American Cinematographer - November 2017 - 88

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Oliver Bokelberg, ASC, BVK

When you were a child, what film
made the strongest impression on
you?
I loved watching Swedish and Czech children's films on German television. When I
was 12, I started collecting VHS copies of
Charlie Chaplin and Alfred Hitchcock
movies.

What has been your most satisfying
moment on a project?
Being at Sundance with The Station
Agent. The audience loved our little
movie, which happened to jump-start
the careers of many of us involved with
the film - and we are all still such good
friends!

Which cinematographers, past or
present, do you most admire?
[ASC members] Karl W. Freund, Willy
Kurant, Néstor Almendros, Vilmos
Zsigmond, Robert Elswit.

Have you made any memorable
blunders?
I was nervous and forgot to give credit to
my director Jay Anania when accepting
the 2000 Kodak Vision Award for the
film The Citizen. I am still embarrassed
about that. We are a collaborative art
form. None of us does it alone.

What sparked your interest in
photography?
My father has been a photographer since
before I was born, and I grew up in his
studio. He was also a collector of photography, so I became familiar with, and
inspired by, Fox Talbot, Nadar, Nègre,
Steichen, Westen and others.

What is the best professional advice
you've ever received?
Be positive!

Who were your early teachers or mentors?
My father, for sure. Later on, it was my film instructor Boris Frumin,
and then there are the early directors I worked with, like my dear
friend Michael Kreihsl.
What are some of your key artistic influences?
Jean-Luc Godard, Charlie Chaplin, Johannes Vermeer, Max Beckmann, Edward Hopper, Degas' sculptures.
How did you get your first break in the business?
A high-contrast experimental film that I made in film school was
chosen to be the background plates for a Stereo MCs music video.
Instead of getting paid for the footage, I asked to be hired as cinematographer to film the group in front of a greenscreen. I'd never
shot with a greenscreen before, but luckily it worked out.

November 2017

Do you have any favorite genres, or genres you would like to
try?
I think the beauty of being a cinematographer is that I can jump
between genres. I would love to do science fiction, a Western and
a children's film - or a movie in space or underwater. I am eager to
explore VR. Every project brings its own challenges and opportunities, and I just love finding the truths within each of them.
If you weren't a cinematographer, what might you be doing
instead?
If I had the talent, I would love to be a musical conductor. But I think
I might be tone deaf, so I'll stick with my eyes.
Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for
membership?
Checco Varese, Michael Watkins and Sol Negrin.
How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
Becoming a member of the ASC was a milestone. When I found out
I was accepted, I felt a sense of accomplishment that I had not felt
before. I still have a lot to learn, but now I can do it together with
my fellow cinematographers and friends at the ASC.
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American Cinematographer

Photo by Dana Ross.

Where did you train and/or study?
I attended the undergraduate Film and Television program at NYU
Tisch School of the Arts. I graduated in 1988, which was the year
that Yo! MTV Raps premiered, thus creating a demand for music
videos. I got hired as a man with a camera, and was able to experiment and practice while rolling hundreds of thousands of feet of film
through my Arri 16SR-2.

What recent books, films or artworks have inspired you?
Kerry James Marshall, Ragnar Kjartansson's video installation "The
Visitors," Hamilton.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - November 2017