Tak Fujimoto
Biography
Filmography
Biography
A leading director of photography, Tak Fujimoto began his career working on commercials as an assistant to celebrated director/cinematographer Haskell Wexler. He received his first credit as a director of photography on Terrence Malick's "Badlands" (1973). Fujimoto sent nearly three years working on films produced by Roger Corman and it was during this period he began what is arguably the most fruitful collaboration of his distinguished career--his association with producer-director Jonathan Demme.
Fujimoto and Demme first worked together on the women-in-prison flick "Caged Heat" (1974) and the female killers film "Crazy Mama" (1975). Their association has encompassed everything from the Hitchcockian "Last Embrace" (1979) to the period romance "Swing Shift" (1984), perhaps reaching its zenith with Fujimoto's appropriately claustrophobic photography on "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991). While "Beloved" (1998) may not have set any box-office records, the film featured strong work from the cinematographer who utilized various film stocks to achieve the film's textured look.
In addition to his long-standing partnership with Demme, Fujimoto has lent his considerable talents to numerous other projects. He created the appropriately noirish look for Alan Rudolph's "Remember My Name" (1978) as well as the colorful world of teenagers in both "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Pretty in Pink" (both 1986). His work on 1995's "Devil in a Blue Dress" (1995) ranks as among his best. In Carl Franklin's adaptation of Walter Mosley's detective novel, he avoiding using diffused light in order to create the subtle but rich earth tones found in old photographs. Fujimoto's photography also lent emotional resonance to both "A Thousand Acres" (1997) and M Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense" (1999).
Filmography
Cinematography (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Life Events
1969
Joined Haskell Wexler as an assistant on filming commercials
1973
Debut feature as a director of photography, "Badlands", directed by Terrence Malick; was one of three credited cinematographers
1974
First teaming with Jonathan Demme, "Caged Heat"
1977
Served as a camera operator on the 2nd unit photography for "Star Wars"
1979
TV debut as a cinematographer on the NBC movie "This Man Stands Alone"
1980
Shot "Melvin and Howard" for Demme
1983
Was director of photography for "Heart Like a Wheel"
1984
Reteamed with Demme for "Swing Shift"
1986
Lent talents to the teen pics "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Pretty in Pink"
1988
Reunited with Demme for "Married to the Mob"
1989
Last TV credit (to date), "Cast the First Stone" (NBC)
1991
Served as director of photography for Demme's Oscar-winning Best Picture "The Silence of the Lambs"
1993
Collaborated with Demme on "Philadelphia"
1995
Earned widespread praise as director of photography for the moody, noirish "Devil in a Blue Dress"
1996
Was cinematographer on Tom Hanks' directorial debut, "That Thing You Do!"
1997
Captured the heartland of America for "A Thousand Acres"
1998
Again reteamed with Demme on "Beloved"
1999
Forged the appropriately eerie atmosphere for "The Sixth Sense"
2000
Was cinematographer on the sports-themed drama "The Replacements"
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
