Steven Poster, ASC

Steven Poster, ASC, was born and raised in Chicago. He studied photography at the Los Angeles Art Center in Pasadena and subsequently earned his degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Following graduation, he was hired as an assistant cameraman by a commercial film production company in Chicago. Poster was noticed immediately because he knew how to light and was promoted to cameraman by age 21. He shot industrial and educational films, TV commercials, and a tremendous number of documentaries during that formative period.

Poster then began shooting second unit for Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC, on several films (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The River) and for Jeff Cronenweth, ASC and Bill Fraker, ASC among others.

Poster moved to California in the mid-1970s and primarily shot commercials at first. In 1979 he landed his first feature film, a horror movie called Blood Beach.

Poster has since compiled an impressive list of narrative credits, which freely cross genres, from comedy (Life Stinks, Rocket Man) to drama (Someone to Watch Over Me), and relationship-based stories (The Cemetery Club). Poster's TV MOW credits include such critically acclaimed films as Testament, Roswell and Color of Justice. He is considered a cutting-edge cinematographer in the TV commercial genre and shoots 30-40 spots annually for worldwide clients. He is primarily experienced in testing and shooting in HD format.

He currently serves as vice president of the American Society of Cinematographers and the International Cinematographers Guild (Local 600).