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 April 22, 1950[1] Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Education | AFI Conservatory |
Occupation | Cinematographer |
Known for | Good Night, and Good Luck There Will Be Blood |
Title | ASC |
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.[9] 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.[10]
Filmography
Film
† | 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 | |
1983 | Summerspell | Lina Shanklin | |
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 | ||
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 | ||
2025 | Ella McCay † | James L. Brooks | Filming |
Short films
Year | Title | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Cadillac Dreams | Matia Karrell | |
1998 | Richard Lester! | Stacy Cochran | Documentary short |
2010 | Lost Masterpieces of Pornography | David Mamet | |
2019 | Apple Snowbrawl | David Leitch | |
Television
TV movies
Year | Title | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | A Single Light | Karl Epstein | |
1982 | All Summer in a Day | Ed Kaplan | |
1983 | Tiger Town | Alan Shapiro | |
1986 | The Children of Times Square | Curtis Hanson | |
1987 | A Different Affair | Noel Nosseck | |
Long Gone | Martin Davidson | ||
Into the Homeland | Lesli Linka Glatter | ||
1989 | Double Exposure: The Story of Margaret Bourke-White | Lawrence Schiller | |
1990 | A Killing in a Small Town | Stephen Gyllenhaal | |
Opposites Attract | Noel Nosseck | ||
Steel Magnolias | Thomas Schlamme | ||
1991 | Prison Stories: Women on the Inside | Donna Deitch Joan Micklin Silver |
Segments "Esperanza" and "Parole Board" |
The Summer My Father Grew Up | Michael Tuchner | ||
Vidiots | Howard Storm | ||
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 Street | Roger Spottiswoode | Episode: "Pilot" |
2016 | The Night Of | Steven Zaillian | Episode: "The Beach" |
2024 | Ripley | 8 episodes[11] |
Awards and nominations
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated |
2007 | There Will Be Blood | Won |
American Society of Cinematographers
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated |
2007 | There Will Be Blood | Won |
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Best Cinematography | There Will Be Blood | Nominated |
Boston Society of Film Critics
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Won |
British Society of Cinematographers
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Best Cinematography | There Will Be Blood | Nominated |
Camerimage
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Golden Frog Award | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated |
Chicago Film Critics Association
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated |
2007 | There Will Be Blood | Nominated | |
2014 | Inherent Vice | Nominated |
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1984 | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | CBS Schoolbreak Special (For episode "The War Between The Classes") | Won |
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2014 | Best Cinematography | Inherent Vice | Nominated |
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Best Cinematography | Hard Eight | Nominated |
2005 | Good Night, and Good Luck | Won |
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Won |
2007 | There Will Be Blood | 2nd place |
National Society of Film Critics
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Best Cinematography | Punch-Drunk Love | 3rd place |
2005 | Good Night, and Good Luck | 2nd place | |
2007 | There Will Be Blood | Won |
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | 2nd place |
2007 | There Will Be Blood | Won |
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated |
2007 | There Will Be Blood | Nominated |
San Diego Film Critics Society
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Best Cinematography | There Will Be Blood | 2nd place |
2014 | Nightcrawler | Won |
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated |
2007 | There Will Be Blood | Nominated | |
2010 | Salt | Nominated | |
2014 | Inherent Vice | Nominated |
St. Louis Film Critics Association
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated |
2007 | There Will Be Blood | Nominated | |
2014 | Nightcrawler | Nominated |
Other awards
Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1988 | CableACE Award | Best Cinematography | Long Gone | Nominated |
2007 | Austin Film Critics Association | There Will Be Blood | Won | |
International Online Cinema Awards | Nominated | |||
New York Film Critics Online | Won | |||
2014 | Utah Film Critics Association | Nightcrawler | Won |
References
- Robert Elswit - Biography. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 7th, 2010.
- Eugene Hernandez, "Decade: Paul Thomas Anderson on 'There Will Be Blood'," indieWIRE (December 24, 2009) Retrieved June 4, 2010.
- 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.
- "ROBERT ELSWIT". www.cinematographers.nl. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
- "A Little More Than Luck on Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck - Studio Daily". Studio Daily. 2006-01-01. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
- "A Little More Than Luck on Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck," StudioDaily (January 1, 2006) Retrieved April 19, 2011.
- "A Little More Than Luck on Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck," StudioDaily (January 1, 2006) Retrieved April 19, 2011.
- Robert Elswit - Awards. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 7th, 2010.
- "A Little More Than Luck on Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck". StudioDaily.
- "Conversations with Jake Gyllenhaal". YouTube.
- Dillon, Mark (September 2022). "The Traditionalist". American Cinematographer. 103 (9). Hollywood, Los Angeles: American Society of Cinematographers: 53. ISSN 0002-7928.