American Cinematographer - February 2018 - 88

CLOSE-UP
Neil Krepela, ASC

When you were a child, what
film made the strongest
impression on you?
Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under
the Sea.

What has been your most
satisfying moment on a
project?
Finishing up that last shot and
knowing that it has all finally
come together as you wanted.

Which cinematographers, past
or present, do you most
admire?
Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC, HSC;
Dante Spinotti, ASC, AIC; Laszlo
Kovacs, ASC; and Gabriel
Figueroa, AMC.

Have you made any memorable blunders?
Of course, but I'm not telling. We
learn from our mistakes, but
more from pushing ourselves.
What is the best professional
advice you've ever received?
Do not be afraid of making
mistakes.

What sparked your interest in
photography?
My father was an amateur
photographer, so I was exposed to
it early on, no pun intended. When
I was in the Navy and all of a
sudden visiting faraway places for
the first time in my life, I felt
compelled to start recording them.
Then I got hooked on filmmaking
and moved to the Bay Area to do
16mm independent filmmaking.

What recent books, films or
artworks have inspired you?
The Jungle Book, for outstanding
visual effects; Sing Street; and
any film by Christopher Nolan. As
far as books, The Undoing Project
by Michael Lewis is very insightful.

Who were your early teachers or mentors?
Richard Edlund, ASC in visual effects, and Laszlo Kovacs, ASC in cinematography. These were two people always ready to share any
knowledge they had about creating a great image. That I was able
to work with each of them on many occasions was truly a blessing.
Then there was the late, great Michael Ritchie, a director I was lucky
to have been able to work with a number of times. He was one of
the smartest people I ever met in the film industry, and an extremely
nice guy.
What are some of your key artistic influences?
The paintings of Vermeer, the sculptures of Jean Tinguely, and the
films of Ingmar Bergman.

Do you have any favorite genres, or genres you would like to
try?
I always wanted to do a Western. I love working outside on location,
and the American West is always so interesting in the way it
changes with the seasons, and even during the course of an afternoon.
If you weren't a cinematographer, what might you be doing
instead?
Sculpture and photography.
Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for
membership?
Richard Edlund, Joseph Westheimer and Harry Wolf.
How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
It has given me the opportunity to meet a really fantastic group of
artists and share in their wealth of filmmaking knowledge.
●

How did you get your first break in the business?
I was hired by Richard Edlund to build some specialized film equipment for Industrial Light & Magic, to be used on The Empire Strikes
Back. I was then put in charge of all matte-painting photography for
that film, and then continued on to Return of the Jedi at ILM.
88

February 2018

American Cinematographer

Photo by Owen Roizman, ASC.

Where did you train and/or study?
University of Nebraska, Laney College, and on the set of every movie
I ever walked onto.

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