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[from interview - 2009] |
2005 |
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VILMOS ZSIGMOND ASC |
Born: 16 June 1930, Szeged, Hungary.
Education: Szinház- és Filmmüvészeti Föiskola [SzFF], Budapest [Cinematography, 1951-55; his teachers were György Illés, János Badal, a.o.].
Career: 'Vilmos Zsigmond was in his early teens when the Russian army installed a puppet government in Hungary answerable to the communist regime in Moscow. He wasn't allowed to continue his education or pursue an interest in becoming a photographer because his family was considered bourgeois. Zsigmond was put to work in a factory, where he saved money to buy a camera and taught himself how to take pictures. He organized a camera club for factory workers. That impressed the commissars who sent him to the Academy of Theatre and Film Art in Budapest to learn cinematography. Zsigmond completed his formal education in 1955, and was working as an apprentice at the state film studio in October 1956, when a popular uprising spilled into the streets of Budapest.' [From the ASC website.] Zsigmond and his film school classmate László Kovács took an Arriflex camera from their school and filmed the battle between the Budapest citizens and the Russian troops and tanks. In November 1956 they fled to Austria where the film was processed and sold to a producer [the film was shown on CBS-tv in 1961]. He [and Kovács] arrived in the USA in March 1957 as a political refugee. He spent time in a refugee camp in New Jersey, and worked briefly in Chicago, before moving to Los Angeles hoping to find a job in the film industry. Worked as laboratory technician and as still photographer [for 5 years] on educational films. Owned his own 16mm Arriflex camera modified for Techniscope. Made a short film on modern dance, 'Lullaby', which gained him entrance in the unions.
Ph and dir commercials. Also active as director.
Was one of the 'masters' at the 'International Masterclass [1999 & 2001], Budapest.
Active member of the ASC since 1973, honorary member of the HSC and associate member of the SOC.
Appearances/interviewee: 'Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography' [1991], 'Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western' [1997, Len Morris; ph: Alicia Weber], 'Wiecej swiatla. Festiwal Operatorów Filmowych Camerimage '97' [1997, Piotr Lazarkiewicz; ph: Adam Sikora; 54m], 'The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' [1998, Laurent Bouzereau], 'Ljuset håller mig sällskap/Light Keeps Me Company' [2000, Carl-Gustav Nykvist], 'Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood' [2002, Kenneth Bowser; ph: Paul Mailman; 119m], 'Elszállnak a felhők... - Zsigmond Vilmos hazatérései/The Clouds Are Drifting Away... - Vilmos Zsigmond's Frequenting Home' [2006, Béla Paczolay & István Dala; ph: Zsolt Tóth, I. Dala & Sándor Várkonyi; tv-doc/28m; ep series 'Szerelmes földrajz'] & 'No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos' [2007, James Chressanthis; ph: Anka Malatynska; 105m].
Awards: 'Oscar' AA [1977] for 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1978] & BAFTA Film Award [1979] for 'The Deer Hunter'; Camerimage Lifetime Achievement Award [1997]; ASC Lifetime Achievement Award [1999]; 'Corvin Chain' [2001; given by the Hungarian Government]; 'Emmy' Award nom [2002] for 'The Mists of Avalon' [Part 1]; HSC 'A Legenda' Award [2005]; ICFF Manaki Brothers Life Achievement Award 'Golden Camera 300' [2010].
FILMS |
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1953 |
A föld/The Land [József Zsuffa] b&w; short/10m; prod SzFF |
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1954 |
Elszállnak a felhök/Gone Are the Clouds [?] ?; short/?m; prod SzFF |
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1955 |
Hajnal elött/Before Dawn [József Zsuffa] b&w; short/15m; prod SzFF |
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1956 |
Ungarn in flammen/Revolt in Hungary [Stefan Erdelyi] b&w; doc/83m; cph: László Kovács & Ferencz Vass |
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1958 |
Az ég kékje/The Blue of the Sky [Vilmos Zsigmond & László Kovács] ?; short/?m; cph: László Kovács |
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1960 |
This Is Larry [?] ?; doc/?m |
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1960 |
The Prom [?] ?; short/?m |
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1961 |
Pulse of Life [Robert Berk] c; instructional doc/?m |
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1962 |
Wild Guitar [Ray Dennis Steckler] c; 2uc (as William Zsigmond); ph: Joseph V. Mascelli |
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1963 |
Lullaby [Vilmos Zsigmond & László Kovács] ?; short/?m; cph: László Kovács |
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1963 |
Story of the Wholesale Produce Market [Leonard Greenberg] c; doc/12m |
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1963 |
The Sadist/Profile of Terror/Sweet Baby Charlie [James Landis] b&w; as William Zsigmond |
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1963 |
Living Between Two Worlds [Bobby Johnson] b&w; as William Zsigmond |
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1963 |
What's Up Front/The Fall Guy/A Fourth for Marriage [Bob Wehling] c; as William Zsigmond |
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1963 |
Summer Children/A Hot Summer Game/It's All in the Game [James Bruner] b&w; lighting: László Kovács & Ernie Reed; as William Zsigmond |
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1964 |
Nasty Rabbit/Spies-A-Go-Go [James Landis] ts/c; as William Zsigmund |
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1964 |
The Time Travelers/Time Trap/This Time Tomorrow [Ib Melchior] c; as William Zsigmond |
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1964 |
Echo of Terror/Psycho-A-Go-Go!/The Man with the Electronic [Synthetic] Brain/The Love Maniac/Blood of Ghastly Horror [Al Adamson] ts/c; as William Zsigmond; prod in 1964 as 'Echo of Terror'; with new scenes in 1965: 'Psycho-A-Go-Go'; new scenes/re-edited: 'The Man with the Electronic [Synthetic] Brain'; re-edited in 1972 as 'Blood; re-edited in 1972 as 'Blood; re-edited in 1972 as 'Blood; re-edited in 1972 as 'Blood of Ghastly Horror' |
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1964 |
Tell Me in the Sunlight [Steve Cochran] b&w; ?; ph: Rod Yould |
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1965 |
Tales of a [Traveling] Salesman [Don Russell] c; 53m; as William Zsigmond |
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1965 |
Deadwood '76 [James Landis] ts/c; cph: Lewis Guinn; as William Zsigmond |
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1965 |
Rat Fink/My Soul Runs Naked/Wild and Willing [James Landis] b&w; as William Zsigmond |
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1965 |
[The] Gun Riders/The Lonely Man/Five Bloody Graves [Al Adamson] ts/c; as William Zsigmond |
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1966 |
The Cat [Ellis Kadison] c; nature ph; ph: Monroe Askins |
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1966 |
Road to Nashville [Will Zens] ts/c; addph (as William Zsigmund); ph: Leif Rise |
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1967 |
The Name of the Game Is Kill!/The Female Trap [Gunnar Hellström] c; as William Zsigmond |
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1967 |
Blood of Dracula's Castle [Al Adamson] c; left film early in prod; cph: László Kovács |
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1967 |
Mondo Mod [Peter Perry] c; doc/?m; cph: László Kovács; as William Zsigmond |
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1968 |
Working Women [Robert Aller] ? |
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1968 |
The Monitors [Jack Shea] c; as William Zsigmond |
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1968 |
The Picasso Summer [Serge Bourguignon & Robert Sallin] c; addph: Henri Alekan & David Shore |
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1968 |
Jennie: Wife – Child/Tender Grass [James Landis & Robert Carl Cohen] b&w; cph: R.C. Cohen; as William Zsigmond |
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1969 |
Futz! [Tom O'Horgan] c |
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1969 |
Hot Rod Action [Gene McCabe] c; doc/72m; cph: Mario Tosi & Vilis Lapenieks; as William Zsigmond |
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1969 |
The Ski Bum/Point Zero [Bruce Clark] c |
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1969 |
Satan's Sadists/Nightmare Bloodbath [Al Adamson] c; uncred cph; cph: Gary Graver |
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1969 |
Horror of the Blood Monsters/Creatures of the Red Planet/The Flesh Creatures/Vampire Men of the Lost Planet [Al Adamson] c; cph: William Troiano; as William Zsigmond |
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1970 |
The Hired Hand [Peter Fonda] c |
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1970 |
Red Sky at Morning [James Goldstone] c |
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1970 |
McCabe and Mrs. Miller [Robert Altman] p/c; 2uc: Rod Parkhurst |
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1970 |
Dusty and Sweets McGee [Floyd Mutrux] c; doc + dram seq/95m; co-addph ('Whiskey a Go Go' nightclub scenes); ph: William Fraker |
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1971 |
Soul to Soul [Denis Sanders] tao/c; concert film/96m; cph: Erik Daarstad, David Myers, Jeri Sopanen, a.o. |
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1971 |
Deliverance [John Boorman] p/c; 2uc: Bill Butler |
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1971 |
Images [Robert Altman] p/c |
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1971 |
The Argument [Donald Cammell] cs/c; short/14m; released in 2000 |
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1972 |
The Master [Richard Colla] ? |
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1972 |
The Long Goodbye [Robert Altman] p/c |
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1972 |
Scarecrow [Jerry Schatzberg] p/c |
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With Steven Spielberg [hat] - "The Sugerland Express" - photo Thys Ockersen Archive |
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1973 |
The Sugarland Express [Steven Spielberg] p/c |
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1973 |
Cinderella Liberty [Mark Rydell] c |
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1973 |
The Girl from Petrovka [Robert Ellis Miller] p/c |
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1974 |
Funny Lady [Herbert Ross] replaced by ph James Wong Howe during shooting |
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1975 |
Dandy, the All-American Girl/Sweet Revenge [Jerry Schatzberg] p/c |
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1975 |
Death Riders [James Wilson] c; doc/84m; cph: James Wilson |
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1975 |
Obsession [Brian De Palma] p/c |
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With Steven Spielberg [l] - "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" |
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1976 |
Close Encounters of the Third Kind [Steven Spielberg] p/c; ph India seq: Douglas Slocombe; ph add scenes USA: William Fraker; addph: John Alonzo & László Kovács; 2uc: Steven Poster; UFO ph: Dave Stewart; spec pfx: Richard Yuricich (ph) & Douglas Trumbull (superv); optical ph: Robert Hall; mothership ph: Dennis Muren |
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1976 |
The Last Waltz [Martin Scorsese] c; mus doc/117m; co-addph; ph: Michael Chapman |
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1976 |
Winter Kills [William Richert] p/c; addph: John Bailey; production halted, but resumed in December 1978 |
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1977 |
A Wedding [Robert Altman] announced as doph, but replaced by Charles Rosher Jr. |
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1977 |
The Deer Hunter [Michael Cimino] p/c; replaced William Fraker during production |
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1978 |
The Rose [Mark Rydell] c; addph concert scenes: Bobby Byrne, Conrad Hall, László Kovács, Haskell Wexler, Owen Roizman, David Myers, Jan Kiesser, a.o. |
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1979 |
Heaven's Gate/Johnson County Wars [Michael Cimino] p/c |
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1980 |
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Special Edition [Steven Spielberg] see 1976; addph 'Special Edition': Allen Daviau |
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1980 |
Blow Out [Brian De Palma] p/c; uncred addph: László Kovács |
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1981 |
The Border [Tony Richardson] p/c; addph; ph: Ric Waite |
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1981 |
Jinxed! [Don Siegel] c |
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1982 |
Table for Five [Robert Lieberman] c; addph: Jan Kiesser; 2uc: Victor Goss; aph: Rex Metz |
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1983 |
The River [Mark Rydell] c; 2uc: Steven Poster & Rex Metz (add); matte ph: Bill Taylor |
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1984 |
No Small Affair [Jerry Schatzberg] c |
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1985 |
Real Genius [Martha Coolidge] p/c; 2uc: Frederick Elmes |
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1985 |
The Witches of Eastwick [George Miller] p/c; vfx ph: Kim Marks & Patrick Turner |
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1988 |
Journey to Spirit Island [László Pal] c |
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1988 |
Fat Man and Little Boy/Shadow Makers [Roland Joffé] J-D-C Scope/c |
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1989 |
The Two Jakes [Jack Nicholson] s35-to-35mm/c |
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1990 |
Scared of Guns [Alan Bloom] ?; cph: James Chressanthis |
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1990 |
The Bonfire of the Vanities [Brian De Palma] s35-to-35mm/c |
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1992 |
Sliver [Phillip Noyce] p/c; 2uc: Michael Benson & László Kovács |
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1992 |
Intersection [Mark Rydell] c; 2uc: László George; uwph: Pauline Heaton |
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1993 |
Maverick [Richard Donner] p/c; 2uc: John Connor; + small part |
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1994 |
The Crossing Guard [Sean Penn] c; 2uc: John Connor |
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1995 |
Assassins/Day of Reckoning [Richard Donner] c; 2uc: Gary Holt; aph: Frank Holgate |
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1995 |
The Ghost and the Darkness [Stephen Hopkins] p/c; 2uc: Gabriel Beristáin; Kenya ph: Jack Couffer |
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1995 |
Porthole to Paradise [Ivan Passer] ? |
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1997 |
Fantasy for a New Age [Richard Caesar] c; dram corporate film/35m; prod for Siemens AG |
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1998 |
Illegal Music [Zane Zidel] ? |
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1998 |
Playing By Heart/Intermedia [Willard Carroll] p/c; 2uc: John J. Connor & Joseph Urbanczyk |
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1999 |
Byron [Charles Jarrott] announced |
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1999 |
Mr. Hughes [Brian De Palma; based on scrpl by David Koepp] announced, but prod was cancelled |
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1999 |
The Body [Jonas McCord] p/c; 2uc: Avi Karpick & Gideon Porath |
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2000 |
Life as a House [Irwin Winkler] p/c; addph: Johnny E. Jensen |
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2001 |
Bánk Bán [Csaba Káel] c; opera film; 2uc: Tamás Lajos & Tibor Vagyóczky |
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2002 |
Timeline [Richard Donner] s35/c; co-2uc; ph: Caleb Deschanel |
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2002 |
Jersey Girl [Kevin Smith] p/c |
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2003 |
Melinda and Melinda [Woody Allen] c |
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2004 |
Medicine Chest [Douglas Busby] c/V; mus short/?m |
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"The Black Dahlia" |
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2005 |
The Black Dahlia [Brian De Palma] s35/c |
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2005 |
Torn from the Flag [Endre Hules & Klaudia Kovács] HD/c; doc/95m; ; cph: Zoltán Honti, László Kovács (Los Angeles & Hungary) & Justin Schein; + co-exec prod; filmed October 2004-December 2005 |
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2006 |
Cassandra's Dream [Woody Allen] c |
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2007 |
Bolden! [Dan Pritzker] s35/c; 2uc: Frank Godwin; aph: David B. Nowell |
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2007 |
Louis/The Great Observer [Dan Pritzker] b&w/silent; short/60m; 2uc: Frank Godwin; + small part |
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2009 |
King Shot [Alejandro Jodorowsky] scheduled to start filming in June, later October; prod cancelled due to lack of funds |
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2009 |
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger [Woody Allen] c |
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2009 |
A Half of Two Lives [Csaba Káel] announced |
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2010 |
The Maiden Danced to Death/A halálba táncoltatott leány [Endre Hules] RED-to-35mm/c; cph: Zoltan Honti |
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2010 |
Three Dog Night [Doug Dearth] scheduled for a May 2011 start; later early 2012; later Summer 2013 with doph David Gribble |
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2011 |
At 2:15 [Maria De Kannon Cle] pre-production; scheduled to start filming in October; later July 2012; status unknown |
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2012 |
Compulsion [Egidio Coccimiglio] c |
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2012 |
Kickstart Theft [Frederic Goodich] HD (Sony F65)-to-D-Cinema/c; comm short/7m; + c.op; for Band Pro Film & Digital Inc. (Burbank/New York/Munich/Tel Aviv) |
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2013 |
Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks [Arthur Allan Seidelman] HD/c |
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TELEVISION |
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1963 |
Story of... [ep 'Story of a Champion' dir by Robert Aller (RA) & 'Story of a Coach' dir by RA] 38-part doc series, 1962-63; cph: Vilis Lapenieks & Erik Daarstad ('Story of a Champion'); as William Zsigmond |
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1965 |
The Market [Jack Shepard] doc/60m; as William Zsigmond |
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1967 |
The World of Animals [ep 'Big Cats, Little Cats' dir by Bud Wiser] 3-part series, 1966-68; cph: J. Barry Herron, John Alonzo, David Blewitt, a.o.; as William Zsigmond |
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1969 |
The Wonderful World of Wheels [?] special/60m; cph: László Kovács |
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1969 |
[The Bold Ones:] The Protectors [ep #1 'A Case of Good Whiskey at Christmas Time' dir by Robert Day] 6-part series |
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1978 |
Flesh and Blood [Jud Taylor] 2-part tvm |
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1988 |
China Beach [ph spec interview seq ep #20 'Vets' (1989) dir by John Sacret Young] 64-part series, 1988-91; 2nd season, 1988-89; ph: ? |
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1989 |
China Beach [ph spec interview seq ep #38 'Souvenirs' (1990) dir by John Sacret Young] 3rd season, 1989-90; ph: Richard Thorpe; see 1988 |
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1991 |
Stalin [Ivan Passer] tvm |
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2000 |
The Mists of Avalon [Uli Edel] 2-part tvm |
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2004 |
Surrender, Dorothy [Charles McDougall] tvm/s16; 2uc: Jack Garrett |
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2012 |
The Mindy Project [pilot dir by Charles McDougall] series, 2012-present |
FILMS AS CAMERA OPERATOR |
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1963 |
The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?/Teenage Psycho Meets Bloody Mary [Ray Dennis Steckler] co-c.op (as William Zsigmond); ph: Joseph V. Mascelli |
FILMS AS DIRECTOR |
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1958 |
Az ég kékje/The Blue of the Sky [co-d; + cph] see Films |
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1963 |
Lullaby [co-d; + cph] see Films |
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1990 |
The Long Shadow/A Tékozló apa [feature] ph: Gábor Szabó |