Zbigniew Rybczynski
Encyclopedia
Zbigniew Rybczyński (ˈzbiɡɲɛf rɨpˈt͡ʂɨɲskʲi; born January 27, 1949) is a Polish filmmaker who has won numerous prestigious industry awards both in the United States and internationally. He was also a teacher of cinematography
, and digital cinematography
. Currently he is a researcher of blue and greenscreen compositing technology at Ultimatte Corporation.
Rybczyński was born in Łódź, Poland
. He studied cinematography at the then world-famous Łódź Film School (PWSFTviT). He began his professional career working as a cinematographer for young directors of his generation. His films from that period include: The Talk (Rozmowa- TV) and Gropingly (Po Omacku) by Piotr Andrejew
, Videocassette (Wideokaseta) by Filip Bajon, Wanda Gościmińska włókniarka by Wojciech Wiszniewski
and a feature movie by Grzegorz Królikiewicz Dancing Hawk (Tańczący Jastrząb).
Rybczyński was also active in an avant-garde group "Warsztat Formy Filmowej", and had cooperated with "Se-Ma-For
" Studios in Łódź, where he authored a series of short films, including: Plamuz 1973, Zupa 1974, Nowa książka 1975 and Tango 1980.
Tango was his big success, winning the Oscar
Award for Best Animated Short in 1983.
After winning the Academy Award, Rybczynski moved to New York and embarked on a career directing music videos in the early years of MTV
. Rybczynski created dozens of music videos for artists such as Art of Noise, Mick Jagger
, Simple Minds
, Pet Shop Boys
, Chuck Mangione
, The Alan Parsons Project
, Yoko Ono
, Lou Reed
, Supertramp
, Rush
, Propaganda
, Lady Pank
. His clip for John Lennon
's Imagine was created as a showpiece for HDTV technology. Rybczynski won several MTV Awards, including the coveted Video Vanguard Award for his radical contributions to the form.
Rybczynski is a recognized pioneer in HDTV
technology. In 1990, he produced the HDTV program The Orchestra for the Japanese market. This suite of classical music videos won many awards (the Emmy Award
for "Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects"). The program, created in HDTV, was broadcast in standard resolution by PBS
as part of their Great Performances
series in the U.S., as HDTV was not widely available to viewers until a decade later. Segments of this program are regularly featured on the Classic Arts Showcase
channel in the U.S.
Frustrated with the quality of available chroma key
technology -- the process of removing a specific color frequency from film and video that had become essential to his work -- Rybczynski began to author his own chromakey software in the 1990s. This led to an R&D position with the Los Angeles Ultimatte Corporation, longtime industry leaders in chromakey technology.
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
, and digital cinematography
Digital cinematography
Digital cinematography is the process of capturing motion pictures as digital images, rather than on film. Digital capture may occur on video tape, hard disks, flash memory, or other media which can record digital data. As digital technology has improved, this practice has become increasingly common...
. Currently he is a researcher of blue and greenscreen compositing technology at Ultimatte Corporation.
Rybczyński was born in Łódź, 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...
. He studied cinematography at the then world-famous Łódź Film School (PWSFTviT). He began his professional career working as a cinematographer for young directors of his generation. His films from that period include: The Talk (Rozmowa- TV) and Gropingly (Po Omacku) by Piotr Andrejew
Piotr Andrejew
Piotr Andrejew is a Polish film director, now living in the Netherlands with his son, Victor Andrejew. He is sometimes credited as Piotr Andreyev or Piotr Andreev....
, Videocassette (Wideokaseta) by Filip Bajon, Wanda Gościmińska włókniarka by Wojciech Wiszniewski
Wojciech Wiszniewski
Wojciech Wiszniewski was a Polish filmmaker who mainly directed faux documentaries. Most of his films were censored by the communist authorities due to its pessimistic look at 1970s Poland. Only after his death were they released...
and a feature movie by Grzegorz Królikiewicz Dancing Hawk (Tańczący Jastrząb).
Rybczyński was also active in an avant-garde group "Warsztat Formy Filmowej", and had cooperated with "Se-Ma-For
Se-ma-for
Se-ma-for is a Polish animation studio. Founded in Łódź, Poland, in 1947, it has created many animated cartoons and stop motion puppet animations, for young and mature audiences...
" Studios in Łódź, where he authored a series of short films, including: Plamuz 1973, Zupa 1974, Nowa książka 1975 and Tango 1980.
Tango was his big success, winning the Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
Award for Best Animated Short in 1983.
After winning the Academy Award, Rybczynski moved to New York and embarked on a career directing music videos in the early years of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. Rybczynski created dozens of music videos for artists such as Art of Noise, Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
, Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
, Chuck Mangione
Chuck Mangione
Charles Frank "Chuck" Mangione is an American flugelhorn player and composer who achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-pop single, "Feels So Good." Mangione has released more than thirty albums since 1960.-Early life and career:...
, The Alan Parsons Project
The Alan Parsons Project
The Alan Parsons Project was a British progressive rock band, active between 1975 and 1990, consisting of singer Eric Woolfson and keyboardist Alan Parsons surrounded by a varying number of session musicians....
, Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
, Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
, Supertramp
Supertramp
Supertramp are a British rock band formed in 1969 under the name Daddy before renaming to Supertramp in early 1970. Though their music was initially categorised as progressive rock, they have since incorporated a combination of traditional rock and art rock into their music...
, Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, Propaganda
Propaganda (band)
Propaganda is a German synthpop group, formed in 1982. They were one of the initial roster of acts signed to Trevor Horn's ZTT label, between 1984 and 1986, during which they released the critically acclaimed album A Secret Wish....
, Lady Pank
Lady Pank
Lady Pank is a popular Polish rock band, started in 1981 in Warsaw by Jan Borysewicz and Andrzej Mogielnicki. Its first hit was "Mała Lady Punk" ....
. His clip for John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
's Imagine was created as a showpiece for HDTV technology. Rybczynski won several MTV Awards, including the coveted Video Vanguard Award for his radical contributions to the form.
Rybczynski is a recognized pioneer in HDTV
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
technology. In 1990, he produced the HDTV program The Orchestra for the Japanese market. This suite of classical music videos won many awards (the Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for "Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects"). The program, created in HDTV, was broadcast in standard resolution by PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
as part of their Great Performances
Great Performances
Great Performances, a television series devoted to the performing arts, has been telecast on Public Broadcasting Service public television since 1972...
series in the U.S., as HDTV was not widely available to viewers until a decade later. Segments of this program are regularly featured on the Classic Arts Showcase
Classic Arts Showcase
Classic Arts Showcase is a television channel in the United States promoting the fine arts. The television program content includes prepared media and recorded live performances...
channel in the U.S.
Frustrated with the quality of available chroma key
Chroma key
Chroma key compositing is a technique for compositing two images together. A color range in the top layer is made transparent, revealing another image behind. The chroma keying technique is commonly used in video production and post-production...
technology -- the process of removing a specific color frequency from film and video that had become essential to his work -- Rybczynski began to author his own chromakey software in the 1990s. This led to an R&D position with the Los Angeles Ultimatte Corporation, longtime industry leaders in chromakey technology.
Filmography
| Year | Film Title | Duration | Film Type | Shoot Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Kwadrat (Square) | 4:40 | 35 mm short film | PWSFTviT Łódź, Poland |
| Take Five | 3:36 | 35 mm short film | PWSFTviT Łódź, Poland | |
| 1973 | Plamuz (Music Art) | 9:38 | 35 mm short film | SMFF Se-Ma-For Łódź, Poland |
| 1974 | Zupa (Soup) | 8:22 | 35 mm short film | SMFF Se-Ma-For Łódź, Poland |
| 1975 | Nowa Książka (New Book) | 10:26 | 35 mm short film | SMFF Se-Ma-For Łódź, Poland |
| Lokomotywa (Locomotive) | 9:38 | 35 mm short film | SMFF Se-Ma-For Łódź, Poland | |
| Święto (Holiday) | 9:38 | 35 mm short film | SMFF Se-Ma-For Łódź, Poland | |
| 1976 | Oj! Nie Mogę Się Zatrzymać! (Oh, I Can't Stop!) | 10:07 | 35 mm short film | SMFF Se-Ma-For Łódź, Poland |
| Weg Zum Nachbarn (Way To Your Neighbor) | 2:30 | 35 mm short film | SMFF Se-Ma-For Łódź, Poland | |
| 1977 | Piątek - Sobota (Friday - Saturday) | 3:00 | 35 mm short film | SMFF Se-Ma-For Łódź, Poland |
| 1979 | Mein Fenster (My Window) | 2:26 | 35 mm short film | Vienna |
| 1980 | Tango | 8:14 | 35 mm short film | SMFF Se-Ma-For Łódź, Poland |
| Media | 1:36 | 35 mm short film | SMFF Se-Ma-For Łódź, Poland | |
| Sceny Narciarskie z Franzem Klammeren (Ski Scenes with Franz Klammer) | 9:38 | 35 mm documentary film | in collaboration with B. Dziworski, WFO Łódź, Poland and Signal Film, Vienna |
- 1981
- WDECH-WYDECH (Inhale-Exhale) - 35mm paradocumental film, 30 min, in collaboration with B. Dziworski, SMFF Se-Ma-For Łódź, for TVP, Poland
- 1983
- AngstAngst (1983 film)Angst is a 1983 Austrian film. Written and directed by Gerald Kargl with cinematography by Academy Award winner Zbigniew Rybczyński, it tells the story of a psychopath recently released from prison and is loosely based on the mass murderer Werner Kniesek...
- Innovative Austrian serial killer film starring Erwin Leder
- Angst
- 1984
- SIGN OF THE TIMES - music video for Grandmaster FlashGrandmaster FlashJoseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
, 4:25, Elektra/Asylum Records - THE REAL END - music video for Rickie Lee JonesRickie Lee JonesRickie Lee Jones is an American vocalist, musician, songwriter, and producer. Over the course of a three-decade career, Jones has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, blues, pop, soul, and jazz standards.-Childhood:...
, 4:47, Warner Bros. - ALL THAT I WANTED - music video for BelfegoreBelfegoreBelfegore was a short-lived European Gothic New Wave band, formed in the early 1980s by Meikel Clauss. The group released several singles and two albums, initially for the German independent Pure Freude and later for Elektra...
, 4:15, Elektra Records - DIANA D - music video for Chuck MangioneChuck MangioneCharles Frank "Chuck" Mangione is an American flugelhorn player and composer who achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-pop single, "Feels So Good." Mangione has released more than thirty albums since 1960.-Early life and career:...
, 4 min, CBS Records - Close (To the Edit)Close (to the Edit)"Close " was a single by Art of Noise, released on various formats in May 1984. It was closely related to their earlier single "Beat Box", though the two tracks were developed as separate pieces from an early stage....
- music video for Art of Noise, 4:30, Island Records - THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE DIPLOMACY - experimental short video, 2:56, The NEW SHOW NBC TV
- THE DAY BEFORE - experimental short video, 1:38, The NEW SHOW NBC TV
- SIGN OF THE TIMES - music video for Grandmaster Flash
- 1985
- LOSE YOUR LOVE - music video for BlancmangeBlancmange (band)Blancmange are a British synthpop band who came to prominence with a string of hits in the early to mid 1980s.-Biography:Blancmange was formed in Harrow, Middlesex in 1979 by singer Neil Arthur and instrumentalists Stephen Luscombe and Laurence Stevens...
, 3:54, Warner Bros. - ALIVE AND KICKING - music video for Simple MindsSimple MindsSimple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
, 5:25, A&M Records - ULTIMO BALLO - music video for Angel and Maimone, 4:50, Virgin Records
- MIDNIGHT MOVER - music video for AcceptAcceptAccept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, originally assembled by former vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes. Their beginnings can be traced back to the late 1960s...
, 3:10, Epic Records - MINUS ZERO - music video for Lady PankLady PankLady Pank is a popular Polish rock band, started in 1981 in Warsaw by Jan Borysewicz and Andrzej Mogielnicki. Its first hit was "Mała Lady Punk" ....
, 3:55, MCA Records - SHE WENT POP - music video for I Am Siam, 4:10, Columbia Records
- HOT SHOT - music video for Jimmy CliffJimmy CliffJimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences...
, 3:55, CBS Records - P-MACHINERY - music video for PropagandaPropaganda (band)Propaganda is a German synthpop group, formed in 1982. They were one of the initial roster of acts signed to Trevor Horn's ZTT label, between 1984 and 1986, during which they released the critically acclaimed album A Secret Wish....
, 3:45, Island Records - WHO DO YOU LOVE - music video for Bernard WrightBernard WrightBernard Wright is an American funk and jazz keyboardist who began his career as a session musician and later released several solo albums in the 1980s....
, 4:15, Capitol Records
- LOSE YOUR LOVE - music video for Blancmange
- 1986
- IMAGINE - experimental HDTV film, 4:20, music by John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Rebo/Rybczynski Productions - CANDY - HDTV music video for CameoCameo (band)Cameo is an American soul-influenced funk group that formed in the early 1970s. Cameo was initially a 13-member group known as the New York City Players; this name was later changed to Cameo to avoid a lawsuit from Ohio Players, another group from that era. Since then, Cameo has recorded several...
, 4:20, Polygram Records, Rebo Productions - THE ORIGINAL WRAPPER - music video for Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
, 4:40, RCA Records - I CANT THINK ABOUT DANCING - music video for Missing Persons, 4 min, Capitol Records
- SEX MACHINE - music video for Fat Boys, 4 min, Tin Pan Apple/Sutra Records
- ALL THE THINGS SHE SAID - music video for Simple MindsSimple MindsSimple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
, 4:15, Virgin Records - HELL IN PARADISE - music video for Yoko OnoYoko Onois a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
, 3:30, OnoVideo/Polygram Records - STEREOTOMY - music video for The Alan Parsons ProjectThe Alan Parsons ProjectThe Alan Parsons Project was a British progressive rock band, active between 1975 and 1990, consisting of singer Eric Woolfson and keyboardist Alan Parsons surrounded by a varying number of session musicians....
, 4:10, Arista Records - OPPORTUNITIESOpportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)"Opportunities " is a song by UK synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as a single in 1985 and then in 1986, gaining greater popularity in both the UK and U.S...
- music video for Pet Shop BoysPet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
, 3:40, EMI Records
- IMAGINE - experimental HDTV film, 4:20, music by John Lennon
- 1987
- LET'S WORK - HDTV music video for Mick JaggerMick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, 4:05, CBS Records - WHY SHOULD I CRY? - HDTV music video for Nona HendryxNona HendryxNona Hendryx is an American vocalist, producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress.Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady Marmalade." Her music has ranged from soul, funk, dance, and R&B to hard rock, art...
, 4 min, EMI Records, Rebo Productions - KEEP YOUR EYE ON ME - HDTV music video for Herb AlpertHerb AlpertHerbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...
, 5:15, A&M RECORDS, Rebo Productions - STEPS - experimental video/35mm film, 26 min, Zbig Vision, KCTA-TV(PBS), Channel Four
- I'M BEGGING YOU - music video for SupertrampSupertrampSupertramp are a British rock band formed in 1969 under the name Daddy before renaming to Supertramp in early 1970. Though their music was initially categorised as progressive rock, they have since incorporated a combination of traditional rock and art rock into their music...
, 4 min, A&M Records - TIME STAND STILLTime Stand Still (song)"Time Stand Still" is a single from the progressive band Rush that was featured on their 1987 album Hold Your Fire. The single charted #3 on the U.S. mainstream rock charts. Aimee Mann's vocals are briefly featured in each chorus, marking Rush's first collaboration with another singer. A music...
- music video for RushRush (band)Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, 3:30, Polygram Records - SOMETHING REAL - music video for Mr. MisterMr. MisterMr. Mister is an American pop rock band most popular in the 1980s. The band's name came from an inside joke about a Weather Report album called Mr. Gone where they referred to each other as "Mister This" or "Mister That", and eventually selected "Mr. Mister." Mr. Mister may be considered as...
, 4:10, BMG Music - DRAGNET 1987 - music video for Art of Noise, 3 min, Chrysalis Records
- LET'S WORK - HDTV music video for Mick Jagger
- 1988
- FLUFF - opening sequence video, 1:47, HDTV, RAI-TV
- THE DUEL - a tribute to G.Melies, 4:08, HDTV, Telegraph,
- BLUE LIKE YOU - HDTV music video for Etienne DahoÉtienne DahoÉtienne Daho is a French singer, songwriter and record producer who has released a number of synth-driven and rock-surf influenced pop hit singles since 1981.- Career :...
, 3:41, Virgin Records - THE FOURTH DIMENSION - experimental 35mm film, 27 min, Zbig Vision, RAI III, Canal+ and KTCA-TV(PBS)
- 1989
- CAPRICCIO NO.24 - experimental HDTV film, 6:18, TVE's The Art of Video
- YOU BETTER DANCE - HDTV music video for The JetsThe Jets (band)The Jets are a family band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, composed of brothers and sisters who specialize in pop, R&B, and dance music, particularly Latin freestyle.The group officially formed in 1985, with the original lineup fizzling out by 1990...
, 3:34, MCA Records - COWBELL - HDTV music video for Takeshi ItohTakeshi Itoh, nicknamed "T.K." by fans, , is a Japanese Saxophonist, EWIst, Lyriconist, Keyboardist and flutist and currently serves as saxophonist of the band, T-Square....
, 4 min, CBS Records - GMF Groupe - promo, 2:03, HDTV, Zbig Vision and Ex Nihilo
- 1990
- THE ORCHESTRA - HDTV long film, 57:11, Zbig Vision and Ex Nihilo, coproduced by NHK, Canal+ and PBS Great Performances.
- 1991
- MANHATTAN - experimental HDTV film, 28 min, Zbig Vision and NHK Enterprises USA, Inc.
- WASHINGTON - experimental HDTV film, 28 min, Zbig Vision and NHK Enterprises USA, Inc.
- VH-1 JINGLES - promo, 0:46, HDTV for VH-1
- 1992
- KAFKA - HDTV long film, 52:16, Telemax, Les Editions Audiovisuelles
- CURTAINS - opening sequence for Tonight Show, 0:34, HDTV, NBC TV
External links
- http://www.zbigvision.com
- http://www.ultimatte.com
- http://www.classicartsshowcase.org