American Cinematographer - May 2000 - 160

The AFC Turns 10
The Association of French Cine¬

matographers (AFC) celebrated its 10th
anniversary late last year by leading a
growing chorus of European voices argu¬
ing for the cinematographer's right to be
considered co-author of
have

a

a

film. "If

we

legal victory, the

would be considered
of

a

one

cameraman
of the authors

movie," says Willy Kurant, an ASC

member who
year.

joined the AFC in its first
"No visual change or reformatting

would be done without his consent."
In

early December, members of
the AFC joined other European cine¬
matographers and several attorneys in a
panel discussion on authorship rights at
a conference sponsored by IMAGO, the
European Federation of the National
Associations of Cinematographers, in
Torun, Poland. The result was the Torun
Declaration, an appeal from IMAGO's 22
member associations to national and

European legislative bodies "to include
cinematographers among the authors of

against individualism," says Kurant. "But
it was not a total victory, because some
did not want to join, either out of inde¬
pendence or out of ego."
The AFC immediately attracted
the support of Kodak, Agfa and Fuji, who
were

all made associate members.

Kurant says the Centre National
Cinema also assisted with funding

du
by
matching members' dues. The associa¬
tion's first president was Pierre Lhomme
(Jefferson in Paris, Cotton Man/], and he
was succeeded by Eduardo Serra (Wings
of the Dove, What Dreams May Come),
Pierre-William Glenn (Day for Night, A
Dry White Season), and Philippe Pavans
de Ceccatty (Les Miserables), the last of
whom took office in March.
In addition to publishing an inhouse newsletter, the Paris-based AFC
hosts monthly screenings of films by its

matographers in action.
"It's probably 10 percent techni¬
cal and 90 percent interpretation,"
noted Spinotti about the art of cine¬
matography. "You have to take the tech¬
nique for granted; you have to know it
enough to not think about it."
Added Zsigmond, "At the top is
the director, and then the director of

photography, in
second. We
person

are

my

mind, comes
right-hand

sort of the

for the director."
Flail elaborated about

with the director, "I read the
I know the story very, very

working
script until
well, then

work with the director to find the vision
he

or

she has in mind for

telling the

story, and then adapt to that vision."
At the close of the segment,
Michael

the AFC, visit the Web
site: www.afc.fr.st. For IMAGO, visit

perhaps best summed up the
cinematographer's importance to a film
production: "Writers, directors and
actors may tell the story. Designers may
make it beautiful. The cinematographer

www.imago.org.

makes it

members, who
information

now

number 63. For more

on

a

movie."

films and other audiovisual works to
CNN Comes

which

they contribute." In addition to
claiming their "moral rights as authors,"
the cinematographers say they are enti¬
tled to part of "the income from the
exploitation - increasingly relevant in
the digital age - of works that include
their creative contributions."
The

solidarity expressed in the
was a far cry from the
sentiments surrounding the formation of
the AFC a decade earlier, according to
Torun Declaration

CNN

Errata

Calling

entertainment

reporter

Dennis Michael and his

crew

visit to the ASC Clubhouse

on

paid

a
March 15

to record a

segment focusing on the role
cinematographers for the Showbiz
Today entertainment news program.
Two of this year's Oscar nominees, ASC
members Dante Spinotti (The Insider)
and Conrad Flail (American Beaut/, and
past nominee Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC,
of

In this space

last month, we incor¬
rectly printed that Victor J. Kemper had
recently been elected ASC president for
the fourth time. In reality, he has now
been elected to the post six times. ACs
editors would like to apologize to our
fearless leader for this oversight.
Also, in our March profile of ASC
International Award winner Oswald

Morris, BSC ("A Man for All Seasons"),

Kurant. "Since the 1930s, attempts to
unite cameramen through clubs and soci¬

were on

hand to discuss their percep¬
tions of the director of photography's

the

eties in France had failed," he says.

role in motion

camerawork

"French society was very individualistic
at that moment, and it still is." But in

1989, a handful of cinematographers,
concerned about emerging technologies

on

pictures.

The segment ran
March 21 and 25 as

in its entirety
a

tie-in to the

channel's

and the future of their craft,

Academy Awards
Smaller clips ran repeatedly
during the "Hollywood Minute" portion

with their peers and
The society had 37

the threesome

year,

behind-the-scenes

persisted
established the AFC.
members in its first
which "seemed a great victory

news

coverage.

of CNN Headline News. Interviews with
were

caption

that Freddie

40 incorrectly states
Young, BSC, did second-unit

on page
on

John Huston's 1956

adventure film

Moby Dick. In fact, the
photography was
supervised by Freddie Francis, BSC.
AC always regrets these types of
errors, which, collectively, are the White
Whale of editors everywhere.
■
film's second-unit

interspersed with
footage of cine¬
American

Cinematographer 151
American Cinematographer - May 2000

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