Roger Deakins Will Mentor UCLA Film Students

On April 19, Local 600 Member Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC was named Kodak Cinematographer in Residence at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Theater, Film and Television. As the Cinematographer in Residence Deakins will conduct a number of screenings and workshops on the art of cinematography and the role in plays in the production of films. This program was the brain child of UCLA Professor William McDonald, and is sponsored by the Kodak Student Filmmaker Program.

Deakins will launch his program at UCLA with a public screening of The Man Who Wasn't There, a 2001 collaboration with the Coen brothers. The screening will be held on April 25 at 8 pm at the James Bridges Theater on the northwestern corner of UCLA's campus near the intersection of Sunset Blvd. and Hilgard Ave. Admission is free with public parking for $7 available on campus in Structure 3.

"This is an excellent opportunity for our students to gain insights into the creative process of the world's most talented cinematographers," says McDonald. "Roger Deakins is compiling an extraordinary body of work. His peers have nominated him for five Oscars over the past 10 years, and he is still in the prime of his career."

Deakins has earned both Oscar and American Society of Cinematographers award nominations for his work on Fargo, Kundun, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Shawshank Redemption and The Man Who Wasn't There. He received top honors from ASC for the latter two.

A native of England Deakins was born and raised in a small town called Torquay in Devon England. Deakins first came to the United States in 1968 to film Sid and Nancy. Soon after he met the filmmaking Coen Brothers and began a working relationship with them. His first film with the Coen Brothers was Barton Fink. He was a bit wary at first working with brothers, but he realized the two collaborated well and had good vision.

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