Digital Forensics
Celeste Makoff works at the intersection of technology and law, where the authenticity and integrity of digital evidence are paramount. Her role as an executive in the digital forensics and e-discovery field centers on analyzing complex digital records, recovering hidden information, and presenting results in a manner that can withstand legal and investigative scrutiny.
Her work involves tracing the “life story” of a document—revealing how, when, and by whom it was created, modified, or transmitted. This includes examining metadata, version histories, and embedded material that are often invisible in standard review.
In addition to document-level analysis, Celeste frequently investigates underlying databases and file systems, with particular experience in SQLite and other lightweight structures.
Her forensic practice is guided by principles of clarity and reproducibility. Every stage of her work, from collection to reporting, is documented to ensure transparency and defensibility. This emphasis on methodological rigor, combined with technical fluency, enables her to transform obscure digital traces into reliable, actionable evidence.
Celeste will be presenting at the NADE/AFDE Symposium in Kansas City 2025.
”Deep Metadata in PDFs: Hidden Digital Fingerprints – What Forensic Document Examiners Need to Know About Metadata”
“The AI Revolution in Document Forensics”
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Composition - Musical Theatre
Celeste Makoff is a Japanese-Jewish composer, playwright, orchestrator, and digital forensics analyst based in New York City. Celeste and Director Hunter Bird co-developed the musical CRASHLIGHT — a show about the power of music as a tool of political control. Crashlight is currently on track to being staged in 2023 alongside Forbes 30 Under 30 Music Supervisor Macy Schmidt and Tony Award Winning Producer Nick Demos.
*In 2016, Celeste produced a workshop production of the very first version of Crashlight and has since rewritten the show entirely - including 25 brand new fully orchestrated songs.*
Visit the CRASHLIGHT WEBSITE to hear the full soundtrack.
CRASHLIGHT was a two-time finalist in the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) Festival of New Musicals (2023 and 2024,) and was a semi-finalist in the Eugene O’Neill National Music Theater Conference in 2022. It also received an honorable mention from the Relentless Award in 2022.
In February 2023, the music of CRASHLIGHT debuted in a sneak-peek industry concert at Broadway Plus in midtown, featuring performances from Broadway's Mykal Kilgore, Lianah Sta. Ana, and Kerstin Anderson. The event was covered by Playbill, Broadway World, and Time Square Chronicles.
Celeste attended Tisch School of the Arts and graduated with high honors in the Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing with a minor in Documentary Film. During her sophomore year, she founded Peach Pie Productions, a New York City based theatre production / media company. Under her direction, the company has produced shows in New York City and San Francisco. In 2017, she was lead producer for a Requiem written by the renowned Eric Lewis who was the original first chair violinist of the Manhattan String Quartet.
Celeste trained at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in classical guitar and music theory and studied at Interlochen Arts Academy for creative writing and classical guitar.
Contact
All musical theatre inquiries can be directed to Lauren at: Crashlightrsvp@gmail.com