Australian Cinematographers Society | |
 | |
| Founded | 1958 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Level 2, 26 Ridge Street, North Sydney, New South Wales 2060. |
| Location | |
Key people | Erika Addis |
| Website | cinematographer |
The Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) is a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1958 for the purpose of providing a forum for Australian cinematographers to further develop their skills through mutual co-operation.
Its National Headquarters and clubhouse is located in North Sydney. [1]
The ACS states the following aims:
Its first National President was Syd Wood ACS. [2] The National President is Erika Addis, [3] the first female to hold the office. [4]
The ACS presents annual awards for achievements in cinematography, including the Golden Tripod (the ACS's highest award for excellence), and the Milli Award to its Cinematographer of the Year. [5] Members of the Society who are "accredited" are allowed to use the ACS suffix after their name. Accreditation is considered one of the highest honours bestowed upon a member and accreditation demonstrates more than just professional competence, but also creativity, consistency and aesthetic innovation. [6]
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) awarded the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) as the recipient of the 2014 Byron Kennedy Award at the 3rd annual AACTA Awards. The award celebrates outstanding creative enterprise within the film and television industries and is given to an individual or organisation whose work embodies innovation and the relentless pursuit of excellence. The award jury said of their decision: "We have chosen the Australian Cinematographers Society under the stewardship of Ron Johanson ACS for its enduring and pivotal role in the pursuit of excellence throughout Australian cinema". The award was presented to Ron Johanson ACS on behalf of the Society at the AACTA Awards Ceremony in Sydney on Thursday, 30 January 2014. [7]
The Milli Award is the highest award an Australian Cinematographer can receive from the Society. It is presented at the ACS National Awards for Cinematography to the Australian Cinematographer of the Year. All ACS National Gold Tripod winners progress through to be in the running for the Milli Award.
At least six members of the society have been awarded with the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
The cinematographer or director of photography is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera and light crews working on such projects. They would normally be responsible for making artistic and technical decisions related to the image and for selecting the camera, film stock, lenses, filters, etc. The study and practice of this field are referred to as cinematography.
Andrew Lesnie ACS ASC was an Australian cinematographer. He was best known as the cinematographer for The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003) and its prequel The Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014), both directed by New Zealand director Peter Jackson. He received the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in 2002.
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in Hollywood in 1919, is a cultural, educational, and professional organization that is neither a labor union nor a guild. The society was organized to advance the science and art of cinematography and gather a wide range of cinematographers to discuss techniques and ideas and to advocate for motion pictures as a type of art form. Currently, the president of the ASC is Shelly Johnson.
The Byron Kennedy Award is an annual film and television award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) to Australian filmmakers.
Dion Beebe A.C.S. A.S.C. is an Australian–South African cinematographer. Originally from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, his family moved to Cape Town, South Africa, in 1972. Dion studied cinematography at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School from 1987 to 1989. Beebe was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA for his work on Rob Marshall's Chicago, and won the 2006 Academy Award for his work on the director's later Memoirs of a Geisha. He is known for his use of stylized, highly saturated colour palettes and for his experimental use of high-speed digital video on Michael Mann's Collateral and Miami Vice. He is also a member of the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) and the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). Dion was inducted into the ACS' Hall of Fame at the National Awards on 16 May 2020.
The following is a list of cinematographers who have won and been nominated for the American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatrical Releases, which is given annually by the American Society of Cinematographers.
The AACTA Award for Best Cinematography is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film and television." The award is presented at the annual AACTA Awards, which hand out accolades for achievements in feature film, television, documentaries and short films. From 1976 to 2010, the category was presented by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), the Academy's parent organisation, at the annual Australian Film Institute Awards. When the AFI launched the Academy in 2011, it changed the annual ceremony to the AACTA Awards, with the current award being a continuum of the AFI Award for Best Cinematography.
Dean Semler ACS ASC is an Australian cinematographer and film director. Over his career, he has worked as a cinematographer, camera operator, director, second unit director, and assistant director. He is a three-time recipient of the AACTA Award for Best Cinematography and an Academy Award winner. He is a member of both the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) and the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). In 2002 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
The British Society of Cinematographers is an organisation formed in 1949 by Bert Easey, the then head of the Denham and Pinewood studio camera departments, to represent British cinematographers in the British film industry.
Mandy Walker, ACS, ASC, is an Australian cinematographer. She is best known for the films Mulan, Hidden Figures and Elvis, the latter of which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours.
Peter James is an Australian cinematographer and director of photography. James is a member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), an organization that offers membership to directors of photography only "by invitation, based on an individual’s body of work".
Ernie Clark, A.C.S. is an Australian cinematographer known for the feature films Peaches, Run Chrissie Run! and Robbery Under Arms. He is currently President of the South Australian Branch of the Australian Cinematographers Society and Assistant Treasurer on the Federal Executive. He was inducted into the A.C.S. Hall of Fame in 2006.
Martha Ansara is a documentary filmmaker whose films on social issues have won international prizes and been screened in Australia, the UK, Europe and North America. Ansara was one of the first women in Australia to work as a cinematographer, is a full member of the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) and was inducted into the ACS Hall of Fame in 2015. Martha is a Life Member of the Australian Directors Guild and a founding member of Ozdox, the Australian Documentary Forum. She has also worked as a film lecturer and film writer and has been active in the trade union, women's and peace movements.
The Shadowcatchers: A history of cinematography in Australia is a photographic history of Australian cinematography, written by Martha Ansara and published by the Australian Cinematographers Society, which launched the project for its 50th anniversary in 2008.
Anna Howard is an Australian cinematographer and became an accredited member of the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) in 2004. Her work in the Australian film industry began in 1981 and her credits include numerous roles in feature films, documentaries, television and commercials.
The Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC) is a non-profit Canadian trade organization with over 500 members whose mission is to promote the artistic creativity and required skills for cinematography. Members of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers have achieved National recognition for their work in various areas of film: feature films, documentaries, television series', specials and commercials. Fully accredited members to this society are permitted to put the letters C.S.C. or csc after their names.
Ronald Geoffery Johanson was the National President of the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) from 2008 to 2022 and is one of the most respected and awarded directors and cinematographers in Australia. He was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on 26 January 2014 for service to the arts, particularly as a cinematographer and film director.
Simon Duggan, ASC, ACS is a New Zealand-born Australian cinematographer.
The 32nd American Society of Cinematographers Awards were held on February 17, 2018, at the Hollywood & Highland Ray Dolby Ballroom, honoring the best cinematographers of film and television in 2017.
Erika Addis is an Australian camerawoman best known for her work on documentary films. A graduate of the Australian Film & Television School (AFTS), she has also lectured on cinematography there. In 2022 Addis was elected the National President of the Australian Cinematographers Society, "the first female national president in the society's history."