RUSS ALSOBROOK ASC

Born: 2 September 1946, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif., as Russ Thomas Alsobrook. Raised in San Diego.

Education: Cal Western University, San Diego; San Diego State College; University of California, Santa Barbara [English & Philosophy].

Career: A chance encounter with a 'The Wonderful World of Disney' crew [dir by Frank Zuniga] on a California beach led to an opportunity to enter the film industry as a gofer in 1969. He spent the next three years working on 16mm nature films. From 1972-79, he was a staff cinematographer for a company that produced industrial films and commercials for Chrysler. In 1979, he started shooting doc's for PBS-tv, ABC-tv and the Ambassador Foundation. He transitioned into narrative storytelling in 1989, when he shot a low budget feature called 'Skeeter's Wings'.

Ph commercials dir by John McDonald, a.o.

Appeared in the doc 'Cinematographer Style' [2005, Jon Fauer; ph: J. Fauer, Jeff Laszlo, Brian Heller & David Morgan].

Russ Alsobrook: 'I've always been an observer, so it was natural for me to gravitate to cinematography. Shooting nature films and documentaries around the world taught me to think on my feet and find the essence of the story. Cinematographers use light the way a novelist uses words to describe how sunshine on an autumn day paints the scene for his or her characters. Every cinematic technique creates an emotional response that influences how the audience embraces the story and characters. I believe film has a certain magic that will never be replaced or duplicated. There is an alchemy that takes place far beyond the technical and artistic elements that conjure up a movie. Film is magical because it defies explanation. Perhaps this glorious 19th century technology endures because no other medium can tell stories that connect so directly to the human heart. This is the most amazing art form ever invented.' [From the KODAK OnFilm website.]

FILMS

1983	T-Lock - The American Solution [Kevin Biles] c; comm doc/?m; for Ameron, Inc.
1988	Ask Any Dummy: Seat Belts Make Sense! [John E. McDonald] c; comm doc/18m; for Hyundai
1988	Skeeter's Wings [D.J. Webster] c; short/60m
1989	The Dark Side of the Moon [D.J. Webster] c
1993	Mona Must Die [Donald Reiker] c
2000	The Closet [Shawn Schepps] c; short/9m; cph: Shawn Schepps
*2004*	*Once in a Lifetime: 'Just Go for It!'* [Randolph Hirsch] scheduled as doph, but prod put on hold; ph in November 2006 by Patricia Van Over
2004	The Good Daughter [Curtis Bradford] c; short/6m
2004	Man About Town [Mike Binder] s35/c; 2uc: Donald McCuaig; aph: Dwayne McClintock
2006	Reign Over Me/Empty City [Mike Binder] HD-to-35mm/c; 2uc New York (+ 2ud): Kyle C. Rudolph
2006	Superbad [Greg Mottola] HD-to-35mm/c
2007	Forgetting Sarah Marshall [Nicholas Stoller] c
2007	Role Models/Little Big Men [David Wain (replaced Luke Greenfield)] c
2008	Paul Blart: Mall Cop [Steve Carr] HD/c; 2uc: Patrick Capone

TELEVISION

1972	Salty, the Hijacked Harbor Seal [Milas Hinshaw] ep/16mm of ABC-tv 'The Wonderful World of Disney'
1972	Mustang [Frank Zuniga & Roy Edward Disney] 2-part ep of ABC-tv 'The Wonderful World of Disney'; 2uc (+ c.op 'b' cam); ph: Michael Lonzo
1981	Women of Russia [Michael Carr & Peter Sova] 3-part doc series
1992	The Ben Stiller Show [various] 13-part series, 1992-93; other ph: Clyde Smith
1994	The Shaggy Dog [Dennis Dugan] tvm; ep ABC-tv 'Disney Family Movies'; remake of film (1959)
1994	The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes [Peyton Reed] tvm; remake of film (1969)
1994	Freaky Friday [Melanie Mayron] tvm; ep ABC-tv 'Family Saturday Movie'; remake of film (1976)
1994	Escape to Witch Mountain [Peter Rader] tvm; remake of film (1975)
1995	The Barefoot Executive [Susan Seidelman] tvm; ep ABC-tv 'Saturday Night at the Movies'; remake of film (1970)
1995	The Love Bug [Peyton Reed] tvm; ep ABC-tv 'The Wonderful World of Disney'; remake of film (1968)
1995	Encino Woman/California Woman [Shawn Schepps] tvm
1997	Austin Stories [various] 13-part series/s16, 1997-98
1998	Daytrippers [Fran Drescher] pilot for MTV
1999	Freaks and Geeks [various] 18-part series/s35, 1999-2000; other ph: Bill Pope (pilot)
2000	Grosse Pointe [various] 17-part series/s16, 2000-01; other ph: Alexander Gruszynski (pilot)
2000	Undeclared [11 ep dir by various] 17-part (1 unaired) series, 2001-02; other ph: James L. Carter (pilot + 4 ep)
2001	The Mind of the Married Man [10 ep dir by various] 20-part series, 2001-02; 2nd season, 2002
2001	Lizzie McGuire [ep #32 'First Kiss' dir by Steve DeJarnatt (SDJ), #33 'El Oro de Montezuma' dir by Savage Steve Holland (SSH), #34 'Mom's Best Friend' dir by SDJ, #35 'The Rise and Fall of Kate' dir by Anson Williams (AW), #42 'Over the Hill' dir by SSH, #45 'Just Like Lizzie' dir by AW, #47 'Inner Beauty' dir by Mark Rosman (MR), #48 'Movin' on Up' dir by MR & #49 'Party Over Here' dir by SSH] 65-part series, 2001-04; 2nd season, 2002-04; other ph: John Newby
2002	Romy and Michele: In the Beginning [Robin Schiff] tvm
2002	Dragnet [ep #12 'The Little Guy' dir by Donna Deitch] 22-part (2 unaired) series, 2003-04; 1st season, 2003; cph: Bing Sokolsky; other ph: Johnny Jensen, Paul Maibaum & Bing Sokolsky; the 2nd season was called 'L.A. Dragnet'
2003	L.A. Dragnet [all ep (#13-22) dir by various] 2nd season, 2003-04; see 2002
2003	Miss Match [ep #15 'Divorce Happens' dir by Michael Lange] 18-part (7 unaired) series, 2003; other ph: Steven Fierberg & Ron García
2005	What About Brian [pilot dir by Dan Lerner] series, 2006-present; filmed March
2005	Big Love [ep #4 'Eclipse' dir by Michael Spiller, #6 'Roberta's Funeral' dir by Mary Harron, #8 'Easter' dir by Steve Shill, #10 'The Baptism' dir by Michael Lehmann & #12 'The Ceremony' dir by Julian Farino] series, 2006-present; 1st season, 2006; other ph: James Glennon
2005	What About Brian [ep #2 'Two in Twenty-Four' dir by Dan Lerner (DL), #3 'Moving Day' dir by Ron Lagomarsino, #4 'The Importance of Being Brian' dir by Gabe Sachs & Jeff Judah & #5 'Sex, Lies and Videotape' dir by DL] filmed Nov; see 2005

MISCELLANEOUS

1970	Three Without Fear: Lost on the Baja Peninsula [Frank Zuniga; 2-part ep 'The Wonderful World of Disney'] gofer; ph: Milas Hinshaw
1990	Never Forget [Joseph Sargent; tvm] c.op; ph: Kees van Oostrum