Janusz Kaminski
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Biography
Filmography
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Biography
As the director of photography on many of director Steven Spielberg's films, Janusz Kaminski created some of the most lasting and memorable images in cinema history. Whether filming "Schindler's List" (1993) in stark black-and-white, giving the film a cold documentary feel, or using nausea-inducing, hand-held shots while storming the beaches of Normandy in "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), Kaminski had the unique gift of maintaining an air of realism, while using a wide array of washed-out color schemes, hyperkinetic movement and other visual trickery to draw the audience into the action. A naturally gifted cinematographer, Kaminski had an inauspicious start in Hollywood, making B-movies for low-budget impresario Roger Corman, whose production facility was the proving grounds for many later A-list filmmakers. Eventually, with a great deal of resilience and a bit of luck, Kaminski honed his craft to the point where he was noticed by none other than Spielberg. Following "Schindler's List," a stunning and diverse list of achievements with the director followed, among them "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" (2001), "Catch Me if You Can" (2002) and "Munich" (2005). A rare non-Spielberg endeavor, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (2007), earned Kaminski some of the highest accolades of his career, while his reunion with the director on the momentous biopic "Lincoln" (2012) arguably surpassed all that had come before. In the eyes of many, Kaminski had established himself as both the best known and the finest cinematographer of his generation.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cinematography (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Film Production - Lighting/Electrical (Feature Film)
Film Production - Main (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Life Events
1982
Immigrated to the USA
1987
Did the photography for the US short, "Transients/Durchreisende/En transit," directed by Juan Valdivia
1989
Worked as chief lighting technician on the horror anthology film, "After Midnight"
1990
Was director of 2nd unit photography on several features beginning with "Streets"
1991
First feature credit as cinematographer, "The Terror Within II"
1991
First TV work, cinematography on the TV-movie, "Wildflowers," directed by Diane Keaton
1993
Won widespread acclaim and numerous awards for his work on Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List"
1997
Reteamed with Spielberg to shoot back-to-back, "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," "Amistad" and "Saving Private Ryan"
1999
Feature directorial debut with "Lost Souls," starring Winona Ryder
2001
Reteamed with Spielberg for "A.I. Artificial Intelligence"
2002
Once again worked with Spielberg on the sci-fi thriller "Minority Report"
2002
Continued his association with Spielberg on "Catch Me If You Can"
2004
Director of photography for Spielberg's "The Terminal"
2005
Worked with Spielberg on "Munich" and "War of the Worlds"
2007
Filmed "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"; earned an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography
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