Freeze Frame
Nelson Cragg, who graduated from the USC School of Cinema-Television last May, will receive the award presented annually to one or more promising film school students or recent graduates.
Cragg will be honored during the 18th annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards at the Century Plaza Hotel on Feb. 8.
“Our goal is to inspire talented young filmmakers to pursue careers as cinematographers by providing recognition as well as tangible support,” said Laszlo Kovacs, chairman of the ASC education committee. “We hope this recognition encourages them to believe in themselves at a crucial time in their lives when they are entering a competitive career field.”
Kovacs said the judges were impressed by the originality of short films and each cinematographer’s ability to tell stories visually.
Cragg, who was born in Ohio, studied English literature at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., and became interested in cinematography after enrolling in graduate school at USC.
“For me, nothing else comes close to the power of creating images that tell a story,” Cragg said. “I realized that I could combine my love of literature with visual art in cinematography.
“I am honored to have been chosen me as one of the recipients of the Heritage Award and glad that the ASC takes the time to help young cinematographers begin their careers,” he said. “I look forward to a life of simply looking at moments in time and finding ways to capture them."
The ASC Heritage Award is dedicated to preserving the memory of a cinematographer who played an important role in the history of the industry.
Hall was a graduate of USC’s film school. He earned Oscars for “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “American Beauty” and “Road to Perdition.” He was nominated for “The Professionals,” “In Cold Blood,” “Day of the Locust,” “Tequila Sunrise,” “Searching for Bobby Fischer” and “A Civil Action.”
“Conrad Hall made a seminal impact on the art of filmmaking,” Kovacs said. “He was a courageous filmmaker with an extraordinary passion for the art form and a great role model for every young person with unrealized dreams.
“It takes more than talent and skill to succeed in this industry. It also requires extraordinary determination and a single-minded sense of purpose,” he said.
Hall was born and raised in Papeete, Tahiti. His father was James Norman Hall, who co-authored “Mutiny on the Bounty” and other novels. His parents sent him to USC with instructions to find a career.
Serendipity led Hall into the film department and cinematography. He served a brief apprenticeship as an assistant cameraman and operator, earning his first credits for the television series “Stoney Burke” and “The Outer Limits.” His first film credit was for “Wild Seed” in 1965.
Hall, who received the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993, died Jan. 4, 2003 at the age of 76.
The 18th annual ASC Awards ceremonies will be preceded by an open house at the ASC clubhouse at 1782 N. Orange Drive and an Internet chat with the nominees and award winners Feb. 7.
For additional information, contact the ASC at (323) 969-4333 or visit the organization’s Web site at http://www.theasc.com.
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USC in the News
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The Chronicle of Higher Education mentioned USC’s $6 billion fundraising campaign. The story noted that USC had already raised $1 billion in a “quiet phase,” including the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College.
The Guardian (U.K.) highlighted two major gifts to USC in a list of the 10 biggest philanthropic benefactors in America. The list included the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
The New York Times featured the USC U.S.-China Institute documentary “Assignment: China — The Week that Changed the World.” The documentary, part of a series, examines media coverage of the 1972 Nixon trip that reshaped U.S.-China relations after a quarter century of isolation and hostility. “People look back now and take it for granted that the outcome was preordained,” said the institute’s Mike Chinoy, who produced the documentary. Voice of America also featured the story.
Los Angeles Times featured the Oscar Senti-meter, a tool developed by the USC Annenberg School, Los Angeles Times and IBM that analyzes thousands of tweets about the Academy Awards nominees. The story noted that Mexican actor Demian Bechir received an enormous boost on Twitter the day of the nominations, with a total of 6,893 tweets mentioning him, a 47-fold increase from the day before. The story noted the tool uses language-recognition technology developed in collaboration with USC Viterbi School’s Signal Analysis and Interpretation Lab.
The Times of India (India) featured a three-day medical emergency training workshop organized in association with USC. At the workshop, held at GCS Medical College in India, 50 doctors and more than 100 paramedics learned how to improve emergency support systems. William Mallon of the Keck School of USC said that discussion topics included the use of portable ultrasonic devices to scan patients. “The ultrasound applications help physicians make accurate and timely decisions,” he noted. Daily News & Analysis (India) also featured the workshop.
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