American Cinematographer - August 2007 - 94

Clubhouse News Okada Re-elected, New Board Takes Shape Daryn Okada, ASC was recently elected to a second one-year term as Society president. The other ASC members voted into office by the membership were Vice Presidents Michael Goi, Richard P. Crudo and Owen Roizman; Treasurer Victor J. Kemper; Secretary Michael Negrin; and Sergeant-at-Arms John Hora. The new Board of Governors also includes ASC members Caleb Deschanel, George Spiro Dibie, Richard Edlund, William A. Fraker, New Member Director of photography Christopher Baffa, ASC, a native Californian whose credits include the series Nip/Tuck and the features Running with Scissors and Unaccompanied Minors, was recently welcomed into the Society as an active member. The youngest of four children, Baffa was raised in Palos Verdes and the South Bay, where he developed an early fascination with film through his father’s 8mm home movies. After graduating from the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television, Baffa hit the ground running and began working in set lighting, where he climbed the ranks and became a gaffer. This experience, along with a stint shooting second unit for Roger Corman’s Concorde Pictures, led to a job as a first-unit cinematographer on the feature film Baby Face. Since then, Baffa has worked exclusively as a cinematographer, notching credits that also include the films Suicide Kings and Idle Hands, the TV series Popular, and the pilot for The Closer. Poster in the Windy City Early this summer, HD Expo paid a third visit to Chicago, where International Cinematographer Guild President Steven Poster, ASC sat down for a conversation moderated by AC contributor David Heuring. The discussion covered such topics as the future of cinematography, the impact new tools and technology have on the creative process, and how to protect the filmmakers’ creative vision in this ever-changing landscape. ASC at Cine Gear Expo To the casual observer, the ASC could be seen en masse at Cine Gear Expo in late June. Members Steven Fierberg, William Fraker and Laszlo Kovacs sat on the panel titled “The West, the Movies, and the ASC,” moderated by Bob Fisher. The panel provided insights into the complex role of the cinematographer as visual storyteller by showing clips from movies that inspired them or films they had shot. “The Visual Art of Documentary Storytelling” panel featured such ASC luminaries as Stephen Lighthill, Ellen Kuras, Rodney Charters, Robert McLachlan, Curtis Clark and James Chressanthis. In “Dialogue with ASC Cinematographers,” Daniel Pearl, Chris Baffa, James L. Carter, Isidore Mankofsky, Frederic Goodich and Bill Bennett weighed in with their thoughts on the past, present and future of the art and craft of cinematography. David Stump, ASC discussed shooting the 15-minute short film The Trident with the Dalsa Origin in “Dalsa Digital Cinema: Why Everything Looks Better When You Start in 4K.” Christian Sebaldt, ASC and director William Malone relayed their experience of shooting Super 16mm with the Arri 416 on the low-budget feature Parasomnia. s Francis Kenny, Laszlo Kovacs, Isidore Mankofsky, Robert Primes, Dante Spinotti, Kees Van Oostrum and Haskell Wexler; alternates are Stephen Lighthill, Matthew Leonetti, Russ Alsobrook and Sol Negrin. “Just being an ASC member is a dream come true,” says Okada. “Our founders defined the mission for the ASC in 1919, when the motion-picture industry was still in its infancy. They were dedicated to providing a collegial environment where members could share ideas and solve problems for the purpose of advancing a new art form. That remains our top priority.” 94 August 2007

American Cinematographer - August 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - August 2007