In recognition of their special contributions to the art of cinematography, the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has named four honorees who will be feted at the 32nd ASC Awards for Outstanding Achievement. Russell Carpenter, ASC will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award; Russell Boyd, ASC, ACS will earn the org’s International Award; Alan Caso, ASC will be bestowed the Career Achievement in Television Award; and Stephen Lighthill, ASC will take home the Presidents Award. The presentations will be made at the annual ASC awards gala on February 17, 2018, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland.
“These artists have accomplished a compelling array of visuals throughout their careers, reaching levels of excellence that inspire cinematographers around the world,” said ASC president Kees van Oostrum. “Not only have they excelled in the art and craft of cinematography but demonstrated leadership and mentorship in their daily work on and off the set.”
Carpenter received an Academy Award® for his ground-breaking work on James Cameron’s Titanic (1997), which took home a total of 11 Oscars®. The film also earned best cinematography awards for Carpenter from the ASC and Chicago Film Critics. The cinematographer began his career shooting documentaries and educational films. His breakthrough film, The Lawnmower Man (1992), demonstrated pioneering computer graphics in filmmaking. He’s gone on to photograph a range of genre films including Hard Target, True Lies, The Indian in the Cupboard, The Negotiator, Charlie’s Angels, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Parched, Awake and 21. Carpenter also shoots commercials, creating compelling visuals for such brands as Lexus, AT&T and Microsoft. Most recently, he contributed his cinematographic talents to Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man, and D.J. Caruso’s xXx: Return of Xander Cage. Carpenter is currently shooting the Disney picture, Nicole, with director Marc Lawrence before moving on to the Avatar sequels for Cameron.
Boyd is an Oscar® winner for his compelling visuals on Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003). Boyd comes from a small town in Victoria, Australia, where he aspired to be a press photographer but got his start at a weekly Melbourne news program, performing a variety of tasks. After shooting numerous commercials for a production company in Sydney, Boyd transitioned to narrative filmmaking, working with Weir several times during the early days of his career. In addition to Master and Commander, the cinematographer and director have collaborated on Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Last Wave, Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously, and The Way Back. Boyd’s credits also include a wide range of feature and television projects, including Tender Mercies, A Soldier’s Story, Cobb, Tin Cup, Doctor Doolittle, and Ghost Rider.
Caso has compiled over 50 television credits, earning two Emmy® nominations for his work on Six Feet Under (2001), as well as nods for Into the West (2005) and George Wallace (1997). The latter also took home an ASC Award, with additional nominations bestowed by the organization for Frankenstein (2004) and Into the West. Caso’s cinematographic contributions to television have made an impact on the annals of the small screen, including The Good Old Boys, Tour of Duty, Blackout Effect, Widows, Running Mates, Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story, Blackbeard, Big Love, Dexter, The Americans (pilot), and Hawaii Five-O. His feature credits include First Sunday, Reindeer Games, Muppets From Space, Top of the World and Ed. He is currently directing photography on the TV series For the People for ABC, and recently shot the upcoming pilot for NBC’s Reverie.
Lighthill began his career shooting network news and documentaries, including contributions to Oscar-nominated documentary Berkeley in the ‘60s, Gimme Shelter, and CBS’ 60 Minutes. In recent years, he returned to documentaries with Boffo! Tinseltown’s Bombs and Blockbusters, and The Alzheimer’s Project: Caregivers. Lighthill’s credits also include independent features and television, such as PBS’ Over-Under, Sideways-Down, Hot Summer Winds, Shimmer, HBO’s Vietnam War Story, Earth 2 for NBC, and Nash Bridges for CBS. His contributions to the industry include many years on the ASC Board of Governors, serving as president from 2012–2013, and the National Executive Board of the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG). In 2010, he received the Deluxe Bud Stone Award for Outstanding Educational Contributions to the Art and Craft of Cinematography from the ICG, and the 2010 SMPTE Kodak Educational Award for Outstanding Contributions in Film Production Education. He is also a regular jury member at the Camerimage cinematography festival in Poland. Lighthill is currently the senior filmmaker in residence: Cinematography at the American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory.
