The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has re-elected Kees van Oostrum as president. He will serve his third consecutive term at the organization.
The ASC Board also re-upped its roster of officers for 2018-2019, including Bill Bennett, John Simmons and Cynthia Pusheck as VPs; Levie Isaacks as treasurer; David Darby as secretary; and Isidore Mankofsky as sergeant-at-arms.
“During this past year at the ASC, we have been steadfastly focused on educational events, international outreach, and efforts to promote diversity and inclusion,” noted van Oostrum. “These all support our mission of loyalty, progress and artistry. As we look ahead, we plan to usher in the 100th anniversary of the ASC in a way that commemorates our heritage and positions our members to maintain a leadership role in the evolution of the art and craft of image making.”
Van Oostrum initiated and chairs the ASC Master Class program, which has expanded to locations worldwide under his presidency. The Master Classes take place several times a year and are taught exclusively by ASC members. It is designed for cinematographers with an intermediate-to-advanced skill set, and incorporates practical, hands-on demonstrations of lighting and camera techniques with essential instruction in current workflow practices.
The ASC Vision Committee, founded during van Oostrum’s first term, continues to organize successful symposiums that encourage diversity and inclusion on camera crews, and also offers networking opportunities. The most recent was a standing-room-only event that explored practical and progressive ideas for changing the face of the industry. The Society will continue to host more of these activities during the coming years.
Van Oostrum has earned two Primetime Emmy® nominations for his work on the telefilms Miss Rose White and Return to Lonesome Dove. His peers chose the latter for a 1994 ASC Outstanding Achievement Award. Additional ASC Award nominations for his television credits came for The Burden of Proof, Medusa’s Child, and Spartacus. He also shot the Emmy®-winning documentary The Last Chance.
A native of Amsterdam, van Oostrum studied at the Dutch Film Academy with an emphasis on both cinematography and directing, and went on to earn a scholarship sponsored by the Dutch government, which enabled him to enroll the American Film Institute (AFI). Van Oostrum broke into the industry shooting television documentaries for several years. He has subsequently compiled a wide range of some 80-plus credits, including movies for television and the cinema, such as Gettysburg and Gods and Generals, and occasional documentaries. He recently wrapped the final season of TV series The Fosters.
The 2018-2019 Board who voted in this election include: John Bailey, Paul Cameron, Russell Carpenter, Curtis Clark, Dean Cundey, George Spiro Dibie, Stephen Lighthill, Lowell Peterson, Roberto Schaefer, John Toll, and Amelia Vincent. Alternate Board members are Karl-Walter Lindenlaub, Stephen Burum, David Darby, Charlie Lieberman, and Eric Steelberg.
The ASC has over 20 committees driving the organization’s initiatives, such as the award-winning Motion Imaging Technology Council (MITC), and the Educational and Outreach committee.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More