American Cinematographer - February 2020 - 73

"It's a tremendous responsibility and also
a creative challenge," McCuaig says of
photographing 2nd unit, "in that you're
re-creating different visual styles to
match what's been done by first unit. It's
a great job, and a lot of young cinematographers don't realize what an opportunity it can be. It's all about making pieces
and putting together the puzzle that is a
movie. That's an eye-opener for many of
our [ASC Master Class] students."

"but I also learned about Dean's
process - how he approached a show,
how he worked with a crew and how
he ran a set. Also, there were always
major production issues that had to be
solved, and some of that would be
handed over to the 2nd unit, so I had
incredible opportunities to deal with
complex issues and gain experience. It
was cheaper to have us do these
things instead of the first unit. It so
often comes down to money."
The arcane art of shooting 2nd
unit is a topic that McCuaig addresses
as an instructor in the ASC Master
Class program. "It's a three-and-ahalf-hour discussion about one of the
most vital jobs in the production of
the complex features and TV shows
being made today," he says.
"Schedules, actor availability, location
availability, safety issues - these are
all things that factor into how we
make motion pictures, and the 2nd
unit can make or break a production.
McCuaig points to a sequence
in Roland Emmerich's epic disaster
film 2012 in which St. Peter's Basilica
in Rome is obliterated by off-thecharts seismic activity - a scene
McCuaig handled entirely as part of
the second-unit team. "That was just
one component in a very big movie,
but it's almost like a movie within a
movie. It was great fun, too."
In 2004, with letters of recommendation from Bradley Six, Lowell
Peterson and Roy Wagner, McCuaig
was invited to join the ASC. "It just so
happened that I had a lot of film being
processed at Deluxe Laboratories at
the time, and someone there

McCuaig takes the podium during the ASC Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography,
staged at the Hollywood & Highland complex near the ASC Clubhouse.

mentioned my work to Owen
Roizman [ASC], who was then the
head of the Membership Committee.
So we set up a lunch and talked, and
that started a process." With a
chuckle, McCuaig remembers, "One
of my biggest supporters was James
Glennon [ASC], who said, 'I know
some of the [SOBs] Don has worked
for, and if he can survive them, then
he belongs in the ASC.' But seriously,
getting into the ASC was and is a
privilege. It's a continuing part of my
education, and I learn something new
every day because of the things I do
and the people I meet here."
Becoming an active participant
in the Society was a personal choice
for McCuaig, not an obligation to be
fulfilled. "All prospective members
are asked if they will be able and willing to take part once they get in, and I
never saw that as a burden, only an
opportunity - to take on responsibility, be creative, and do things to
which I thought I could contribute
something."
Given his background, volunteering to help with the ASC Awards
show was a natural choice for
www.ascmag.com

McCuaig, who was soon cutting
career-spanning tribute reels for
honorees, among other duties. "I love
editing, which is an essential skill for
any cinematographer," he says, crediting longtime ASC sponsorship and
events director Patty Armacost for
encouraging him to take on the task.
"Each project becomes an opportunity to study the work of my peers,
often frame-by-frame, and understand what techniques they developed over time."
After being part of the awardsshow effort for more than a decade,
McCuaig was tapped to chair the
Awards Committee. "It was a huge
vote of confidence because the show
is complex and serves multiple
purposes for the Society," he notes.
"It's education; it's outreach; it's
honoring our own; and it's also
honoring our heritage - especially
last year's show, which honored the
ASC's 100th anniversary. So, being
honored at this year's show, in part
for doing things I love so much, is
very special, and I'm grateful."
u

February 2020

http://www.ascmag.com

American Cinematographer - February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - February 2020