About Local 600

The International Cinematographers Guild represents the most talented camera professionals in the world. The technicians and artisans in our union are the creators of the visual images on the big screen, the television screen and - as we move into the 21st century - our computer screen.

That’s why we’re so excited about offering this site to our members, everyone in our industry and to people everywhere who want to know more about what we do.

International Cinematographers Guild members - Directors of Photography, Camera Operators and Assistants, Computer Graphics Specialists, Visual Effects Supervisors, Still Photographers and more - are part of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. The IATSE is comprised of highly skilled technicians working in film, television, live entertainment, animation, special effects and new media.

We hope you find this website informative and useful. Take your time and browse. If you’re a member, go to our Members Only page for detailed information. If you work in our industry, we want you to get a picture of the extraordinary range of our members’ skills and accomplishments. And if you’re considering a career in cinematography, take a look at the amazing opportunities available to union cinematographers, operators and assistants.

Thanks for dropping in. We hope to see you again soon.

PRESIDENT’S LETTER - FEBRUARY 2010

It Takes a Village…

Here is the short list of ICG cinematographers being honored this season with peer-voted industry awards: Caleb Deschanel, ASC (ASC 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award for feature film cinematography) Chris Menges, ASC, BSC (ASC International Achievement Award for feature film cinematography), John C. Flinn, III, ASC (ASC Career Achievement in Television Award) and Sol Negrin, ASC (ASC Presidents Award, presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to advancing the art and craft of filmmaking), and Gordon Willis, ASC (Governors Academy Award© from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences).

It’s an impressive body of talent, creativity and experience, to say the least, as it is every year at this time when we single out individuals to honor amongst our many colleagues in the world of cinematography. But these awards represent much more than just a collective pat on the back that makes each of these craftsmen feel good about themselves; we hand out awards to honor their artistic contributions to film and television projects created by hundreds, sometimes thousands of individuals working together with a single and unified purpose. And what you see above is just the beginning of the list - in the run-up to the Oscars, there will be others so honored by season’s end. And those awards yet to come, like the talented cinematographers above, represent accolades for each and every crewmember they partnered with during their long and storied careers. To borrow a term from political campaigns past, it takes an entire village…for one individual to win an award. I’m sure people like Caleb Deschanel or John Flinn would be the first to insist that if there was space on their trophies, all those other crewmember names should be marked on as well.

These awards also have impact beyond the careers of the cinematographers receiving them because they often translate into an increase in box office receipts or a boost in television ratings, which in turn means more work for all our union brothers and sisters. More work for everyone means a healthy and economically thriving industry. And it’s not just those so honored who win out: everyone who is nominated or considered for an award bestowed by their peers is elevated this time of year. So I say congratulations to all of those who have been honored, and those whose honors are yet to come.

Finally, I want to add a personal note of congratulations to Gordon Willis, ASC, upon receiving his Academy Award© at the recent Governors Awards event. This is a man who has given audiences some of the most memorable images in the history of motion pictures, and for whatever reasons or circumstances has never been singled out before. Yet anyone familiar with Gordon’s body of work knew how much he deserved it. I, for one, say thanks everyday I go out to shoot for the work of Gordon Willis, and all of the other winners listed above, because I know that the risks they’ve taken with their craft and art are an inspiration to cinematographers the world over. These people push and challenge us all in ways that can’t even be quantified, so I say let’s celebrate their honors, and the contributions they’ve made to our industry.

Fraternally,

Steven Poster, ASC
National President
International Cinematographers Guild
IATSE Local 600