Michael Goi, ASC has been chosen by his peers to serve as president of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). The other officers are Vice Presidents Richard Crudo, ASC, Owen Roizman, ASC and Victor J. Kemper, ASC; Treasurer Matthew Leonetti, ASC; Secretary Rodney Taylor, ASC; and Sergeant at Arms John C. Flinn, III, ASC. The other board members are Curtis Clark, ASC, George Spiro Dibie, ASC, Richard Edlund, ASC, John Hora, ASC, Stephen Lighthill, ASC, Isidore Mankofsky, ASC, Daryn Okada, ASC, Nancy Schreiber, ASC, Haskell Wexler, ASC, and Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC.
“The members of ASC are committed to the ideals of the great cinematographers who created images for the classic movies we love,” Goi says. “I remember being enormously touched when I saw The Graduate when I was 8 years old. I didn’t recognize it then, but years later I appreciated how the artful use of light, shadows and composition by Robert Surtees, ASC served the story.
“When I became a member of ASC, I was surprised by how open and friendly everyone was. My heroes became my friends who openly shared their knowledge and feelings about filmmaking. There is an unbreakable camaraderie which I treasure.”
Goi says that the current generation of ASC members remains dedicated to the vision of the founders who were devoted to advancing the art and craft of filmmaking.
“We are partnering with the Producers Guild of America (PGA) on a groundbreaking assessment of film and digital cameras that are currently used during the production of theatrical motion pictures,” he says. “We are also collaborating with other organizations, including a previsualization subcommittee with the Art Directors Guild (ADG) and Visual Effects Society (VES), designed to help drive the industry toward a higher quality bar for the art and craft of moving images.”
Goi is a Chicago native who grew up making “little 8 mm movies” with the help of neighborhood kids. He upgraded to using a 16mm Bolex camera by working odd jobs. After graduating from high school, Goi studied filmmaking at Columbia College in Chicago. He began shooting PBS documentaries while he was still in college.
After graduation in 1980, Goi shot local commercials and documentaries and opened a still photography studio, where he concentrated on fashion and product photography. Goi earned his first narrative film credit for Moonstalker in 1987. He received ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards nominations for the telefilms The Fixer (1999) and Judas (2005). Last year, Goi also garnered an Emmy® nomination for an episode of My Name is Earl.
His other credits include Witless Protection, Fingerprints, Red Water, What Matters Most, Who Killed Atlanta’s Children?, Christmas Rush, Funky Monkey, Welcome to Death Row, The Dukes, the Emmy® Award-winning documentary Fired-Up: The Story of Public Housing in Chicago, and the TV series The Wedding Bells and My Name is Earl. He also recently wrote, produced, and directed the narrative film “Megan is Missing.” Goi is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as well as the Academy of Television Arts And Sciences.
ASC was founded in 1919 by 15 charter members. In 1934, the organization created an associate membership category for individuals in other sectors of the industry who have made notable contributions to advancing the art and craft of cinematography. There are 310 active members today who have national roots in some 20 countries. There are also 160 associate members.
