American Cinematographer - February 2018 - 76

◗

A Career of Commitment

Working in Egypt for National Geographic, Lighthill learned the hard way that you can't shoot
while riding a camel - it's a very bumpy ride.

and become a nobody in this huge
place," says Bob Primes, ASC, who
befriended Lighthill in the early days of
their careers in San Francisco and
preceded him in making the move.
"Almost everybody in L.A. has made
that transition at some point, but it's not
easy. I was 35 when I made it; Steve was
a bit older. He was an honest filmmaker
with a lot of integrity. He was scratching
into drama from a background in documentary."
In 1994, Lighthill landed his first
primetime cinematography credit on
the series Earth 2, which lasted one
season. "I loved the cast and the stories,
and it was heartbreaking for me that it
didn't succeed," he says. Nash Bridges
and other projects followed, but he soon
began to feel it was time for another
transition. "Primetime drama was
initially a lot of fun, but after awhile I
found I didn't like the scripts I was
shooting. Content has always been key
for me; I got into the business because I
wanted to tell important stories about
people. Throughout my career there was
some tension with that, and by 2000, I
felt I wasn't doing what I wanted to do
76

February 2018

with cinematography anymore."
Teaching beckoned, and Lighthill
began serving as an adjunct instructor at
the University of Southern California
and the American Film Institute. In
2001, Bill Dill, ASC, chairman of the
cinematography program at AFI, offered
Lighthill a full-time faculty position, and
three years later, when Dill decided to
move on, he successfully advocated for
Lighthill to become the new chair, a
position he still holds. "A great cinematographer isn't necessarily a great
teacher," Dill says. "Impressive credits are
one thing, but you have to have an affinity for communicating an idea to someone else. Stephen has all that. Before I
even met him, I knew from his work that
he was a person of conscience, and I
respected that. He also had a reputation
for being both knowledgeable about his
craft and mindful of filmmaking's larger
place in society, and that was key. AFI's
student body is uniquely international, so
I felt it was important to hire someone
whose perspective of the world went
beyond 'the business.' I had a feeling
Stephen would excel at AFI, and boy,
was I right!"
American Cinematographer

Preparing cinematography's next
generation for what lies ahead is "a
remarkable opportunity," says Lighthill.
"During the past decade, cinematography has transformed from being photochemical-based to being almost
exclusively electronic-based, and we
have tried to find the right balance in
our curriculum. In the process, I've
learned a lot about how people learn,
and helping them do that has been an
enormously rewarding thing."
Which three films does he
recommend all his students see? "The
Diving Bell and the Butterfly, because it's
a fully developed narrative with very
little dialogue and a very effective example of point of view; Ida, because it's
such a gripping story and the composition is so beautifully knit into the telling
of the story; and Gimme Shelter, because
I have to have a documentary in there
somewhere, and that's a schizophrenic
film that was transformative in my life."
Lighthill continues to volunteer
his time to both the ASC and the ICG.
He serves on the governing boards of
both organizations and has done so for
many years, and he served as president
of the ASC from 2012-2013. "I think
my career has been as much about the
cinematography community as it has
been about cinematography itself," he
observes. "Through my work with the
ASC and the guild, and now through
teaching, I feel very rooted to a community of people who care about cinematography and its future."
Indeed, in honoring Lighthill
with its Presidents Award this year, the
ASC salutes a cinematographer who
embodies its motto - "Loyalty,
Progress, Artistry" - to a singular
degree. Just don't expect him to admit it.
"Stephen once said to me, 'You know, I
didn't have a real shining career,' and I
was so taken aback," Primes says.
"When you look at all he's done and all
he continues to do, you realize what a
humble observation that is."
●

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - February 2018