Janusz Kaminski
Encyclopedia
Janusz Zygmunt Kamiński (ˌjanuʂ kaˈmiɲskʲi; born June 27, 1959) is a Polish cinematographer
and film director
. He has photographed all of Steven Spielberg
's films since 1993's Schindler's List
.
, Poland
, the son of mother, Jadwiga Celner, and father, Marian Kaminski. He emigrated at the age of 21—after Prime Minister
Jaruzelski
imposed martial law
in 1981—to the United States
. There, he attended Columbia College
in Chicago
from 1982 to 1987, taking up film making as a profession before transferring to the AFI Conservatory
, where he graduated with an M.F.A. degree
. At AFI, he met future Academy Award winner Wally Pfister, known for his cinematography work with Christopher Nolan
on Batman Begins
and The Dark Knight
, whom he recruited as a grip and electrician for various projects.
Kamiński twice won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography
in the 1990s, for Schindler's List
and Saving Private Ryan
.
While accepting his 2008 Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography
for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
, Kamiński stated he earned $3,000 per week for his work on the film, far below his alleged normal fee of $6,000–$12,000 per day. He joked that he would not be able to accommodate young filmmakers for the same fee.
Kamiński was the first cinematographer to present an Academy Award, which he did at the 2009 ceremony, alongside James Franco
and Seth Rogen
, presenting the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
. He also received acclaim for starring as himself in a short film at the 81st Academy Awards
with James Franco and Seth Rogen.
Kamiński was married to actress Holly Hunter
from 1995 until 2001. He married ABC
reporter Rebecca Rankin in 2004.
Kamiński was a member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) from 1994 until his resignation in 2006.
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. He has photographed all of Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's films since 1993's Schindler's List
Schindler's List
Schindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark...
.
Life and career
Kamiński was born in ZiębiceZiebice
Ziębice is a town in Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Ziębice. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the son of mother, Jadwiga Celner, and father, Marian Kaminski. He emigrated at the age of 21—after Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Jaruzelski
Wojciech Jaruzelski
Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski is a retired Polish military officer and Communist politician. He was the last Communist leader of Poland from 1981 to 1989, Prime Minister from 1981 to 1985 and the country's head of state from 1985 to 1990. He was also the last commander-in-chief of the Polish People's...
imposed martial law
Martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition...
in 1981—to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. There, he attended Columbia College
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
from 1982 to 1987, taking up film making as a profession before transferring to the AFI Conservatory
AFI Conservatory
The AFI Conservatory is a division of the American Film Institute founded in 1969, located in Hollywood's Griffith Park. The school is the only existing Master of Fine Arts conservatory in advanced film education...
, where he graduated with an M.F.A. degree
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
. At AFI, he met future Academy Award winner Wally Pfister, known for his cinematography work with Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan
Christopher Jonathan James Nolan is a British-American film director, screenwriter and producer.He received serious notice after his second feature Memento , which he wrote and directed based on a story idea by his brother, Jonathan Nolan. Jonathan went to co-write later scripts with him,...
on Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
and The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight (film)
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins...
, whom he recruited as a grip and electrician for various projects.
Kamiński twice won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography
Academy Award for Best Cinematography
The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture.-History:...
in the 1990s, for Schindler's List
Schindler's List
Schindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark...
and Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
.
While accepting his 2008 Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography
Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography
The Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography is one of the annual awards given by Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers.- 1980s :* 1986: Toyomichi Kurita – Trouble in Mind...
for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (film)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a 2007 biographical drama film based on Jean-Dominique Bauby's memoir of the same name. The film depicts Bauby's life after suffering a massive stroke, on December 8, 1995, at the age of 42, which left him with a condition known as locked-in syndrome. The...
, Kamiński stated he earned $3,000 per week for his work on the film, far below his alleged normal fee of $6,000–$12,000 per day. He joked that he would not be able to accommodate young filmmakers for the same fee.
Kamiński was the first cinematographer to present an Academy Award, which he did at the 2009 ceremony, alongside James Franco
James Franco
James Edward Franco is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author, painter, performance artist and instructor at New York University. He left college in order to pursue acting and started off his career by making guest appearances on television series in the 1990s...
and Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
, presenting the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974. For the three preceding years it was known as "Short Subjects, Live Action Films." The term "Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects" was used from 1957 until 1970. From 1936 until 1956 there were two separate...
. He also received acclaim for starring as himself in a short film at the 81st Academy Awards
81st Academy Awards
The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST...
with James Franco and Seth Rogen.
Kamiński was married to actress Holly Hunter
Holly Hunter
Holly Hunter is an American actress. Hunter starred in The Piano for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She has also been nominated for Oscars for her roles in Broadcast News, The Firm, and Thirteen...
from 1995 until 2001. He married ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
reporter Rebecca Rankin in 2004.
Kamiński was a member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) from 1994 until his resignation in 2006.
Cinematographer
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(1993) - Class of '61 (1993)
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(2011)
Other
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(1986) - Dance of the Damned (1988)
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- To Die Standing (1990)
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