American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 92

George Mooradian, ASC

When you were a child, what film made the strongest impression on you?
It has to be It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). Blame it on
the Southern drive-in and all the Saturday nights my parents took me
to the movies.

Have you made any memorable blunders?
I once used 'green' HMIs that couldn't be dialed out on an ancient
stone stairway, which you can see forever in the movie Omega
Doom! From then on, I always checked for color temperature
depending on the age of the bulb.

Which cinematographers, past or
present, do you most admire?
Mother Nature at magic hour and
sunrise. As for mortals, [ASC members]
Owen Roizman, Vilmos Zsigmond and
Vittorio Storaro have inspired me as a
human being and as a cinematographer.

What is the best professional
advice you've ever received?
At the bottom of a silver mine in Park
City, Utah, 1½ miles underground,
Garland Wilde intoned, 'Don't be afraid
of the dark.' You can take that advice
anywhere.
What recent books, films or
artworks have inspired you?
The James Turrell retrospective at the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
He's a cinematographer from the
future/past. Oh, how he writes with
light. Also, Cervantes' Don Quixote,
which I recently read from cover to
cover. I was imbued with windmills,
brio, and boundless spirit, the ethic of
every cinematographer.

What sparked your interest in
photography?
Growing up in provincial Georgia and
then being exposed to a vibrant, global
culture in Montreal opened my eyes to
escapism through photography.
Where did you train and/or study?
Ohio University, the Maine Media
Workshops, and Atlanta film companies where I spent summers working
for free.
Who were your early teachers or mentors?
At Ohio University, Joseph Anderson (an assistant director for Kurosawa) and David Prince. In Maine, Vilmos Zsigmond, direct from
Mobile, Ala., after Close Encounters.
What are some of your key artistic influences?
My mother's garden and the color, architecture and composition of
her flower arrangements (Ikebana), and a Pygmy hut in Uganda with
its light and shadows.
How did you get your first break in the business?
Monroe Askins, ASC plucked me to be a loader (my first time) on a
film in Atlanta, House on Skull Mountain. Monroe emphasized that
every position on the crew was important and integral. I never looked
back!
What has been your most satisfying moment on a project?
I was in Bratislava, observing through the Moviecam Compact's short
eyepiece (with fluid head) as Rutger Hauer played with the light I had
created, stepping in and out of the shadows. I was smitten.

92

May 2014

Do you have any favorite genres,
or genres you would like to try?
A 70mm Ben-Hur-style home movie in silvery black-and-white starring my family, Pablo, Milena, Robert and Rachel. Growth spurts and
relationships in the spirit of the Marx Brothers!
If you weren't a cinematographer, what might you be doing
instead?
I'd be the fifth Beatle, a soccer coach for FC Barcelona, or a pilot for
Virgin Intergalactic.
Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for
membership?
Michael Goi, Ken Zunder, Bob Primes and Vilmos Zsigmond.
How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
When I pull up to the ASC Clubhouse and the gate opens for me, I
smile broadly. It opened for me! I enter among giants; I enter among
equals. A feeling of wholeness comes over me. Being invited into the
yurt of cameramen creates a calmness and sense of peace. The ASC
recognizes our eternal youth as cinematographers, and I must live
fully ... and with loyalty, progress and artistry.
●

American Cinematographer

Photo by Milena Mooradian.

Close-up



American Cinematographer - May 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - May 2014

Contents
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - Cover1
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 1
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 2
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - Contents
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American Cinematographer - May 2014 - Cover3
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