying the stories of Black creatives and cultural pioneers. She served as an Associate Producer on the acclaimed docuseries Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Hulu, 2023) and as a Story Associate Producer on Look Into My Eyes (A24 /Max, 2025), a Sundance-selected documentary. Currently, she is a story producer on a project exploring climate change and Black reproductive justice.
We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded brands, organizations, and creatives who share our passion for telling meaningful, thought-provoking stories. If you’re interested in working with CINQUA or learning more about our projects, please don’t hesitate to reach out. • CONTACT PAGE •
