29th Annual ASC Award Winner

By now does not come as a surprise that the movie everyone not long ago expected to win all the tech awards is not winning much and the most unexpected is sweeping almost all tech awards including cinematography.

We all know that everyone is excited with Birdman cinematography, photographed to appear as one continuous take; but me, I can't understand the fuzz. Why would someone want to do something that is not WHEN you can do it for real? Of course the answer is that doing it for real is VERY HARD, while simulating is a lot easier. So, why celebrate a simulation? Is this an example of what is to come in especial/visual effects in cinematography? A lot of long/medium takes seamless edited to look like one long take? But do not be surprise with my comments as it is obvious to me that because the visually claustrophobic cinematography I disliked Birdman to the highest level.

From nominees believe that Mr. Turner and even The Grand Budapest Hotel have more interesting cinematography, but my personal favorite is the cinematography in Ida, that was beautiful, visually awesome and absolutely blends cinematography into the narrative to become an integral part of it. The film has an Oscar nomination along with Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Mr. Turner and Unbroken, but when another group gives Birdman their top prize then you start to believe that Oscar night will look more like Birdman and less like Boyhood or other movie.

Yes, Birdman won top ASC award. Most interesting news are Barbra Streistand being honored with the ASC Board of Governors Award, as well as John Bailey with ASC Lifetime Achievement Award, Bill Roe with Career Achievement in Television Award, Matthew F. Leonetti with President Award, Denny Clairmont and Otto Memenz with Bud Stone Award.

Also the Spotlight Award, recognizing cinematography in features and documentaries that are typically screened at film festivals, internationally or in limited domestic release, went to Peter Flinckenberg for his cinematography in Betoniyö (Concrete Night) which is Finland's submission to Oscars foreign-language film category.  Film has beautiful black and white cinematography, lots of playing with shadows, but even when was visually stimulating did not enjoy much film as whole, sigh.

Winner is in *BLUE.  Winners in all categories will be soon at the official site here, but if you wish to learn them right now go here.

---///---
1/7/15
Today the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) announced the nominations for the feature film category and there are not much surprises as we continue to see the same films getting more honors. Perhaps the surprise is among those that were not nominated, like the omission of the film that many expected will get most of the Oscar tech awards, Interstellar, and now seems that we will not have one winner in tech categories like has happened in past years.

The Nominees of Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography

Roger Deakins for Unbroken
Oscar Faura for The Imitation Game
*Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman
Dick Pope for Mr Turner
Robert Yeoman for The Grand Budapest Hotel

To check nominees in Television categories go official site here and to read today's announcement go here. The awards ceremony will be on Sunday, February 15 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles