ASC Nominates 15 Cinematographers for Honors in Annual TV Competition

ASC Nominates 15 Cinematographers for Honors in Annual TV Competition LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has announced nominees in the three television categories of the 19th Annual (ASC) Outstanding Achievement Awards competition. The winners will be named at the ASC Awards gala here on February 13 in the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland. In the Episodic Category, the nominees are David Boyd for "Deep Water" / DEADWOOD (HBO); Thomas Del Ruth, ASC for "Gaza" / THE WEST WING (NBC); Nathan Hope for "Down the Drain" / CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (CBS); Chris Manley for "A Man A Mile" / CSI: NY (CBS); and Alik Sakharov, ASC for "Long Term Parking" / THE SOPRANOS (HBO). For the Movie/Miniseries/Pilot Category produced for broadcast television, the nominees are Larry Fong for the LOST pilot (ABC); Jonathan Freeman for HOMELAND SECURITY (NBC); Michael Goi, ASC for JUDAS (ABC); Clark Mathis for the MEDICAL INVESTIGATION pilot (NBC); and Kramer Morgenthau for THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN (ABC). In the Movie/Miniseries/Pilot Category produced for basic or pay television, the nominees are Alan Caso, ASC for the FRANKENSTEIN pilot (Hallmark Channel); Robbie Greenberg, ASC for IRON JAWED ANGELS (HBO); Peter Levy, ASC, ACS for THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS (HBO); Ben Nott, ACS for SALEM'S LOT (TNT); and Kees Van Oostrum, ASC for SPARTACUS (USA Cable Network). "Our goal is to inspire as well as recognize the successful pursuit of artistic achievement," says Owen Roizman, ASC, who chairs the organization's awards committee. "Our blue ribbon juries were judging how effectively the images established a sense of time and place and conveyed the emotional content of the stories. They were impressed by the artful work they saw in a diverse range of programs. It wasn't easy for them to narrow the field down to five finalists in each category." This marks the ninth ASC Outstanding Achievement Award nomination for Del Ruth, the fourth for Van Oostrum and Freeman, the third for Greenberg, and the second for Levy, Caso, Mathis, Goi and Manley. Del Ruth has claimed top honors four times in the previous ASC competitions, Greenberg twice, and Van Oostrum once. It is the first time that Boyd, Hope, Sakharov, Morgenthau and Nott have been nominated. HBO claimed four nominations, ABC and NBC three each, CBS two, and TNT, USA and Hallmark each aired one of the nominated programs. ASC President Richard Crudo notes that this is one of the few competitions for television cinematography where judging is done solely by peers. "This competition is a celebration of an art form that generally doesn't get the attention it deserves," he says. "Cinematographers are responsible for creating images that support performances by the actors and help to draw audiences into compelling stories occurring in imaginary worlds. Their work is generally designed to be transparent to audiences, which is why it is important for judging to be done by peers who are more likely to recognize and appreciate their contributions to a collaborative process." The ASC was formed in 1919 when the Cinema Club of New York and the Static Club of Los Angeles merged. Their primary purpose was to provide a forum where the first generation of cinematographers could meet to discuss ideas for advancing the art and craft of filmmaking. There are currently some 275 active ASC members today with roots in many different countries, and 140 associate members who work in ancillary sectors of the industry that support the art and craft of cinematography. For information about the 19th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards, visit the ASC website at www.theasc.com or call 323-969-4333. Source: The American Society of Cinematographers CONTACT: Media, Sally Christgau or Lisa Muldowney, +1-760-438-5250, or fax, +1-760-438-5230, CCSPR@aol.com, both for The American Society of Cinematographers Web site: http://www.theasc.com/ ------- Profile: International Entertainment