Robert Elswit
American cinematographer
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Robert Christopher Elswit, ASC is an American cinematographer.
Robert Elswit | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Christopher Elswit Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California (BFA) American Film Institute (MFA) |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Relatives | Rik Elswit (brother) |
He is best known for his collaboration with director Paul Thomas Anderson from 1996 to 2014, winning the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for There Will Be Blood (2007).[1]
Elswit has also collaborated with directors and screenwriters Tony and Dan Gilroy on all of the six films that either brother directed.
Early life and education
Elswit was born in Los Angeles.[2] His brother is musician Rik Elswit.
He is a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and worked there as a teaching assistant.[3]
Elswit has cited filmmaker John Cassavetes as a major influence.[4]
Career
His early work on was the 1982 television adaptation of Ray Bradbury's short story All Summer in a Day. He worked as a visual effects camera operator at John Dykstra's Apogee Productions Inc. and Industrial Light & Magic, including Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Empire Strikes Back, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Return of the Jedi,[5][6] before shooting made-for-television films and shows.
He shot his black and white, Oscar nominated film Good Night, and Good Luck. He first shot the film in color, and then converted the film into black and white in post production. According to Elswit, the technique preserved the subtlety of the colors (as complex shades of blacks and greys) and made the overall look much richer in the final film.[7] His work earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
He later won the award for There Will Be Blood in 2008.
Elswit is a self-described traditionalist in shooting technique,[8] and has been a fierce defender of film cameras, avoiding using digital cameras whenever possible, claiming that they have "no texture, no grain",[9] though he started shooting digitally with Nightcrawler.[8]
Personal life
Elswit is the godfather to the actor Jake Gyllenhaal, he worked with Jake's father Stephen Gyllenhaal early in his career.[10]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | CBS Library | Seth Pinsker Sam Weiss |
Episode "The Incredible Book Escape" |
| 1985 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Michael Toshiyuki Uno | Episode "The War Between the Classes" |
| 1989 | Dream Street | Mark Rosner | Episode "Pilot" |
| 1992 | Human Target | Max Tash | Episode "Pilot" |
| 1997 | Prince Street | Roger Spottiswoode | Episode "Pilot" |
| 2016 | The Night Of | Steven Zaillian | Episode "The Beach" |
Miniseries
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Ripley | Steven Zaillian |
| 2026 | The Boys from Brazil | Alex Gabassi |
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | All Summer in a Day | Ed Kaplan | |
| 1983 | Tiger Town | Alan Shapiro | |
| 1984 | A Single Light | Karl Epstein | |
| 1986 | The Children of Times Square | Curtis Hanson | |
| 1987 | A Different Affair | Noel Nosseck | |
| Long Gone | Martin Davidson | ||
| Into the Homeland | Lesli Linka Glatter | ||
| 1989 | Double Exposure: The Story of Margaret Bourke-White | Lawrence Schiller | |
| 1990 | A Killing in a Small Town | Stephen Gyllenhaal | |
| Steel Magnolias | Thomas Schlamme | ||
| Opposites Attract | Noel Nosseck | ||
| 1991 | Prison Stories: Women on the Inside | Donna Deitch Joan Micklin Silver |
Segments "Esperanza" and "Parole Board" |
| The Summer My Father Grew Up | Michael Tuchner | ||
| Paris Trout | Stephen Gyllenhaal | ||
| Vidiots | Howard Storm | ||
| 1992 | A Murderous Affair: The Carolyn Warmus Story | Martin Davidson | |
| 2026 | The Punisher: One Last Kill | Reinaldo Marcus Green | TV special |
| † | Denotes titles that have not yet been released |
Feature film
Awards and nominations
Major awards
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Academy Awards | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated | [11] |
| 2007 | There Will Be Blood | Won | [12] | ||
| 2005 | American Society of Cinematographers | Outstanding Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated | |
| 2007 | There Will Be Blood | Won | |||
| BAFTA Awards | Best Cinematography | Nominated | |||
| British Society of Cinematographers | Best Cinematography | Nominated | |||
| 2005 | Camerimage | Golden Frog Award | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated | |
| 1984 | Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | CBS Schoolbreak Special ("The War Between The Classes") |
Won | |
| 1997 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Cinematography | Hard Eight | Nominated | |
| 2005 | Good Night, and Good Luck | Won | |||
| 2024 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie |
Ripley ("V Lucio") | Won | |
| 2005 | Satellite Awards | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated | |
| 2007 | There Will Be Blood | Nominated | |||
| 2010 | Salt | Nominated | |||
| 2014 | Inherent Vice | Nominated |
Critics awards
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Austin Film Critics Association | Best Cinematography | There Will Be Blood | Won |
| 2005 | Boston Society of Film Critics | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Won |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | There Will Be Blood | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Inherent Vice | Nominated | ||
| Houston Film Critics Society | Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
| 2005 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Won |
| 2007 | There Will Be Blood | 2nd place | ||
| 2002 | National Society of Film Critics | Best Cinematography | Punch-Drunk Love | 3rd place |
| 2005 | Good Night, and Good Luck | 2nd place | ||
| 2007 | There Will Be Blood | Won | ||
| 2005 | New York Film Critics Circle | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | 2nd place |
| 2007 | There Will Be Blood | Won | ||
| 2005 | Online Film Critics Society | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated |
| 2007 | There Will Be Blood | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Utah Film Critics Association | Best Cinematography | Nightcrawler | Won |
| 2007 | San Diego Film Critics Society | Best Cinematography | There Will Be Blood | 2nd place |
| 2014 | Nightcrawler | Won | ||
| 2005 | St. Louis Film Critics Association | Best Cinematography | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated |
| 2007 | There Will Be Blood | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Nightcrawler | Nominated |
Other awards
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | CableACE Award | Best Cinematography | Long Gone | Nominated |
| 2007 | International Online Cinema Awards | There Will Be Blood | Nominated |