Camera Guild Members Select Most Influential Cinematographers

Who are the most influential cinematographers in the relativelybrief history of filmmaking? Billy Bitzer, Jordan Cronenweth, ASC,Conrad L. Hall, ASC, James Wong Howe, ASC, Sven Nykvist, ASC, VittorioStoraro, ASC, AIC, Gregg Toland, ASC, Haskell Wexler, ASC, GordonWillis, ASC, Freddie Young, BSC, and Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC topped thelist according to a survey of International Cinematographers Guild(ICG) members. They will be recognized on a Wall of Fame at theGuild’s new national headquarters at 7755 Sunset Boulevard inHollywood. ICG will celebrate its 75th anniversary and commemorate theopening of its new headquarters at a gala event on November 8.

“We didn’t ask our members to select the most talentedor creative cinematographers, because that would be like asking artiststo choose between Dali and Rembrandt,” says ICG NationalPresident George Spiro Dibie, ASC. “We invited them to choose thecinematographers who have done the most to influence the art form. Thatwas still a very difficult decision. More than 300 cinematographersreceived votes.”

The ICG Top 10 Most Influential Cinematographers list, which isactually made up of 11 names due to a tie, features cinematographerswhose work spans the history of the industry. Bitzer, Howe, Toland andYoung were in the first and second generation of cinematographers whowere literally inventing a new visual language. Cronenweth, Hall,Nykvist, Storaro, Wexler, Willis, and Zsigmond were in the front ranksof a new wave of filmmakers who transformed the art form beginning inthe 1950s. They were “outsiders” with diverse backgroundsand different ways of thinking than the Hollywood cinematographers whoworked under contracts at studios.

ICG also released the names of 19 other cinematographers who rankedin the top 30 in the opinions of the 500-plus members who cast ballots.They are Nestor Almendros, ASC, Stanley Cortez, ASC, Allen Daviau, ASC,Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, Caleb Deschanel, ASC, George Spiro Dibie, ASC,William Fraker, ASC, Karl Freund, ASC, Janusz Kaminski, ASC, DariusKhondji, ASC, AFC, Laszlo Kovacs, ASC, Arthur Miller, ASC, RobertRichardson, ASC, Owen Roizman, ASC, Leon Shamroy, ASC, Dante Spinotti,ASC, Harry Stradling, ASC, Robert Surtees, ASC, and John Toll, ASC.

“Each of these cinematographers made unique and remarkablecontributions to defining and advancing an important form ofart,” says ICG Executive Director Bruce Doering. “Among thecommon denominators is that each of them was born with innate talentand an unquenchable dedication to their art form. Countless othercinematographers deserve this or similar recognition. More than 300 ofthem were cited on ballots. Our purpose is to say thanks and to paytribute to those who were chosen, and also to use this platform to drawattention to the largely unrecognized role that cinematographers haveplayed and will continue to play in the future.”

There are some 6,000 ICG members, including cinematographers andcamera crews who create the images for virtually all studio featuresand narrative films produced for U.S. television networks and cableoutlets, in addition to most of the best commercials, music videos anddocumentaries, and television news. ICG also represents stillphotographers and publicists who work on these projects. For additionalinformation, visit the International Cinematographers Guild website atwww.cameraguild.com.