RIC WAITE   ASC

Born: 10 July 1933, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA, as Richard Waite.

Education: University of Colorado.

Career: Started his career in New York City where he owned and operated a photography studio with Playboy, Vogue, Jaguar, a.o. as his clients. Moved to Los Angeles in 1970 and entered the film industry. Moved to Denver in 2002 where he has been busy shooting real estate, portraits and weddings.

'People are always asking me "how do I get into the movie business?" That's kind of a tough question to answer. I can tell them how I got into the movie business. I was a fashion photographer in New York for ten years before I tried for the "industry". I had met a lovely young gal who said to me one day, "why don't you go out to California and get into the movie business." It was a statement, not a question. As the saying goes, behind every successful man there is a good, smart woman. Well, my wife was just that. So, in all my ignorant bliss, I took my portfolio of still photos - I had no reel at that point - and went to Los Angeles. I bought the local production guide and started knocking on doors. Only commercial producers mind you. Five days later I knocked on Chris Peterson's door. Chris had a commercial producing company and was then very successful. For some reason he hired me! As a director/cameraman. So my bride and I moved to Los Angeles. A few weeks after I'd started with Chris I got my first assignment - as a cameraman - on a Navy training film. The next day I arrived at the stage, introduced myself to the director. Imagine - a young kid from Chicago via Korea [war] via New York was actually on a Hollywood sound stage about to start shooting his first picture. Only problem was, I didn't know how to even begin. The director gave my my first set up. A nurse leaves a room down the hall, comes toward us to the nurse's station, chats with another nurse for a moment, then walks away up another hall. I thought to myself - she's going to move? Hell, I'd been photographing people on a seamless background using strobe lights. How the heck do you light a person to get from A to B? I hadn't the foggiest. So I confessed my sins to the gaffer. His name was Cal Bassin and what a terrific guy he was. He just smiled, told me to follow him around and pay attention to what he did and how he did it. I followed his advice. Finally, he announced we were ready and I should tell the director so. I did and he - the director - said "fine Ric - just climb on the dolly and we'll get a rehearsal." I took one look at this huge camera mounted on this funny looking device that had a hand wheel in the back and another small hand wheel on the side. I thought to myself, what the hell's that? I'd been used to a small tripod and either a Rolleiflex or Hasselblad. So, I conjured up myself and said to the director: "You know, I really like to sit in a chair and watch the actors - make sure they're hitting their marks, staying in their lights, etc." He said "okay, we'll get an operator over here right away." Well, that's how it went for the first six months I was there. A bit of lying, a hint of cajoling; a little bit of stalling and a lot of watching, learning and keeping my mouth shut - but a smile on my face - Always! And I began to learn how to be a cinematographer.' [From Ric Waite's blog, January 12, 2009.]

Teaches at the Colorado Film School. Taught at the International Film & Television Workshops in Rockport, Maine. 'I've been taking for 30 years, and now I'm giving back. Some folks say, "Ric, I worked for a director of photography and asked him how to do something, but he won't tell me because it's a little secret." I say, "Well, that's petty. I'll share any shred of knowledge that I have. I mean, first of all, I respect that you're here because you want my job, which is fine." I tell them anything they want to know, and I share all of my 'secrets'. We all have a few, but I have no compunction about revealing mine. I really enjoy the teaching.'

Awards: 'Emmy' Award [1976/7] for 'Captains and the Kings' [Chapter 1]; 'Emmy' Award nom [1976/7] for 'Tail Gunner Joe'; 'Emmy' Award nom [1977/8] for 'The Life and Assassination of the Kingfish'; CableACE Award nom [1993] for 'Last Light'; 'Emmy' Award nom [1996] for 'Andersonville' [Part II].

Website: Ric Waite

1972        [The Deja Vu] A Time for Love/Forever/Forever My Love [Rick Jason] p/c

1973        Goodnight Jackie [Jerry London] ?

1973        Day of the Wolves [Ferde Grofé Jr.] c

1973        Dead of Night [Dan Curtis] c; comp of 3 ep ('Second Chance', 'No Such Thing as a Vampire' & 'Bobby') of unaired

                    tv-series; released in 1977

1975        The November Plan [Don Medford] c; comp of first 3 ep of tv-series 'City of Angels'; see Television (1975)

1977        The Other Side of the Mountain Part II [Larry Peerce] c

1978        Defiance [John Flynn] c; assoc ph New York: Harvey Genkins

1979        On the Nickel [Ralph Waite] c

1979        The Long Riders [Walter Hill] c

1980        The Border [Tony Richardson] p/c; addph (started film): Vilmos Zsigmond

1981        Tex [Tim Hunter] c

1982        48 Hrs. [Walter Hill] c

1982        Class [Lewis John Carlino] c

1983        Footloose [Herbert Ross] c

1983        Uncommon Valor [Ted Kotcheff] c; addph; ph: Stephen Burum

1983        Red Dawn [John Milius] c; 2uc: Frederick Elmes; spec title ph: Dana Kershner

1984        Volunteers [Nicholas Meyer] c; addph: Jack Green

1985        Summer Rental [Carl Reiner] c; + 2ud

1985        Brewster's Millions [Walter Hill] c; ph New York: Leroy Patton; addph: Charles F. Wheeler

1985        Blue City [Michelle Manning] c; addph; ph: Steven Poster

1986        Cobra [George Pan Cosmatos] c; addph: Nick McLean

1987        Adventures in Babysitting/A Night on the Town [Chris Columbus] c

1988        The Great Outdoors [Howard Deutch] c; 2uc: Robert Thomas

1990        Marked for Death/Screwface [Dwight H. Little] s35/c; addph: Robert Thomas; 2uc: John M. Stephens

1990        Out for Justice/Price of Our Blood [John Flynn] s35/c; addph: Robert Wagner

1991        Rapid Fire [Dwight H. Little] c

1992        Scam [John Flynn] c; shown in May 1993 as a tvm

1993        On Deadly Ground [Steven Seagal] Clairmont-Scope/c; addph Alaska: Theo van de Sande; 2uc: John M. Stephens; aph:

                    David Nowell; vfx ph: Bill Neil; wildlife ph: Scott Ransom

1996        Truth or Consequences, N.M. [Kiefer Sutherland] c; 2uc: Leo Napolitano

1999        Woman Wanted [Kiefer Sutherland] c; 2uc: Curtis Petersen

1999        The Watcher [Joe Charbanic & Jeff Jensen] c; addph; ph: Michael Chapman

2003        Fallacy [Jeff Jensen] c

2007        A Handful of Beans [?] announced for October start; status unknown

2008        Best Ribs in Town [David Mikalson] c; reshoots in February 2009

2009        Serpent Rising [Larry Riggins] c

1973        Police Story [ep #7 'Collision Course' dir by David Friedkin, #10 'Man on a Rack' dir by John L. Moxey, a.o.] 89-part

                    series, 1973-77 + 15 2hr specials, 1977-80 & 1988; other ph: Jack Woolf, Emmett Bergholtz & Robert L. Morrison

                    (pilot)

1973        Nakia [Leonard Horn] pilot; followed by series, 1974-75

1973        New Temperatures Rising [ep #12 'Four of a Kind' dir by William Asher, #14 'Big Brother' dir by Richard Kinon, #15 'Is

                    There a Lady Doctor in the House?' dir by Herbert Kenwith (HK), #16 'Kid Genius' dir by HK, #17 'Three Faces of Edwina'

                    dir by HK & #19 'Shafted' dir by Roger Duchowny] 20-part series, 1973-74; other ph: Henry Cronjager; followed 26-part

                    series 'Temperatures Rising'

1974        Emergency!/Emergency One [21 ep dir by various] 134-part series, 1972-79; 4th season, 1974-75 (22 ep); other ph:

                    Bud Thackery (1 ep)

1975        City of Angels [various] 13-part series, 1976; see Films (1975)

1975        Captains and the Kings [Douglas Heyes & Allen Reisner] 6-part miniseries; other ph: Vilis Lapenieks & Isidore

                    Mankofsky

1975        Medical Story [ep #11 'The Quality of Mercy' dir by Robert E. Collins] 11-part series, 1975-76

1976        Wonder Woman/The New Adventures of Wonder Woman/The New Original Wonder Woman [ep #13 'The

                    Bushwhackers' dir by Stuart Margolin & #14 'Wonder Woman in Hollywood' dir by Bruce Bilson] 59-part series, 1976-79

                    + 2 pilots, 1974 & 1975; 1st season, 1976-77; other ph: Joseph Biroc (pilot 1974), Dennis Dalzell (pilot 1975), Robert

                    Hoffman & Ted D. Landon

1976        Tail Gunner Joe [Jud Taylor] tvm

1976        Red Alert [William Hale] tvm

1976        The Life and Assassination of the Kingfish/Every Man a King [Robert E. Collins] tvm

1977        Nero Wolfe/The Doorbell Rang [Frank D. Gilroy] tvm

1977        The Initiation of Sarah [Robert Day] tvm

1977        A Question of Guilt [Robert Butler] tvm

1977        Leave Yesterday Behind [Richard Michaels] tvm

1978        Dear Detective [Dean Hargrove] pilot; followed by 4-part series, 1979

1978        A Guide for the Married Woman [Hy Averback] tvm

1978        Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill [Joel Schumacher] tvm

1978        Charleston [Karen Arthur] tvm

1978        Steeletown [Robert E. Collins] tvm; cph: Gil Hubbs

1979        And Baby Makes Six [Waris Hussein] tvm

1979        The Comeback Kid [Peter Levin] tvm

1980        A Perfect Match [Mel Damski] tvm

1980        Baby Comes Home [Waris Hussein] tvm

1980        Revenge of the Stepford Wives [Robert Fuest] tvm

1983        Dempsey [Gus Trikonis] tvm

1985        Midas Valley [Gus Trikonis] pilot

1986        You Ruined My Life [David Ashwell] tvm

1988        Police Story: Burnout [Michael Switzer] tvm; see 1973

1993        Last Light [Kiefer Sutherland] tvm

1995        Andersonville [John Frankenheimer] 2-part tvm

1995        Nowhere Man [ep #5 'Paradise on Your Doorstep' dir by Thomas J. Wright] 25-part series, 1995-96; other ph: James

                    Chressanthis & Isidore Mankofsky

1995        Money Play$ [Frank D. Gilroy] tvm

1996        Last Stand at Saber River [Dick Lowry] tvm

1997        Hope [Goldie Hawn] tvm

1997        Heart Full of Rain [Roger Young] tvm

1999        Ratz [Thom Eberhardt] tvm

1999        Absence of the Good [John Flynn] tvm

2000        Love and Treason/Aladdin Window [Lewis Teague] tvm

2000        The Triangle [Lewis Teague] tvm; uwph: Paul Guenette

2001        A Mother's Fight for Justice/Crash Course [Thomas Rickman] tvm