American Society of Cinematographers

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki

ONE HOUR TELEVISION SERIES: Game of Thrones- Jonathan Freeman ("Valar Doharis")
HALF HOUR TELEVISION SERIES: Drunk History- Blake McClure ("Detroit")
TELEVISION MOTION PICTURE: Killing Lincoln- Jeremy Benning

ASC INTERNATIONAL AWARD: Eduardo Serra
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Dean Cundey

American Society of Cinematographers Nominations

This morning of craziness continues with the ASC nominations.  Ever decisive this year, the guild chose seven (?!#@) choices this year.  A strong field and a strong field of films not nominated, however this appears to be a category all but done with.  Gravity should prevail; cinemaphile purists who get all hot and bothered by the mix of visual effects and old-fashioned cinematography (a worthy argument, if not completely applicable within an awards context) will continue to be outraged.

12 Years a Slave- Sean Bobbitt, BSC

Captain Phillips- Barry Ackroyd, BSC

The Grandmaster- Philippe Le Sourd

Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC

Inside Llewyn Davis- Bruno Delbonnel, ASC, AFC

Nebraska- Phedon Papamichael, ASC

Prisoners- Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC

American Society of Cinematographers Award

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Roger Deakins, Skyfall

The ASC honors the masterful Deakins for his work on Sam Mendes' Skyfall, you is also up for the Academy Award this year.  While Deakins remains one of the true poets of the medium, he has yet to win the Academy Award despit 10 nominations.  He's had better luck with the ASC as this claims his third prize (after wins for The Shawshank Redemption and The Man Who Wasn't There, plus a Lifetime Achievement Award two years ago.)  The ASC isn't a particular good bellwether in terms of the Academy-- rather hit or miss-- last year they chose Emmanuel Lubezki for his work on The Tree of Life, while Hugo won the Academy Award.  I still strongly believe the smart money for the Oscar lies in Life of Pi. 

American Society of Cinematographer Nominations

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Anna Karenina- Seamus McGarvey
Les Miserables- Danny Cohen
Life of Pi- Claudio Miranda
Lincoln- Janusz Kaminski
Skyfall- Roger Deakins

A formidable selection and a tight race, like many this year, and another go around of may-it-be/will-it-be finally the year that the much nominated cinematographer/poet Roger Deakins can claim a statue.  The ASC isn't always the best indicator for the Oscar- Deakins himself claim that to be true winning here.  The variety in the lensing of these films is quite spectacular from the theatricality of Anna Karenina, the controversially shot in close-up Les Miserables, the majestic wonder of Life of Pi, the austere, but regally naturalistic look of Lincoln to the eye candy spectacle of Skyfall.  In this most contentious year of a near embarrassment of riches, one could easily see some adjustments in the line-up tomorrow morning with Zero Dark Thirty, The Master and Django Unchained noticeably absent.

American Society of Cinematographer Awards

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY OF 2011:

The Tree of Life- Emmanuel Lubezki

While I may not have been the biggest fan of the muddy origin story helmed by Terrence Malick, I am fully behind any and all awards bestowed to masterful d.p.\poet Lubezki.  His work in The Tree of Life is fluid and artful, full of daring and plenty of, "How in the hell did you get that shot" moments.  His work with Malick is already impressive-- he also lensed his 2005's film The New World, and received an Oscar nomination-- and is the preferred choice for brave auteurs like Malick and Alfonso Cuaron.  He has four prior Oscar nominations to his credit, including the brilliantly shot Children of Men, and no wins thus far.  This needs to change this year.  If The Tree of Life is nothing but a long stream of delicately precise screen savor shots, it's still the best shot void of the year.

American Society of Cinematographers Nominations

The best pieces of cinematography of 2011, as per their own peers are:

• The Artist- Guillaume Schiffman
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo- Jeff Cronenweth
• Hugo- Robert Richardson
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy- Hoyte Van Hoytema
• The Tree of Life- Emmanuel Lubezki

The biggest surprise must be the inclusion of Van Hoytema for his work on Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which has had a soft awards run so.  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo's inclusion should be surprising, considering films it bested, but it's awards (and specifically guild) turn-up has been the most surprising element of the second stage of Oscar mania.  With it's near perfect (save for SAG) guild run, could this film really be on its way to a Best Picture nomination?  Really...this is second-tier Fincher people; just stating.

SOME TRIVIA:
Schiffman, a longtime collaborator of The Artist director Michel Hazanavicius back in France is celebrating his first ASC nomination.  His work also includes last year's art house flick Gainsbourgh: A Heroic Life (a Best Make-Up finalist for this years Oscars.)  Very likely he'll be championed by the Academy.

Cronenweth has collaborated with David Fincher before, earning both an ASC and Oscar nomination last year for his (far superior) work on The Social Network.  He has also lensed Fight Club, Down With Love and One Hour Photo.

Richardson is one of the biggest and most acclaimed cinematographers currently working, and the current go-to-cameraman for both Scorsese and Tarantino.  He started to gain notoriety for his work with Oliver Stone, earning his first ASC nomination for 1989's Born on the Fourth of July and his first Oscar nomination for 1987's Platoon.  While this is his tenth ASC nomination (he was last nominated for 2009's Inglourious Basterds), he has yet the win the prize.  Richardson has, however, been Oscar-nominated six times and the Oscar twice-- for The Aviator (2004) and JFK (1991.)

Van Hoytema is receiving his first ASC mention, but has produced memorable work on films such as The Fighter and his last collaboration with Tinker Tailor director Tomas Alfredsen-- the dreamy vampire coming of age tale Let the Right One In.

Lubezki is one of the major cinematographers of modern cinema.  While that sounds like hyperbole, his work backs up that statement.  The preferred DP of Alfonso Cuaron and, now Terrence Malick has illuminated movie screens with some of the astonishing and inventive camera work of last fifty years.  He earns his third ASC mention for his work on The Tree of Life, a film I didn't even care for mostly, but still deserves to win-- he was previously honored by the ASC for the startlingly brilliant work he did for 2006's Children of Men and was also nominated in 1999 for Sleepy Hollow.  He has earned four Oscar nominations for Children of Men, The New World, Sleepy Hollow and A Little Princess-- he has yet to win!!!!

Last years line-up was:

• Black Swan
• Inception
• The King's Speech
• The Social Network
• True Grit

In a rare move-- the Oscar nominations matched 100% and Inception took both prizes.  If that holds true this year, than films like War Horse, Drive and Midnight in Paris will be one nomination-less than perhaps hoped for.

American Society of Cinematographers

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Inception- Wally Pfister

Wow, I totally suck at predicting guild winners...totally deserved however.

This marks Wally Pfister's third nomination with the ASC (the other two were for past Nolan enterprises Batman Begins and The Dark Knight), and his first win.  Indelibly, awesome and instantly iconic imagery.  I approve...

Cinematography

The cinematographers (ASC) guild announces their award tomorrow night...a look at the guild's past recipients:

In blue is where the guild correlated with Oscar!

2009: The White Ribbon- Christian Berger
2008: Slumdog Millionaire- Anthony Dod Mantle
2007: There Will Be Blood- Robert Elswit
2006: Children of Men- Emmanuel Lebuezki
2005: Memoirs of a Geisha- Dion Beebe
2004: A Very Long Engagement- Bruno Delbonnel
2003: Seabiscuit- John Schwartzman
2002: Road to Perdition- Conrad L. Hall
2001: The Man Who Wasn't There- Roger Deakins
2000: The Patriot- Caleb Deschanel
1999: American Beauty- Conrad L. Hall
1998: The Thin Red Line- John Toll
1997: Titanic- Russell Carpenter
1996: The English Patient- John Seale
1995: Braveheart- John Toll
1994: The Shawshank Redemption- Roger Deakins
1993: Searching for Bobby Fischer- Conrad L. Hall
1992: Hoffa- Stephen H. Burum
1991: Bugsy- Allen Daviau
1990: Dances with Wolves- Dean Semler
1989: Blaze- Haskell Wexler
1988: Tequilla Sunrise- Conrad L. Hall
1987: Empire of the Sun- Allen Daviau
1986: Peggy Sue Got Married- Jordan Cronenweth

So they don't always agree; often it seems the ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) tend to go with the more daring, or unconventionally filmed choice rather than just the pretty landscape that typically wins the Oscar.  Lenser\poet Roger Deakins has been honored twice by the guild, and despite a plethora of Oscar nominations to his credit hasn't won the Oscar yet.  He's likely the predicted frontrunner this year for his work in True Grit, which features very pretty landscapes.

2010 NOMINATIONS

• Black Swan- Matthew Libatique
• Inception- Wally Pfister
• The King's Speech- Danny Cohen
• The Social Network- Jeff Cronenweth
• True Grit- Roger Deakins

I'm predicting that Libatique will take home the ASC award, since Deakins will be receiving a lifetime achievement award from the guild this year...if they'll embrace an unsettling black and white Michael Hanake (last year's The White Ribbon), then a ballet freakout is certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

American Society of Cinematographers Nominations

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Black Swan- Matthew Libatique
• Inception- Wally Pfister
• The King's Speech- Danny Cohen
• The Social Network- Jeff Cronenweth
• True Grit- Roger Deakins

2010 in images.

I happily applaud the members of the ASC for acknowledging that great camerawork in motion pictures isn't merely dictated by pretty pictures.  Arguably True Grit is the only real "traditional" type film mentioned with roaring landscapes.  The others are far more specific to stories they are telling, either frightening indie thriller (Black Swan), textured period piece (The King's Speech), immaculate character piece (The Social Network), or big-budget extravaganza (Inception.)  And on that acknowledgment, I'll refrain from complaint, however if the Academy did decide to shake up this fine category just a tad bit, wouldn't I Am Love make a fine nominee.  Just a suggestion.

American Society of Cinematographers Nominees

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Avatar- Mauro Fiore
  
• The Hurt Locker- Barry Aykroyd
• Inglourious Basterds- Robert Richardson
  
• Nine- Dion Beebe
• The White Ribbon- Christian Berger
  

American Society of Cinematographers Nominations

The best filmed pictures of the year are:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Claudia Miranda
The Dark Knight- Wally Pfister
The Reader- Chris Menges & Roger Deakins
Revolutionary Road- Roger Deakins
Slumdog Millionaire- Anthony Dod Mantle

American Society of Cinematographers (ASC)

Robert Elswit won the Cinematograhers guild award for There Will Be Blood.

A fine choice in the odd year where the Oscars and the ASC matched 100%.

American Society of Cinematographers (ASC)

The first guild nominations have been released--

The Assassination of Jesse James- Roger Deakins
Atonement- Seamus McGravy
The Diving Bell & the Butterfly- Jamusz Kaminski
No Country For Old Men- Roger Deakins
There Will Be Blood- Robert Elswit

All pretty looking pictures-- YAY Mr. Deakins!!! I'm really torn as to which of films is more technically accomplished, but after viewing There Will Be Blood today (much more on that later), Mr. Elswit is awe-inspiring as well. It's really an embarrassment of riches this year.