President’s Desk — February 2025
“The students inundated Andrzej with questions, and he was delighted to help them understand his approach. Only at the ASC can such a fortuitous twist of fate occur!”
This issue celebrates some of the great cinematographers who will be honored at the 39th annual ASC Awards on February 23. (More will be saluted in our March issue.) The Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award is being presented to the great Andrzej Bartkowiak, ASC.
Many cinematographers from my generation who saw Andrzej’s work in The Verdict feel that he changed the way we look at a scene. Director Sidney Lumet, lead actor Paul Newman and Andrzej developed a style of shooting and performing that favored fantastically expressive and dramatic wide shots — without a great deal of coverage. While this visual strategy was not necessarily new on its surface, the cinematography community had rarely seen an entire film presented as confidently and capably as The Verdict.
In that film, the way characters are composed within their surroundings conveys as much about them as the dialogue, and presenting them that way made the use of standard close-ups unnecessary. There are certainly close-ups in the film, but when they are used, they punctuate a story beat in a pure manner, because they are not diluted with needless tighter shots. This is a straightforward concept, but one that requires a fearless and focused approach that spans an entire movie. Looking at Andrzej’s career, I’m not sure the word “fear” enters his working vocabulary all that often!
At a recent ASC Master Class taught by Robert Elswit, ASC, The Verdict was showcased as a major point of instruction. Robert broke down a scene where the camera was placed low in the corner of the office occupied by Newman’s character, Boston lawyer Frank Galvin. The night interior appears to be lit by two table lamps placed along the far wall of the set, and the camera shows nearly the entire room.
The scene is maybe four pages long and presents a one-sided telephone conversation performed by Newman; a subsequent dialogue exchange between Galvin and Jack Warden’s character, Mickey Morrissey, who enters the room; and a minor panic attack as Galvin dreads a major story point that has transpired during the scene.
The class discussion involved how Lumet directed Newman’s performance to play for this wide angle, and how Andrzej hid lights within the frame to extend the established light sources. Elswit then walked the students through a similar setup on the ASC Master Class set to further demonstrate the scene’s nuanced visual treatment. While this tutorial was underway, Andrzej himself happened to walk into the class to serve as an ambassador for the students — and was surprised to see his work being shown as the foundation of a modern educational seminar. Needless to say, the students inundated Andrzej with questions, and he was delighted to help them understand his approach. Only at the ASC can such a fortuitous twist of fate occur!
People sometimes ask why honors are important to the film industry. To me, this story illustrates why we celebrate great work: It sets the bar for the younger generation of cinematographers, who can take the lessons passed along to them by mentors and go even further with newer technology. Films like The Verdict also show us how a well-told story can carry timeless weight and meaning for audiences. So, I thank and congratulate all of our ASC honorees for sharing their artistry and wisdom.
Best regards,
Shelly Johnson
ASC President
