FRANCIS KENNY

#2: From interview

FRANCIS KENNY ASC

Born: ?, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, as Francis Gleig Kenny.

Education: The University of Texas [Austin, Texas], Harvard University [Cambridge, Massachusetts], New York State University and Hofstra University, Hempstead [village], New York [graduated in 1982]. He holds degrees in Sociology, English Literature and Communications.

Career: 'I went to 15 schools in different states, including high school in New Orleans. My father was a financial analyst that traveled. It was a fairly normal childhood except for all of the moving. My family's home base was Montgomery Field in Indianapolis because my grandfather was a test pilot for the Civil Aeronautics Administration which was located in Indianapolis. As a young child I spent a lot of time flying with my grandfather. [...] The University of Texas, Hofstra and Harvard were my schools. I was in college at 16 and would attend wherever they sent me. I never felt as though I belonged nor had I found my bliss. My classmates were all several years older and that was enough to throw any child off balance. I was playing Little League baseball while in high school. Eventually I got in to the music scene and recorded a few records for Alan Toussaint while in New Orleans. My major was reading many books that were heavy and kept me up all night. I loved reading and I wanted to study everything. I was interested in medicine, astrophysics, English literature, sociology, and communications. I had no idea of what I would do as an adult until I fell in love with filmmaking. The love of film hit me like a ton of bricks. Only then did I understand what the term 'flow' meant. I would lose track of time because I so enjoyed what I was doing. Life truly became an adventure. I fell in love with Italian, French, Russian, Polish, English, Scandinavian, and Japanese cinema… even Indian film! [...] I became interested in filmmaking during my senior year in college. I worked in the communications department at college where I met David Hoffman. David was a brilliant man who had recently won [the Critics Prize for the doc 'King, Murray' at] the Cannes Film Festival, then decided that he hated the film business. So he decided to teach. He taught for a year, the year I met him, where he then decided that he hated teaching more than the film business. So he decided to go back into the film business and take me with him. We formed a company called Varied Directions. First it was New York City, and then California. The company began shooting high-end commercials and documentaries for large corporations [e.g. Mobil]. I began traveling around the world to places like Iran, Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Far East, Scandinavia, Africa, South America, Australia, the South Pacific, and places like Point Barrow in February. One moment I would be sailing aboard The Calypso and then find myself skiing with the U.S. Marines on an arctic exercise north of the Arctic Circle in northern Norway ['First Platoon']. I used lightweight cameras like the Aaton LTR. I began to study the art of cinema vérité, handholding the camera, from filmmakers like David Hoffman and Don Lenzer. I learned the importance of sound in documentaries.

Then in 1984, Ed Lachman asked me to be a camera operator on his film 'Desperately Seeking Susan'. I enjoyed the experience and decided to go to Hollywood and shoot feature films. Then, my journey took me to the ASC where I met my Yoda. Perhaps the most important career changing event to happen to me was to meet and later become close friends with Owen Roizman. [...] When you arrive to Hollywood all you want is to get your first feature film to photograph. Before you know it you've shot 50 so it goes by very quickly. I'd known about the ASC but I always considered the ASC was where real professional cinematographers belonged. I never felt as though I was part of that group because I started with documentaries. Then William Fraker was the first to entertain the notion of ASC membership in 1991 because I had been hired to shoot a television show called 'The Flash'. Billy was directing the episode I was shooting. Then in 1996, Robert Stevens, Jr. wrote me a sponsorship letter along with Sol Negrin and Sandi Sissel. It was one of the proudest days of my life to become an ASC member.' [From an interview on the ASC website.]

Became active member of the ASC in 1996.

Was chairman of the ASC Membership Committee for the past 10 years. Member of the Executive Council of the Cinematographers Branch of AMPAS for the past 8 years.

Appeared in the doc's 'Swatch Dogs and Diet Coke Heads' [2001, David Gregory] & 'Cinematographer Style' [2005, Jon Fauer; ph: J. Fauer, Jeff Laszlo, Brian Heller & David Morgan].

Awards: DVD Exclusive Award nom [2003] for 'Finder's Fee'; ASC Presidents Award [2011].

Website: Francis Kenny

FILMS
1976	Spike - A Montana Horseman [David Hoffman & Harry Wiland] b&w-c; comm doc/12m; cph: Don Lenzer, D. Hoffman & Tom Hurwitz; for Mobil
1983	Riding for America [David Hoffman] c; doc/58m; cph: D. Hoffman, Scott Sorenson & Jean de Segonzac
1983	He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin' [Emile Ardolino] c; doc/51m; cph: John Lindley, Phil Parmet, Don Lenzer, a.o.
1984	Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Computers... But Were Afraid to Ask [Stephen Mantell] c; doc/88m
1984	Desperately Seeking Susan [Susan Seidelman] c; addph (+ c.op); ph: Edward Lachman
1986	Wings Over Water [: How Naval Aviation Made the U.S. a World Power] [David Hoffman] b&w-c; doc/87m & 59m (DVD); cph: Gary Steele, Maury Cagle, Matt Costarakis & John Charles Roach; also aired on PBS-tv
1986	Making Mr. Right [Susan Seidelman] c; addph; ph: Edward Lachman
1986	Salvation! (Have You Said Your Prayers Today?) [Beth B] c
1986	Campus Man [Ron Casden] c
1987	Fourth of July [Peter Clayton] ?; ?/?m
1987	Zelly and Me/Phoebe [Tina Rathborne] c; addph; ph: Mikael Salomon
1988	Jimmy Doolittle: An American Hero [David Hoffman & Kirk Wolfinger] c; doc/64m; cph: D. Hoffman, Bob Elfstrom & Jean de Segonzac
1988	Heathers [Michael Lehmann] c
1989	Cold Heaven [Nicolas Roeg] c; vfx ph: James Iver Mattson & Anthony Venezia
1990	New Jack City [Mario Van Peebles] c; 2uc: Jacek Laskus; uwph: Tom Grunke
1990	Drop Dead Fred [Ate de Jong] c; co-addph; ph: Peter Deming

[Left] with Doug McHenry - "House Party 2"

1991	House Party 2 [Doug McHenry & George Jackson] c
1991	Class Act/Changing Labels [Randall Miller] c; cph: Greg Gardiner
1992	Ed and His Dead Mother/Bon Appetit, Mama/Motherhood [Jonathan Wacks] c
1993	Coneheads [Steve Barron] c; 2uc: John Newby
1993	Wayne's World 2 [Stephen Surjik] c; 2uc: Robert Brinkmann; addph: László Kovács
1993	Jason's Lyric [Doug McHenry] c; 2uc: John Newby
1993	Canadian Bacon [Michael Moore] c; co-2uc; ph: Haskell Wexler
1995	The Price of Love [David Burton Morris] c; addph; ph: John Njaga Demps
1995	A Thin Line Between Love and Hate [Martin Lawrence] s35/c; co-add c.op: Jacek Laskus; uwph: Gary Capo
1995	Harriet the Spy [Bronwen Hughes] c
1996	Bean [Mel Smith] c
1997	Denial/Something About Sex [Adam Rifkin] c
1997	A Night at the Roxbury [John Fortenberry] c
1997	Why Do Fools Fall in Love [Gregory Nava] c; addph; ph: Edward Lachman
1998	She's All That [Robert Iscove] c
1999	Scary Movie [Keenen Ivory Wayans] s35/c
2000	Kingdom Come [Doug McHenry] c
2000	Finder's Fee [Jeff Probst] c
2000	Frank's Last Dance [David J. Burke] c; short/18m; cph: Jacek Laskus; + co-prod
2001	How High [Jesse Dylan] HD (Sony F900)-to-35mm/c
2003	From Justin to Kelly [: With Love] [Robert Iscove] c
2004	Getting Played [David Silberg] c; 2uc: Eric Roizman
2004	Edison/Edison Force [David J. Burke] s35/c
2004	Alpha Dog [Nick Cassavetes] Hawk Scope/c; addph; ph: Robert Fraisse
2005	The Contract [Bruce Beresford] s35/c; ph Spokane; ph: Dante Spinotti
2005	88 Minutes [Jon Avnet] s35/c; co-addph; ph: Denis Lenoir
2006	Ascension Day [Akosua Busia] 16mm/c; cph: Troy Smith; ph Puerto Rico: David Aponte
2006	Cover [Bill Duke] HD/c; 2uc: Joe Meccariello
2009	Lady of Sorrows [Terence Gross] RED (scope)/c; short/15m
2009	The Prosecution of an American President/The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder [David J. Burke & Dave Hagen] c; doc/101m; a trailer (10m), used for crowd funding via the internet, was filmed in 2009; was scheduled to be on HBO-tv but dropped shortly before broadcast; premiered in October 2012
2014	Mr. Church/Cook [Bruce Beresford] HD (ARRI ALEXA)-to-digital/c; addph; ph: Sharone Meir; filmed 2014-15

TELEVISION
1979	The Information Society [David Hoffman] doc/58m; cph: David Watts & Scott Sorenson; for PBS-tv
1981	Edith Wharton: Looking Back [Kirk Browning] tvm/60m; for PBS-tv series 'Great Performances'
1981	The Wing [: Documentary of the F-15] [David Hoffman] doc/46m; cph: D. Hoffman & Scott Sorenson; for PBS-tv
1982	Strokes of Genius [ep (29m) 'Arshile Gorky' dir by Charlotte Zwerin, 'David Smith: Steel into Sculpture' (58m) dir by Jay Freund, 'Franz Kline Remembered' (29m) dir by Carl Colby & 'Jackson Pollock: Portrait' (54m) dir by Amanda Pope] 6-part doc series/b&w-c; addph ('David Smith'): Dan Budnik; for PBS-tv
1983	Second Home: Going to Sea on a U.S. Aircraft Carrier [David Hoffman] doc/32m & 57m; cph: Gary Steele & Eric Camiel; for PBS-tv
1983	Heritage - Civilization and the Jews [ep #1 'A People Is Born' dir by Eugene Marner] 9-part doc series, 1984; cph: Avraham Karpick, Burleigh Wartes, a.o.; for PBS-tv
1984	Black Magic/Double Dutch [Kirk Wolfinger] doc/51m; cph: Don Lenzer & Gary Steele; for PBS-tv
1984	Remembering Life [David Hoffman] doc/b&w-c/30m & 58m; cph: Gary Steele; celebrating the 50th anniversary of Life Magazine
1985	The Creation of the Universe [Geoffrey Haines-Stiles] doc/90m; addph: Chris O'Dell, H.J. Brown & Mitch Dubin; for PBS-tv
1986	First Platoon [: A Few Good Men in Snow Country] [David Hoffman] doc special/56m; for PBS-tv
1987	Plagues [Alan B. Goldberg] doc/60m; for PBS-tv
1987	The President's House [Paul Wagner] doc special/60m; cph: Frank DeMarco; for PBS-tv
1988	That Rhythm... Those Blues [George T. Nierenberg] mus doc/b&w-c/58m/16mm; cph: Sandi Sissel, Ed Lachman, Gary Steele, Don Lenzer & Mitch Dubin; ep PBS-tv series 'American Experience'
1988	Knightwatch/On the Streets [various] 9-part series, 1988-89; other ph: John Alonzo (pilot dir by Farhad Mann)
1988	Unsub [various] 8-part series, 1989
1989	Sweet Bird of Youth [Nicolas Roeg] tvm
1990	The Flash [ep #1-12 dir by various] 22-part series, 1990-91; other ph: John Newby, Sandi Sissel (pilot) & Greg Gardiner (2uc); 2 ep appeared on video as 'The Flash II: Revenge of the Trickster' (1991, Danny Bilson)
1991	One Child - One Voice [prod: Elliot Rosenblatt] doc/45m; Santa Cruz ph; Los Angeles ph: Marco Mazzei; 2uc: Phil Pastuhov; for TBS-tv series 'Save the Earth' (1992)
1992	Condition: Critical/Final Pulse [Jerrold Freedman] pilot; for NBC-tv
1992	Lethal White Female/Dying to Love You [Robert Iscove] tvm
1994	The First Gentleman [John Pasquin & Bryan Spicer] pilot/60m
1994	The Wright Verdicts [5 ep dir by various] 7-part (1 unaired) series, 1995; other ph: Reynaldo Villalobos
1995	The Colony [Tim Hunter] pilot/120m; for ABC-tv
1996	Dark Angel [Robert Iscove] pilot/120m; for FOX-tv
1996	Pretty Poison [David Burton Morris] tvm; 2uc: Larry Lynn
1997	The 119 [Robert Iscove] unaired pilot/60m
1999	Gregory Nava on the American Dream in the 20th Century: The American Tapestry [Gregory Nava & (Mexican seq) Barbara Martinez Jitner] doc/96m/dv; cph: B. Martinez Jitner, Stephen Consentino & Kirk Gardner; ep Showtime-tv series 'In the 20th Century'
2001	Keep the Faith, Baby [Doug McHenry] tvm
2003	The Conscientious Objector [Terry L. Benedict] doc/b&w-c/101m/HD; cph: Suki Medencevic & Darko Suvak; addph: T.L. Benedict & Ryan Sheridan
2004	The Partridge Family [Alan Myerson] pilot; for VH1-tv
2005	Three Wise Guys [Robert Iscove] tvm
2006	Seeing in the Dark - A Film by Timothy Ferris [Nigel Ashcroft] doc/55m/HD; + co-astrophotography; loc ph: Mark Diamond; co-astrophotography: Kenneth Crawford, Robert Gendler, Jack Newton, a.o.; aired on PBS-tv in 2007
2009	One Hot Summer [Betty Kaplan] tvm/RED
2009	Justified [ep #3 'Fixer' dir by Fred Keller, #4 'Long in the Tooth' dir by Adam Arkin (AA), #6 'The Collection' dir by Rod Holcomb, #7 'Blind Spot' dir by Michael Watkins, #8 'Blowback' dir by Jon Avnet, #9 'Hatless' dir by Peter Werner, #11 'Veterans' dir by Tony Goldwyn, #12 'Fathers and Sons' dir by Michael Katleman & #13 'Bulletville' dir by AA] 78-part series, 2010-15; 1st season/HD (Sony F35), 2010 (13 ep); other ph: Edward J. Pei (ep #1 & 10 + cph ep #3 & #8-9) & Peter Levy (ep #2 & 5)

"Justified"

2010	Justified [all ep (#14-26) dir by various] 2nd season/HD (Sony SRW-9000PL), 2011 (13 ep); see 2009
2011	Justified [ep #27 'The Gunfighter' dir by Michael Dinner, #28 'Cut Ties' dir by Michael Watkins, #29 'Harlan Roulette' dir by Jon Avnet, #30 'The Devil You Know' dir by Dean Parisot (DP), #31 'Thick as Mud' dir by Adam Arkin, #32 'When the Guns Come Out' dir by Don Kurt, #33 'The Man Behind the Curtain' dir by Peter Werner (PW), #34 'Watching the Detectives' dir by PW, #35 'Loose Ends' dir by Gwyneth Horder-Payton, #36 'Guy Walks Into a Bar' dir by Tony Goldwyn, #37 'Measures' dir by John Dahl & #39 'Slaughterhouse' dir by DP + addph #38 'Coalition' dir by Bill Johnson] 3rd season/RED Epic, 2012 (13 ep); other ph (ep #38 + addph ep #27-37): Richard Crudo; see 2009
2012	Steel Magnolias [Kenny Leon] tvm
2012	Justified [ep #40 'Hole in the Wall' dir by Michael Dinner, #41 'Where's Waldo?' dir by Bill Johnson (BJ), #42 'Truth and Consequences' dir by Jon Avnet, #43 'The Bird Has Flown' dir by BJ, #44 'Kin' dir by Peter Werner (PW), #45 'Foot Chase' dir by PW, #46 'Money Trap' dir by Don Kurt, #47 'Outlaw' dir by John Dahl, #49 'Get Drew' dir by Billy Gierhart, #50 'Decoy' dir by Michael Watkins & #51 'Peace of Mind' dir by Gwyneth Horder-Payton + addph #48 'The Hatchet Tour' dir by Lesli Linka Glatter] 4th season/RED Epic, 2013 (13 ep); other ph (#48 & 52): Richard Crudo; see 2009
2013	Bonnie & Clyde/Bonnie and Clyde: Dead and Alive [Bruce Beresford] 2-part (also in 4 parts) tvm/RED Epic; for Lifetime-tv & History Channel
2013	Justified ['Sneak Peak' (aired December 2013) dir by Adam Arkin (AA) + ep #53 'A Murder of Crowes' dir by Michael Dinner (MD), #54 'The Kids Aren't All Right' dir by Bill Johnson, #55 'Good Intentions' dir by Dean Parisot, #56 'Over the Mountain' dir by Gwyneth Horder-Payton, #57 'Shot All to Hell' dir by AA, #58 'Kill the Messenger' dir by Don Kurt, #60 'Whistle Past the Graveyard' dir by Peter Werner, #61 'Wrong Roads' dir by MD, #62 'Weight' dir by John Dahl & #63 'The Toll' dir by Jon Avnet] 5th season/RED Epic Dragon, 2014 (13 ep); other ph: Richard Crudo (#59 & 64 + addph 'Sneak Peek' & #54-55) & Stefan von Bjorn (#65 + 2uc #53); see 2009
2015	Paradise Pictures [John Dahl] pilot; for USA Network
2015	Greenleaf [various] series/RED Epic Dragon, 2016-present; 1st season, 2016 (13 ep)

MISCELLANEOUS
1975	Frederic Storaska Speaks on How to Say No to a Rapist and Survive [David Hoffman; doc/52m] co-ed; ph: Joseph Constentino, a.o.
1984	Desperately Seeking Susan [Susan Seidelman] c.op (+ addph); ph: Edward Lachman
1989	Songs for 'Drella by Lou Reed and John Cale [Ed Lachman; tv-concert film] co-c.op; ph: E. Lachman
1994	My Family/Mi familia/Cafe con leche/East L.A. [Gregory Nava] co-add c.op; ph: Edward Lachman
1999	Cousin Skeeter [various; tv-series, 2nd season] co-c.op; ph: Michael Negrin
*2001*	True to the Game [dir] in development; status unknown
2003	Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease [Edward Lachman; workout video] c.op 'b' cam; ph: E. Lachman