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ASC Awards Nominees


Max Jacoby

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I just came accross this year's ASC awards nominees:

 

John Toll (Last Samurai)

John Schwartzman (Seabiscuit)

Andrew Lesnie (Lord of the Rings)

John Seale (Cold Mountain)

Russell Boyd (Master and Commander)

 

Is it just me or do the same people get nomminated each year? And do you have to be in the ASC to get nomminated or do they just automatically presume that their members do the best work at the exclusion of everybody else?

 

Of the above films I have seen 'Seabiscuit' and 'Master and Commander' and while I wasn't particularly impressed by 'Seabiscuit', I thought 'Master and Commander' was pretty dreadful looking. An awfuly DI with some really soft-looking wide shots, lighting I didn't care for at all and a focus-puller who has never heard of rock-and-rolling.

 

I thought 'Elephant' looked better than any of those two films, just like 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' (which I haven't seen yet, but I worked on it and some off the rushes just made my jaw drop)

 

Max Jacoby

currently 2nd AC B-Cam'The Merchant of Venice'

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<And do you have to be in the ASC to get nominated or do they just automatically presume that their members do the best work at the exclusion of everybody else?>

 

 

Well neither Andrew Lesnie or Russell Boyd, to my knowledge, are members of the ASC. Yet.

 

The ASC seems to recognize the work of several non member Canadian and British cinematographers when it comes to television mini-series and movies of the week more than they do with features. In that area, I recall Steven Frierberg being nominated and winning an ASC award for his work on "Attila" prior to becoming a member. I also believe the same was for Bill Roe for his work on "The X-Files".

 

That said I would have rather have seen the films photographed by Serra, Prieto, Richardson, Deakins, Mullen and Savides (twice) in the place of at least two of those nominated cinematographers.

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My only comment, looking at the list, is that it is obviously easier to impress people doing period or fantasy work than when photographing a contemporary story.

 

Of course, I'm guilty too of liking period photography more...

I have to say that I beleive what makes or breaks a period piece, visually, is the production design. Photography comes second. Only if I feel immersed into that world will I automatically begin to examine the photography.

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Well, obviously production design is critical to create recreate a period, unless the story takes place in an empty landscape and all you have is a cowboy on a horse.

 

But lighting is critical too. The reason why it's easier to impress people is that a period setting allows you -- forces you -- to use more source lighting and more natural light (if it's a pre-electricty period.) And these sources just look nicer on film -- candlelight, lantern light, window light, etc. The progression of daylight even becomes more of a visual statement. And of course these images remind us of the paintings of that period.

 

By comparison, the modern world is garish and clutttered, lit haphazardly, over-lit, with little in harmony with natural light. Of course, you make create art with these urban elements (look at Chris Doyle's work) but it's harder to control. With a period film, often everything in the frame is intentional because it had to be brought in. So by nature of recreating the past, you are controlling the color schemes, etc.

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Hi,

 

I sort of agree with Mr. Mullen's thoughts about shooting period stuff. I think the specific danger of shooting modern-day stuff is that it does tempt you to completely production design it anyway, which can mean that it ends up looking slightly unreal. I loved the way "Twin Falls Idaho" was shot, but if I had any criticism, it was that there possibly just isn't that much pink and green in the world if you want to consider how realistic it was.

 

Someone may remember last year I posted some images of something I'd shot of someone in RAF uniform. Because I had the opportunity to build a (very modest) set to do it on, I could make it all blue - and it ended up being a bit overpowering. The point here is that the gorgeousness of period stuff is probably just as available to a production set in contemporary (or even futuristic) times, it's just a case of how much you can spend on sets and dressing.

 

Phil

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Not very impressed with the cinematography in either of these

films. Not bad, just not earth shattering.

 

Saw the Last Samurai yesterday and I consider myself a huge

Toll fan, but this just felt uninspired. Looked like super-35 even

though it was shot on anamorphic. Strange.

 

Cold Mountain felt the same way. I found myself only enjoying the

picture of Natalie Portman watching through the window at Jude

Law at night in her cabin. That looked fantastic.

 

Master and Commander I quite liked. I thought the cinematography

was rather harsh and hard at times. But the monochrome moonlit

nightshots of the shipdeck were rather nice.

 

The other night Pacific Heights showed on TV. Shot by Amir Mokri.

Had a great late 80's look with really crisp visuals and great compositions.

I know I've asked this before, why the hell isn't he in the ASC? He's

really good. And has been for like 15 years.

 

And David, if you want pretty urban cinematography, why not re-watch

The Game. Brilliant work. So it's not impossible to make cluttered,

mismatched urban grittiness look good. I just wish I knew how they did

it:-)

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Amir Mokri...I know I've asked this before, why the hell isn't he in the ASC? He's really good. And has been for like 15 years.

 

 

I agree, I thought he did excellent work in "Salton Sea" as well.

 

A few other names of cinematographers who I'd like to see invited to join the ASC:

 

 

Daniel Pearl

Lisa Rinzler

Remi Adefarasin, BSC

Malik Hassan Sayeed

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>I loved the way "Twin Falls Idaho" was shot, but if I had any criticism, it was that

>there possibly just isn't that much pink and green in the world if you want to consider

>how realistic it was.

 

Well, I think realism is over-rated. Besides, a siamese twins love story does give you some creative license.... ;)

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Wizards of Oz

 

Hi,

 

These nominations seem to reflect the number of prominent and bloody good cinematographers from Down Under around at the moment - Boyd, Seale and Lesnie are all Ossies. Add in Dion Beebe and Donald McAlpine, and it's a pretty awesome array of talent. Obviously it's just not on the sporting field that they punch above their weight.

 

Cheers

Adam

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  • 4 weeks later...
Is it just me or do the same people get nominated each year? And do you have to be in the ASC to get nominated or do they just automatically presume that their members do the best work at the exclusion of everybody else?

 

If you look at the nominiees this year there are quite a lot of non ASC members. I feel the ASC does a pretty good job of both keeping the bar high and recognizing new tallent.

 

John Aronson, Chris Manley, Eric Scmidt, Michael Mayers, Tami Reiker wre all nominated this year.

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I have to say that I beleive what makes or breaks a period piece, visually, is the production design. Photography comes second. Only if I feel immersed into that world will I automatically begin to examine the photography.

"Some have been kind enough to say that my cinematography on GWPE looks like Vermeer's paintings, but in fact, I didn't do anything that I wouldn't have done if I were telling the story on that set about someone other than Vermeer. If you took The Godfather and and changed the costumes to the 17th century, everyone would say 'Gordon Willis has recreated Rembrandt.' I didn't want to make GWPE a visual statement, because photography shouldn't take precedence over the story. The first thing I said to director Webber was, 'People shouldn't leave the teather saying, every frame is a painting,' because the most important things are emotion and story.'" - Eduardo Serra, AFC, ASC (AC Jan '04 pp. 95)

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