Stolen Moments

A conversation with award-winning cinematographer Andrew Wheeler and his AFI mentor, Stephen Lighthill, ASC. By Bob Fisher.

Cinematographer Andrew Wheeler shot his thesis film, Thief, while earning a Master of Fine Arts at the American Film Institute. The 24-minute short, which has racked up more than a dozen international awards, focuses on two periods in the life of Saddam Hussein, and is told in the Iraqi Arabic language with English subtitles. Read more

Exposure: Steven Zaillian

It’s not like screenwriter Steven Zaillian hasn’t plumbed the darkness in the human heart before he adapted David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, based on the first novel in Steig Larsson’s worldwide bestselling trilogy, Millennium. Zaillian’s sublime script for Schindler’s List, based on Thomas Keneally’s book, found hope in the bleakest of all human experiences, and won an Academy Award. And, over the last quarter century, Zaillian has been responsible for some of the most heart wrenching moments in cinema, most often adaptations of literary works like 1985’s The Falcon and the Snowman all the way up to this year’s Moneyball (written in conjunction with Aaron Sorkin). Novels and non-fiction have been fertile ground for Zaillian, who has also left his computer to direct projects he’s written, including Searching for Bobby Fisher, A Civil Action (which received a Writers Guild Award nomination), and All the King’s Men. Zaillian, who was also an executive producer on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, has awards from the WGA, BAFTA, and the Humanitas Prize, to sit alongside his Oscar. Chris Wolski caught up with Hollywood’s most respected scribe via email to talk about punk hackers, political evildoers, and finding a kindred spirit in Conrad Hall, ASC. Read more

Girl, Interrupted

How do you shoot a movie in freezing cold Sweden, from a book the whole world has read? David Fincher and Jeff Cronenweth, ASC heat up The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. By Chris Wolski. Photos by Merrick Morton. Read more

President’s Letter – December 2011

Skating to the Puck

There’s been a lot spoken and written about the passing of Steve Jobs in the last few months, but I’d like to offer one more example of how attitude and purpose of vision can make all the difference in one’s career. Jobs, talking at the 2007 Macworld Conference and Expo about how Apple products have stayed ahead of the curve, famously quoted Wayne Gretsky, who advised to, “skate where the puck’s going, not where it’s been.” Read more

ICG December 2011

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
DP Jeff Cronenweth, ASC
by Chris Wolski

WAR HORSE
DP Janusz Kaminski
by David Heuring

GENERATION NEXT
by Margot Carmichael Lester

PO AND THE GRASSHOPPER
by Pauline Rogers

SCHOOL DAZE
by Pauline Rogers

EXPOSURE: Steven Zaillian

REFRACTION: Daniel Pearl, ASC

DEEP FOCUS: Chris Norr

GEAR GUIDE: Generation NEXT

DEPTH OF FIELD: Taco Bell’s “Graduation to Go” Studios