STEVEN FIERBERG

STEVEN FIERBERG ASC

Born: ?, Detroit, Michigan, USA.

Education: Stanford University [as a National Merit Scholar]; American Film Institute [MFA in Directing, June 1997].

Career: 'I liked photography a lot, but never considered going to film school. My best friend in high school got a Super 8 camera. He showed me a short film that he made, and I thought it was really cool. After that, we made some short films together, including one while we were vacationing in New York. By then I was in college. I scripted and directed it. We both acted and shot parts of it. It was a black-and-white film that won a student award at the Ann Arbor Film Festival in Michigan. [...] I went to Stanford University. I had to make a big decision about what I was going to major in. I didn't know anyone in the movie business or any of the arts. Thinking that I could become a filmmaker was like a fantasy. Everyone I knew in Detroit was in the automotive industry. Then, a miracle happened. I was trying to decide what I wanted to do when a student I knew got me a job as a P.A. on a graduate film project about the Chinese New Year. Basically, I carried the tripod. But, I was very excited to be a filmmaker, and everyone thought we were cool. One day, we were setting up to do some interviews, and I saw Francis Ford Coppola getting ready to shoot a scene with Gene Hackman. They were shooting a scene for 'The Conversation'. That was a moment of truth in my life. I remember thinking that if I didn't try to become a filmmaker I'd end up regretting it for the rest of my life. [...] During my senior year, I was in an exchange program in England that dealt with both British drama and documentaries. I saw four or five plays a week and wrote my final paper on Harold Pinter, a great English screenwriter. It was a great experience for me, because I was a guy from Detroit where I wasn't exposed to that much culture other than music. [...] I went to New York and looked for work. At first, I worked in a camera store and took a lighting course at NYU. Nick Smith gave me my first job as a janitor at Mother's Sound Stage in New York. He taught me how to build sets and use electricity without killing myself. After two years, he did me a favor by firing me so I could collect unemployment; this allowed me to survive while working on micro-budget films as a camera assistant. [...] My first job was working for Nancy Schreiber on a documentary about women comediennes. I made up for not knowing anything by working for free. [...] Someone else I knew at Stanford got me a job as an electrician on a Roger Corman film called 'Rock 'n' Roll High School'. The plane ticket to Los Angeles cost me $620. They paid me $150 a week, and it was a four-week shoot, so I actually lost money. But, it was the smartest thing I ever did because Dean Cundey was the cinematographer. I was pretty good with cables because I had worked on the stage in New York, but everything had a different name. At first, they thought I was the dumbest electrician there ever was, but I learned the lingo. I worked for free as a cinematographer on some low-budget films in New York and was paid for working as an electrician and eventually as a gaffer in Los Angeles. I always chose what I thought was the more creative experience over money. Dean Cundey once offered me a paid job as an electrician and I turned him down because I was going to shoot a movie for free. I lived on a very frugal budget for many years. I remember that it was a big deal the year that I earned $10,000.' [From a conversation with Bob Fisher on the KODAK OnFilm website and 'American Cinematographer' magazine, July 2006.]

Ph commercials. Ph music videos with a: Dr. Dre, Fab Five Freddy, Queen Latifah, David Lee Roth, F. Gary Grey, Snoop Dogg, a.o.

Taught workshops for almost a decade at the Maine Photographic Workshops [Maine Media Workshops; was instructor on a number of short films, e.g. 'Spotless' (dir: Rogier; ph: James, Dolly & John; dv/b&w-c/4m)], as well as guest classes at Idyllwild High School, NYU & the AFI.

His brother Andrew is a prod/dir.

Appeared in the doc 'Cinematographer Style' [2005, Jon Fauer; ph: J. Fauer, Jeff Laszlo, Brian Heller & David Morgan].

Awards: ASC TV Award [2002] for 'Attila'.

Website: Steven Fierberg

FILMS
1978	Home Movies/The Maestro [Brian De Palma] c; addph; ph: James L. Carter
1981	Forty Deuce [Paul Morrissey] c; cph: François Reichenbach & Stefan Zapasnik; + assoc prod
1982	The First Time/Doin' It [Charlie Loventhal] c
1982	In Our Hands [Robert Richter & Stanley Warnow] 16mm/c; doc/90m; cph: Ed Lachman, Oliver Wood, Thomas Sigel, Tom Hurwitz, Don Lenzer, Alicia Weber, a.o.
1982	Vortex [Scott B. & Beth B.] 16mm-35bu/c
1983	Storytelling [Kay Armatage] 16mm/c; doc/57m; cph: Mark Irwin & Christopher Lowry
1983	Not for Publication [Paul Bartel] c; 2uc; ph: George Tirl
1984	Cocaine/Mixed Blood [Paul Morrissey] c; addph (+ prod); ph: Stefan Zapasnik
1984	Streetwalkin'/City Streets/Cookie [Joan Freeman] c; 2uc: Abe Schrager & Richard Brooks
1985	Double Negative [Sam Irvin] c; short/17m; cph: Maryse Alberti
1985	Seven Minutes in Heaven [Linda Feferman] c; 2uc: Oliver Wood & Robert Chappell; addph: Judy Irola
1985	Sid and Nancy [Alex Cox] c; uncred addph; ph: Roger Deakins
1987	Spike of Bensonhurst/Throw Back! [Paul Morrissey] c
1988	A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master [Renny Harlin] c; 2uc: Christopher Tufty; 3uc: Russell Carpenter
1988	Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills [Paul Bartel] c; addph: Martin Schaer & Paul C. Babin
1989	Hell High/Raging Fury [Douglas Grossman] c
1989	Nightbreed [Clive Barker] c; ph Los Angeles; ph: Robin Vidgeon
1990	29th Street [George Gallo] c
1991	Diary of a Hitman [Roy London] c; addph; ph: Yuri Sokol
1992	Aspen Extreme [Patrick Hasburgh] c; cph: Robert Primes; 2uc: Jan Kiesser & Edgar Boyles
1992	Boxing Helena [Jennifer Chambers Lynch] c; addph; ph: Frank Byers & Bojan Bazelli
1995	Blah, blah, blah [Julie Delpy] 16mm-35bu/c; short/12m
1998	The Joyriders [Bradley Battersby] p/c; 2uc: Richard Benda & Yiannis Samaras
1999	Red Letters [Bradley Battersby] c
1999	Moulin Rouge! [Baz Luhrmann] c; co-addph; ph: Donald McAlpine
2001	Secretary [Steven Shainberg] c; 2uc: Richard Benda, John Foster, Scott Kevan & Sonja Rom; + small part
2003	Meet Market [Charlie Loventhal] HD/c; + small part; shown in January 2004 as a work-in-progress at the Sarasota FF; released on DVD in 2008 (78m)
2003	The Californians [Jonathan Parker] c
2004	Pray for Tucson [Bruce Ferber] c; doc (about Howard Dean's campaign for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination)/27m; add cam: Katherine Lowry
2005	Good Morning Baby [Lisa Leone] c; short/13m; ep 'Glamour Reel Moments'-series
2005	Euthanasia [Adrian Grenier] c; short/17m
2005	Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus [Steven Shainberg] c; addph; ph: Bill Pope
2006	Suburban Girl [Marc Klein] c
2006	Waiting on Fountain [Evan Hoyt Wasserstrom] c; short/4m
2007	Searchers 2.0 [Alex Cox] dv/b&w-c; + small part
2007	Days of Wrath [Celia Fox] s35/c
*2007*	The Wisdom of the Pretzel [Dani Menkin] USA adaptation of 'Hochmat HaBeygale' (2002, Ilan Heitner; ph: Oded Kirma); scheduled to start filming in Spring 2008; status unknown
2008	Teenage Paparazzo [Adrian Grenier] b&w-c; doc/94m; cph: Bill Megalos, Jason Banker, David Serafin, a.o.; addph: Daniel Sharnoff
2008	Rage [Sally Potter] HD (Panasonic)-to-35mm (+ D-Cinema)/c
2009	Repo Chick [Alex Cox] RED/c
2009	Stone [John Curran] s35/c; interim doph; ph: Maryse Alberti
2009	Twelve [Joel Schumacher] RED-to-35mm (+ D-Cinema)/c
2009	Love and Other Drugs [Edward Zwick] s35-to-35mm (+ D-Cinema)/c; aph: David B. Nowell & Dino Parks (add); plate unit ph: Jacek Laskus

"The Oranges"

2010	The Oranges [Julian Farino] RED-to-digital/c
2010	10 Years/Ten Year [Jamie Linden] RED/c; addph: Keith Dunkerley
2012	El cielo es azul [Andrew Fierberg] s35/c; Steven Fierberg: 'I was amazed by how quickly we could shoot a one-camera movie. We could do it well and inexpensively. [The film was] made with the director standing right next to the camera. You're not wasting time with the video village, with the director away from the camera. We're all within five feet of each other. The actors do the performance, he likes the performance, I say it looks good, and we move on - next shot. The set-up time with two cameras is longer, that's all there is to it. I'm trying to light for two angles, and we're set dressing for two angles. Of course for certain shots, and for certain movies, using two cameras is an asset and the right way to work. But it was eye-opening. I'd forgotten just how quick it can be with a single camera. It's a very focused, elegant, quiet, yet fast way to work.' [From the ASC website, October 23, 2013.]
2012	Land of the Free [Thomas Burstyn] pre-production
2012	You're Not You [George C. Wolfe] ?-to-digital/c
2013	Dear Eleanor [Kevin Connolly] HD (ARRI ALEXA/p)/c; 2uc: Dane Peterson
2014	Entourage [Doug Ellin] s35+RED Epic Dragon-to-35mm scope (+ D-Cinema)/c; 2uc Hyde: Colin Watkinson; add 2uc Miami: Rob Sweeney; aph: Patrick Longman

TELEVISION & INTERNET
1983	Hellfire [John David Coles] tvm/27m; for PBS-tv
1983	Tales from the Darkside [pilot 'Trick or Treat' dir by Bob Balaban] pilot (1983) & 89-part series, 1984-88
1983	The Brass Ring [Bob Balaban] tvm; 2uc: Jonathan David
1986	Little Miss Perfect [Marsha Mason] tvm/45m; a CBS-tv 'Schoolbreak Special'
1986	Tonight's the Night/The Game of Love [Bobby Roth] tvm
1986	The Gift of Amazing Grace [Thomas Schlamme] tvm/60m; an ABC-tv 'Afterschool Special'
1987	Sharing Richard [Peter Bonerz] tvm
1988	Original Sin [Ron Satlof] tvm
1990	Criminal Justice [Andy Wolk] tvm
1994	Texas Justice [Dick Lowry] 2-part tvm
1994	A Horse for Danny [Dick Lowry] tvm
1996	All Lies End in Murder/Behind Every Good Man [Andy Wolk] tvm
1997	Two Came Back [Dick Lowry] tvm
1998	Atomic Train [David Jackson & Dick Lowry] 2-part tvm/v; miniature ph: Betzy Bromberg
2000	Attila - The Hun [Dick Lowry] 2-part tvm; 2uc: Richard Benda
2001	Follow the Stars Home/A Second Chance [Dick Lowry] tvm
2002	Little John [Dick Lowry] tvm; ep #318 'Hallmark Hall of Fame'-series
2002	Kingpin [5 ep dir by various] 6-part series, 2003; other ph (pilot): Tim Ives
2002	The Lone Ranger [Jack Bender] tvm
2003	Miss Match [pilot dir by Darren Star] 18-part (7 unaired) series, 2003; other ph: Ron García & Russ Alsobrook
2004	Entourage [ep #2 'The Review' dir by Julian Farino (JF), #3 'Talk Show' dir by JF, #4 'Date Night' dir by Daniel Attias, #5 'The Script and the Sherpa' dir by Adam Bernstein, #6 'Busey and the Beach' dir by JF, #7 'The Scene' dir by David Frankel & #8 'New York' dir by JF] 96-part series, 2004-11; 1st season, 2004; other ph: Anghel Decca (pilot)
2005	Entourage [13 ep dir by various] 2nd season, 2005; see 2004
2006	Entourage [ep #23 'Aquamom' dir by Julian Farino (JF), #24 'One Day in the Valley' dir by JF, #25 'Dominated' dir by JF, #27 'Crash and Burn' dir by Patty Jenkins & #29 'Strange Days' dir by Mark Mylod] 3rd season, 2006-07; see 2004
2007	Football Wives [Bryan Singer] pilot; for ABC-tv
2008	How to Make It in America [pilot dir by Julian Farino] 16-part series, 2010-11; 1st season/s35-to-HD, 2010; other ph: Tim Ives
2011	Once Upon a Time [pilot dir by Mark Mylod] series/HD (ARRI ALEXA), 2011-present; 1st season, 2011-12; other ph: Stephen Jackson
2011	40 [Julian Farino] pilot/HD; for HBO-tv
2013	Pulling [Jason Moore] pilot; for ABC-tv
2013	The Affair [pilot dir by Mark Mylod + 9 ep dir by various] series/HD (ARRI ALEXA), 2014-present; 1st season, 2014 (10 ep)
2014	9 Kisses [Elaine Constantine] RED Epic Dragon/c; short (9 seg [33s to 1m8s])/9m; prod New York Times Magazine (online)
2015	Studio City [Sanaa Hamri] pilot/HD (ARRI ALEXA); for FOX-tv
2015	The Affair [9 ep dir by various] 2nd season, 2015 (12 ep); other ph: Tod Campbell (3 ep); see 2013
2016	Good Girls Revolt [ep #2 'The Folo' dir by Scott Winant (SW), #3 'The Futures' dir by SW & #5 'The Year-Ender' dir by dir by Gloria Muzio] 10-part series/RED Epic Dragon, 2016
2016	The Affair [8 ep dir by various] 3rd season, 2016-17 (10 ep); other ph: John Lindley (ep #27) & Joe Collins (ep #30); see 2013

MISCELLANEOUS
1978	Rock 'n' Roll High School/Girls' Gym [Allan Arkush; (uncred) Joe Dante & Jerry Zucker] electrician; ph: Dean Cundey
1979	The Fog [John Carpenter] co-electrician; ph: Dean Cundey
1979	Am I Normal?: A Film About Male Puberty [Debra Franco & David Shepard; comm short] c.asst; ph: Nancy Schreiber
1980	Seed of Innocence/Teen Mothers [Boaz Davidson] best boy; ph: Adam Greenberg
1980	Fear No Evil [Frank LaLoggia] best boy; ph: Fred Goodich
1981	Eating Raoul [Paul Bartel] add gaffer; ph: Gary Thieltges
1983	China Lake [Robert Harmon; short] co-electrician; ph: R. Harmon
1986	My Demon Lover [Charlie Loventhal] 2ud New York; ph: Jacques Haitkin
1987	Walker [Alex Cox] co-add c.op; ph: David Bridges
1988	Voices of Sarafina! [: Songs of Hope and Freedom] [Nigel Noble; mus doc/85m] co-c.op Theater prod unit; ph (+ cph American doc unit): John Hazard
1997	The Alarmist/Life During Wartime [Evan Dunsky] 2ud; ph: Alex Nepomniaschy
2004	Category 6: Day of Destruction [Dick Lowry; 2-part tvm] visual cons (+ 2ud); ph: Neil Roach; 2uc: Charles Konowal
2008	Stand [Tavis Smiley; doc/95m] co-c.op; ph: Jacek Laskus
2009	Virgin Galactic [Scott B.; 4-part doc series (2010)] co-c.op; ph: Scott B.; aph: Greg Harrington; for National Geographic Channel

FILMS AS DIRECTOR
1989	Voodoo Dawn/Strange Turf [feature] ph: James McCalmont
1994	Sea Life [short/b&w/15m] ph: Bill Megalos