Robert Elswit

Robert Christopher Elswit, ASC (born April 22, 1950) is an American cinematographer. He has collaborated with Paul Thomas Anderson on six of his films and won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for There Will Be Blood.[2] Elswit has also collaborated with directors and screenwriters Tony and Dan Gilroy on all of the six films that either brother directed.

Robert Elswit
Born
Robert Christopher Elswit

(1950-04-22) April 22, 1950[1]
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
EducationAFI Conservatory
OccupationCinematographer
Known forGood Night, and Good Luck
There Will Be Blood
TitleASC
Awards

Biography

Elswit was born in Los Angeles.[3] An early short film he worked on was the 1982 television adaptation of Ray Bradbury's short story All Summer in a Day. Elswit worked as a visual effects camera operator at John Dykstra's Apogee Productions Inc. on each film, including Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Empire Strikes Back and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,[4][5] before shooting made-for-television films and shows. Elswit has been a fierce defender of shooting on film, and whenever possible avoids using digital cameras. Images shot digitally, he said, have "no texture, no grain."[6] He started shooting digitally, starting with Nightcrawler. Elswit has worked with George Clooney several times. He shot his black and white, multiple-Oscar nominated films Good Night, and Good Luck. Elswit shot the film in color, and converted the film into black and white in post production. According to Elswit, the technique preserved the subtlety of the colors (as complex shades of blacks and greys) and made the overall look much richer in the final film.[7] Elswit was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Good Night, and Good Luck, but lost to Dion Beebe for Memoirs of a Geisha. Elswit won the award for There Will Be Blood in 2008.[8] Elswit has cited early independent filmmaker John Cassavetes as a major influence. Elswit is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and worked there as a teaching assistant. Elswit is the godfather to the actor Jake Gyllenhaal. [9]

Filmography

Film
Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Title Director Notes
1981 The End of August Bob Graham
1982 Waltz Across Texas Ernest Day
1985 The Sure Thing Rob Reiner
Moving Violations Neal Israel
Desert Hearts Donna Deitch
1986 Trick or Treat Charles Martin Smith
1987 Amazing Grace and Chuck Mike Newell
1988 Return of the Living Dead Part II Ken Wiederhorn
1989 How I Got into College Savage Steve Holland
Heart of Dixie Martin Davidson
1990 Bad Influence Curtis Hanson
1991 Paris Trout Stephen Gyllenhaal
1992 The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Curtis Hanson
Waterland Stephen Gyllenhaal
1993 A Dangerous Woman
1994 The River Wild Curtis Hanson
1996 Hard Eight Paul Thomas Anderson First of 6 collaborations with Anderson
The Pallbearer Matt Reeves
Boys Stacy Cochran
1997 Boogie Nights Paul Thomas Anderson
Tomorrow Never Dies Roger Spottiswoode
1999 8mm Joel Schumacher
Magnolia Paul Thomas Anderson
2000 Bounce Don Roos
2001 Heist David Mamet
2002 Impostor Gary Fleder
Punch-Drunk Love Paul Thomas Anderson
2003 Behind the Red Door Matia Karrell
Gigli Martin Brest
Runaway Jury Gary Fleder
2005 Good Night, and Good Luck George Clooney
Syriana Stephen Gaghan
2006 American Dreamz Paul Weitz
2007 Michael Clayton Tony Gilroy
There Will Be Blood Paul Thomas Anderson
2008 Redbelt David Mamet
The Burning Plain Guillermo Arriaga
2009 Duplicity Tony Gilroy
The Men Who Stare at Goats Grant Heslov
2010 The Town Ben Affleck
Salt Phillip Noyce
2011 Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol Brad Bird
2012 The Bourne Legacy Tony Gilroy
2014 Inherent Vice Paul Thomas Anderson
Nightcrawler Dan Gilroy First of 3 collaborations with Dan Gilroy
2015 Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation Christopher McQuarrie
2016 Gold Stephen Gaghan
2017 Suburbicon George Clooney
Roman J. Israel, Esq. Dan Gilroy
2018 Skyscraper Rawson Marshall Thurber
Write When You Get Work Stacy Cochran
2019 Velvet Buzzsaw Dan Gilroy
2020 The King of Staten Island Judd Apatow
2021 King Richard Reinaldo Marcus Green
2024 Bob Marley: One Love † Filming

Short films
Year Title Director
1988 Cadillac Dreams Matia Karrell
2010 Lost Masterpieces of Pornography David Mamet
2019 Apple Snowbrawl David Leitch

Television

TV movies

Year Title Director
1981 A Single Light Karl Epstein
1983 Tiger Town Alan Shapiro
1986 The Children of Times Square Curtis Hanson
1987 Into the Homeland Lesli Linka Glatter
Long Gone Martin Davidson
1989 Double Exposure: The Story of Margaret Bourke-White Lawrence Schiller
1990 A Killing in a Small Town Stephen Gyllenhaal
Opposites Attract Noel Nosseck
1991 Prison Stories: Women on the Inside Donna Deitch
Joan Micklin Silver
Penelope Spheeris
The Summer My Father Grew Up Michael Tuchner
1992 A Murderous Affair: The Carolyn Warmus Story Martin Davidson

TV series

Year Title Director Notes
1985 CBS Schoolbreak Special Michael Toshiyuki Uno Episode: "The War Between the Classes"
1992 Human Target Max Tash Episode: "Pilot"
1997 Prince StreetRoger SpottiswoodeEpisode: "Pilot"
2016 The Night Of Steven Zaillian 2 episodes
TBA Ripley 8 episodes[10]

Awards and nominations

Academy Award for Best Cinematography

American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography

Austin Film Critics Association for Best Cinematography

Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Cinematography

BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography

Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography

British Society of Cinematographers Award for Best Cinematography

CableACE Award for Direction of Photography and/or Lighting Direction for a Dramatic or Theatrical Special/Movie or Miniseries

Camerimage Golden Frog Award

Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography

Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography

  • 1986: CBS Schoolbreak Special (1984)

(For episode "The War Between The Classes")

Houston Film Critics Society for Best Cinematography

Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography

International Online Cinema Awards for Best Cinematography

International Online Film Critics' Poll Award for Best Cinematography

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography

National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cinematographer

New York Film Critics Online for Best Cinematography

Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cinematography

San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Cinematography

Satellite Award for Best Cinematography

St. Louis Film Critics Association

Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography

References
  1. Robert Elswit - Biography. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 7th, 2010.
  2. Eugene Hernandez, "Decade: Paul Thomas Anderson on 'There Will Be Blood'," indieWIRE (December 24, 2009) Retrieved June 4, 2010.
  3. Frost, Jacqueline B. (March 17, 2021). Conversations with Contemporary Cinematographers: The Eye Behind the Lens. Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, UK: Taylor & Francis. p. 35. ISBN 9781000359855.
  4. "ROBERT ELSWIT". www.cinematographers.nl. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  5. "A Little More Than Luck on Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck - Studio Daily". Studio Daily. 2006-01-01. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  6. "A Little More Than Luck on Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck," StudioDaily (January 1, 2006) Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  7. "A Little More Than Luck on Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck," StudioDaily (January 1, 2006) Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  8. Robert Elswit - Awards. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 7th, 2010.
  9. "Conversations with Jake Gyllenhaal". YouTube.
  10. Dillon, Mark (September 2022). "The Traditionalist". American Cinematographer. Hollywood, Los Angeles: American Society of Cinematographers. 103 (9): 53. ISSN 0002-7928.
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