Whereas the names and history of most cinematographers often go unknown by even ardent filmgoers,Roger Deakinsis one of the few directors of photography in the world that immediately sparks interest in a project. He’s elevated mediocre material -Skyfall,Rango, andUnbrokencome to mind - while also matching the exquisite pitch of some of America’s most popular directors, including the Coen brothers andDenis Villeneuve. For his work, he’s been honored by the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) with 15 nominations and three wins for his work onThe Man Who Wasn’t There,The Shawshank Redemption, andSkyfall. And his win last night forBlade Runner 2049brings that up to four, suggesting that he might be on the road to taking home his first Oscar for cinematography after 14 nominations from the Academy Awards for his work.
As you might have guessed, the ASC is not as big a predictor of Oscar wins as the other recent awards for producing, directing, writing, and performance are at the end of the day. Deakins seems like the favorite at the Oscars right now but he’s got tough competition from the likes ofHoyt van Hoytemafor his astounding work onDunkirkandRachel Morrison’s subtle, perceptive lensing onMudbound, both of whom were also nominated at last night’s ASC Awards. Let’s hope this is Deakins' year.
On the other side of the media landscape,The Crown’s second season brought home honors for DPAdriano Goldman, who did masterful work onCary Fukunaga’sJane EyreandJohn Wells' adaptation ofAugust: Osage County, while other trophies were handed to12 MonkeysandGenius. These are all well-earned triumphs but the aftermath of ASC puts all eyes squarely on Deakins and what may be his long-overdue triumph at an awards ceremony that has a long history of taking too long to honor the form’s masters.
The complete list of winners and nominees follows:
Theatrical Release Category (presented by Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC and Matthew Libatique, ASC)
Spotlight Award Category (presented by John Bailey, ASC)
Episode of a Series for Non-Commercial Television (presented by Teri Polo)
Episode of a Series for Commercial Television (presented by Sean Astin)
Motion Picture, Miniseries, or Pilot Made for Television (presented by Kerri Kenney-Silver)
