Fred Koenekamp, ASC
Biography

Fred Koenekamp, ASC was born and raised in Los Angeles, where his father, was in the first generation of Hollywood cinematographers and Guild members. Hans Koenekamp, ASC became a cameraman for Mack Sennett in 1913. Later, he directed second units and produced special effects shots for Warner Bros. Koenekamp served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. His first industry job was as a camera loader at RKO Studios in 1945. He stepped up to first assistant on Harry Wild’s camera crew initially specializing in underwater shots. Koenekamp earned his first credit as a camera operator in 1958 on The Brothers Karamazov on a crew assembled by John Alton, ASC.

He garnered his first cinematography credit in 1964 for the pilot of the television series, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Koenekamp shot more than 100 episodes of that classic series, stretching over four seasons. He earned Emmy nominations for shooting the series in black and white in 1965 and in color in 1966. Koenekamp compiled more than 90 cinematography credits. He earned Academy Award nominations for Islands in the Stream and Patton and shared a 1975 Oscar® with Joe Biroc, ASC for their collaboration on The Towering Inferno. Other memorable films in his formidable body of work include The Great Bank Robbery, Billy Jack, Kansas City Bomber, The Amityville Horror, Papillion and Fun With Dick and Jane.

Koenekamp will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Cinematographers on Feb. 20, 2005 in recognition of his many contributions to advancing the art and craft of cinematography.