Frederick Elmes
Frederick Elmes, ASC (born November 4, 1946) is an American cinematographer, known for his association with the independent film movement.[1][2] He is a long-time collaborator of directors David Lynch, Ang Lee, Charlie Kaufman, Jim Jarmusch, and Todd Solondz. He has won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography twice, for Wild at Heart (1990) and Night on Earth (1991), and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series for The Night Of (2016).[3][4]
Frederick Elmes | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 4, 1946 |
| Other names | Fred Elmes |
| Education | Rochester Institute of Technology AFI Conservatory |
| Years active | 1970-present |
| Awards | Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography 1991 Wild at Heart 1992 Night on Earth |
| Website | fredelmes |
Life and career
Born in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, Elmes studied photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology, then attended the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, graduating in 1972. He enrolled in the Graduate Film Program at New York University's Department of Film and Television and graduated in 1975.[5]
At the American Film Institute, Elmes met aspiring film director David Lynch, who hired him for Eraserhead (1977). Since then the two have collaborated on Blue Velvet (1986) and Wild at Heart (1990).[6][7] Elmes is also a frequent collaborator with directors Ang Lee and Jim Jarmusch.[8] Elmes has been a member of the American Society of Cinematographers since 1993.
Filmography
Feature films
Short films
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Amputee | David Lynch | |
| 1976 | Number One | Dyan Cannon | |
| 1978 | The Flight of the Gossamer Condor | Ben Shedd | |
| 1987 | Liebestod | Franc Roddam | Segment of Aria |
| 1988 | Speed Demon Smooth Criminal Come Together |
Jerry Kramer Colin Chilvers |
Segments of Moonwalker |
| 2001 | Chosen | Ang Lee | Segment of The Hire |
| 2002 | Int. Trailer Night | Jim Jarmusch | Segment of Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet |
| 2017 | Hair | John Turturro | |
Documentaries
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Street Scenes | Martin Scorsese |
| 1983 | Citizen: The Political Life of Allard K. Lowenstein | Julie M. Thompson |
| 1985 | Broken Rainbow | Maria Florio Victoria Mudd |
| 1987 | Heaven | Diane Keaton |
| 1990 | Hollywood Mavericks | Florence Dauman Dale Ann Stieber |
Television
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8 | Jeremy Kagan | |
| 1988 | Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Closed Set | Mollie Miller | |
| 1997 | In the Gloaming | Christopher Reeve | Nominated- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography |
Mini-series
| Year | Title | Director | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The French as Seen by... | Werner Herzog David Lynch |
2 episodes |
| 1998 | The Wedding | Charles Burnett | |
| 2014 | Olive Kitteridge | Lisa Cholodenko | |
| 2016 | The Night Of | Steven Zaillian | 4 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series ("Ordinary Death") |
| 2018 | The Looming Tower | Michael Slovis Craig Zisk |
4 episodes |
Other credits
Assistant camera
| Year | Title | Director | DoP. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Invasion of the Blood Farmers | Ed Adlum | Roberta Findlay |
| 1974 | A Woman Under the Influence | John Cassavetes | Al Ruban Mitch Breit |
| 1976 | The Killing of a Chinese Bookie | ||
| 1977 | Young Lady Chatterley | Alan Roberts | Bob Brownell |
Camera operator
| Year | Title | Director | DoP. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Opening Night | John Cassavetes | Al Ruban |
| 1979 | A Force of One | Paul Aaron | Roger Shearman |
Additional photography
| Year | Title | Director | DoP. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Real Life | Albert Brooks | Eric Saarinen |
| 1981 | Modern Romance | ||
| 1984 | Dune | David Lynch | Freddie Francis |
| 1998 | The Object of My Affection | Nicholas Hytner | Oliver Stapleton |
2nd unit photography
| Year | Title | Director | DoP. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Red Dawn | John Milius | Ric Waite |
| 1985 | Real Genius | Martha Coolidge | Vilmos Zsigmond |
References
- "Fred Elmes, asc - Director of Photography". fredelmes.com. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- "The ASC -- American Cinematographer: ASC Close-Up". theasc.com. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- "FREDERICK ELMES". www.cinematographers.nl. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- "Frederick Elmes's Top 10". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- Frederick Elmes at the Encyclopedia of Cinematographers
- "AFI Honors Cinematographer Frederick Elmes". American Film. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- "Flashback: Blue Velvet - The American Society of Cinematographers". ascmag.com. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- "Fred Elmes ASC / Paterson". British Cinematographer. November 28, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2019.