NICK McLEAN

Born: 29 May 1941, Santa Monica, Calif., USA, as George Nicholas McLean; a.k.a. Nick McLean Sr.

Career: 'I was born in Santa Monica, raised in the San Fernando Valley and went to North Hollywood High School. Practically my whole family was in the business. My uncle was an actor and my stepfather, Fred Jackman Jr. [1913-82], was a cinematographer. His father, Fred Jackman Sr. [1881-1959], was the second president of the ASC. [...] I went through USC on a football scholarship. The cinema school was contained in two rooms. I took one class. When I decided to try to get into the business, my stepfather said he'd help if I didn't count on making a living in the industry. I opened a pool hall and a body and fender shop. After I got them going, I went back to my stepfather and said I'd like to try it. He sent me to the camera department at Columbia Pictures. I got my first job in 1966 as a clapper boy on a tv-series called 'The Iron Horse'. I was making $100 a week at the body shop, and for one day on the tv-show I was paid $150 or $200. I couldn't believe how much money I made. I worked 10 days my first year and one day the next year. I didn't really get started until 1969 when I became a second assistant cameraman at Universal Studios. They sent me out on a different show practically every day. […] The first feature that came up was 'Red Sky at Morning' with Vilmos Zsigmond. In those days, Vilmos drove an old, beat-up 1949 Studebaker and he could barely speak English. I worked with him on at least 10 movies. Vilmos moved me up to operator. I did all the aerials on his films, and also on some commercials even after I became a cinematographer. […] One day, [during the shooting of 'Sharky's Machine',] Burt Reynolds was speaking with me while Bill Fraker was lighting a scene. I told him that Vilmos Zsigmond had made me an operator. He said, 'Well, I'm going to make you a cinematographer.' He got up and walked out of the room. I didn't know what to make of it. Six months later, someone knocked on my door, and handed me a script for 'Stroker Ace'. It was my first movie as a cinematographer. [...] Burt Reynolds asked me to shoot 'Evening Shade', a sit-com. To tell you the truth, I wasn't going to do it, but Burt was the guy who gave me my first break as a cinematographer. I couldn't say no. About a month into it, I realized that I was really enjoying the work. I've done a couple of movies of the week, and one or two features, but I've mainly worked on situation comedies since 1989.' [From the KODAK OnFilm website.]

Associate member of the SOC.

Awards: 'Emmy' Award nom [2002] for 'Friends' [ep #179 'The One With the Rumor' dir by Gary Halvorson]; 'Emmy' Award nom [2003] for 'Friends' [ep #217/218 'The One In Barbados' dir by Kevin S. Bright]; 'Emmy' Award nom [2004] for 'Friends' [ep #230 'The One With Phoebe's Wedding' dir by Kevin S. Bright].

FILMS

1979	Cheech & Chong's Next Movie/High Encounters (of the Ultimate Kind) [Thomas Chong] c; cph (+ c.op); cph: King Baggot
1982	Stroker Ace [Hal Needham] c
1983	Staying Alive [Sylvester Stallone] c
1983	Cannonball Run II [Hal Needham] c
1983	Stick [Burt Reynolds] c; addph: Fred J. Koenekamp; 2uc: Vincent Saizis
1984	City Heat [Richard Benjamin (replaced Blake Edwards)] 35mm & 70bu/c
1984	Twice in a Lifetime [Bud Yorkin] p/c
1984	The Goonies [Richard Donner & Steven Spielberg (uncred)] p/c; 2uc: Bob Stevens; vfx ph: Michael McAlister (superv) & Kim Marks; matte ph: Craig Barron (superv) & Wade Childress; + small part
1985	Gung Ho/Working Class Man [Ron Howard] p/c; co-2uc; ph: Don Peterman
1985	Short Circuit [John Badham] p/c; 2uc: John Connor
1985	Cobra [George Pan Cosmatos] c; addph; ph: Ric Waite; filmed 1985-86
1986	Heat [Dick Richards (finished by Elliott Kastner, Stan Barrett & Jerry Jameson)] c; 2uc; ph: James Contner
1986	Spaceballs [Mel Brooks] s35/c
1987	Mac and Me [Stewart Raffill] c
1993	My Father, the Hero [Steve Miner (replaced Francis Veber)] c; 2uc; ph: Daryn Okada
1994	The Maddening [Danny Huston] c
1999	The Last Producer/The Final Hit [Burt Reynolds] c; premiered on cable-tv

TELEVISION

1988	The Pretenders [Aaron Lipstadt] pilot/60m; ep 'CBS Summer Playhouse'
1989	B-Men [Steve Miner] pilot/60m; ep 'CBS Summer Playhouse'
1988	B.L. Stryker [ep #1 'The Dancer's Touch' dir by William Fraker, #2 'Carolann/Royal Gambit' dir by Tony Wharmby (TW), #3 'Blind Chess' dir by Jerry Jameson, #4 'Auntie Sue' dir by TW & #5 'Blues for Buder' dir by Burt Reynolds] 12-part tvm-series, 1989-90; 1st season, 1989
1989	B.L. Stryker [ep #6 'The King of Jazz' dir by Hal Needham, #7 'Die Laughing' dir by Burt Reynolds (BR), #8 'Winner Takes All' dir by Alan J. Levi, #9 'Grand Theft Hotel' dir by Tony Wharmby, #11 'Plates' dir by Stuart Margolin & #12 'Night Train' dir by BR] 2nd season, 1989-90; other ph: Bobby Byrne (+ cph #8); see 1988
1990	Evening Shade [25 ep dir by various] 101-part series, 1990-94; 1st season, 1990-91
1991	Maverick Square [Steve Miner] pilot (30m) for unsold series
1991	Evening Shade [25 ep dir by various] 2nd season, 1991-92; see 1990
1992	Evening Shade [25 ep dir by various] 3rd season, 1992-93; see 1990
1992	Hearts Afire [2 ep dir by Harry Thomason] 54-part series, 1992-95; 1st season, 1992-93; other ph: James Roberson
1993	Evening Shade [26 ep dir by various] 4th season, 1993-94; see 1990
1993	The Man from Left Field [Burt Reynolds] tvm
1993	Harlan & Merleen [Burt Reynolds] 2-part pilot (2x 30m)
1994	Cybill [13 ep dir by various] 87-part series, 1995-98; 1st season, 1995
1995	The Home Court [pilot dir by Andrew Weyman] 20-part series, 1995-96; other ph: Robert F. Liu
1995	Cybill [24 ep dir by various] 2nd season, 1995-96; see 1994
1996	Cybill [26 ep dir by various] 3rd season, 1996-97; see 1994
1997	Cybill [24 ep dir by various] 4th season, 1997-98;see 1994
1998	Veronica's Closet [various] 66-part (4 unaired) series, 1997-2000; 2nd season, 1998-99 (22 ep); other ph: Mikel Neiers (1st season)
1999	Veronica's Closet [22 ep dir by various] 3rd season, 1999-2000; see 1998
1999	Friends [ep #136/137 'The One That Could Have Been, Parts I & II' dir by Michael Lembeck, #138 'The One With Unagi' dir by Gary Halvorson (GH), #139 'The One Where Ross Dates a Student' dir by GH, #140 'The One With Joey's Fridge' dir by Ben Weiss, #141 'The One With Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E.' dir by Kevin S. Bright (KSB), #143 'The One Where Paul's the Man' dir by GH, #144 'The One With the Ring' dir by GH & #145/146 'The One With the Proposal, Parts I & II' dir by KSB] 239-part series, 1994-2004; 6th season, 1999-2000; other ph: Richard Hissong, Ken Lamkin, Mikel Neiers, Reid Haessig, a.o.; 2uc: Michael Carmine
2000	Cursed/The Weber Show [various] 17-part series, 2000-01
2000	Friends [ep #147-160 dir by various] 7th season, 2000-01; see 1999
2000	Friends: The Stuff You've Never Seen [Kevin S. Bright] special (20m), 2001 (ep #161, 7th season)
2000	Friends [ep #162-171 dir by various] 7th season, 2000-01; see 1999
2001	Friends [ep #172-195 dir by various] 8th season, 2001-02; see 1999
2002	Life with Bonnie [21 ep dir by Bonnie Hunt & John Bowab] 44-part series, 2002-04; 1st season, 2002-03; other ph: Richard A. Brown (pilot)
2002	Friends [ep #196-219 dir by various] 9th season, 2002-03; see 1999
2003	Friends [ep #220-239 dir by various] 10th season, 2003-04; see 1999
2004	Listen Up [pilot dir by Andy Ackerman + 3 ep dir by various] 22-part series, 2004-05; other ph: Rick Gunter
2004	Joey [pilot dir by Kevin Bright + 22 ep dir by various] 46-part (8 unaired) series, 2004-06; 1st season, 2004-05; spin-off of 'Friends'
2004	Life on a Stick [various] 13-part (8 unaired) series, 2005
2005	Hot Properties [various] 13-part series
2005	Joey [12 ep dir by various] 2nd season, 2005-06; see 2004
2006	'til Death [ep #2 'Sex for Furniture' dir by Ted Wass] 81-part series, 2006-10; 1st season, 2006-07; other ph: Jim Roberson

FILMS AS CAMERA ASSISTANT/OPERATOR

1966	The Iron Horse [various; tv-series] clapper boy; ph: Fred Jackman Jr., a.o.
1970	Red Sky at Morning [James Goldstone] c.asst; ph: Vilmos Zsigmond
1970	The Touch of Satan/Curse of Melissa/Night of the Demon [Tom Laughlin] c.asst; ph: Jordan Cronenweth
1970	McCabe & Mrs. Miller [Robert Altman] c.asst; ph: Vilmos Zsigmond
1972	Domo Arigato/Thank You Very Much [Arch Oboler] c.op; ph: Donald Peterman

"The Sugerland Express"

1973	The Sugerland Express [Steven Spielberg] c.asst; ph: Vilmos Zsigmond
1973	Cinderella Liberty [Mark Rydell] c.asst; ph: Vilmos Zsigmond
1973	Larry [William A. Graham; tvm] c.op; ph: Terry K. Meade
1974	Funny Lady [Herbert Ross] c.asst (for V. Zsigmond & 1 week J.W. Howe); ph: Vilmos Zsigmond (replaced during shooting by ph James Wong Howe)
1975	Dandy, the All American Girl/Sweet Revenge [Jerry Schatzberg] c.op; ph: Vilmos Zsigmond
1975	Death Riders [James Wilson; doc] c.op (as Nick McClean); ph: Vilmos Zsigmond & J. Wilson
1975	Obsession [Brian De Palma] c.op; ph: Vilmos Zsigmond
1975	Marathon Man [John Schlesinger] c.op; ph: Conrad Hall
1976	Exorcist II The Heretic [John Boorman] co-c.op; ph: William Fraker
1976	Close Encounters of the Third Kind [Steven Spielberg] c.op; ph: Vilmos Zsigmond
1976	Looking for Mr. Goodbar [Richard Brooks] c.op; ph: William Fraker
1977	The Deer Hunter [Michael Cimino] co-c.op; Vilmos Zsigmond
1977	Heaven Can Wait [Warren Beatty & Buck Henry] c.op; ph: William Fraker
1978	The Rose [Mark Rydell] c.op; ph: Vilmos Zsigmond
1978	And I Alone Survived [William Graham; tvm] c.op; ph: Jordan Cronenweth
1978	Promises in the Dark [Jerome Hellman] c.op; ph: Adam Holender
1979	Being There/Chance [Hal Ashby] c.op; ph: Caleb Deschanel
1979	Cheech & Chong's Next Movie/High Encounters (of the Ultimate Kind) [Thomas Chong] c.op (+ cph); ph: King Baggot
1980	Honky Tonk Freeway [John Schlesinger] c.op; ph: John Bailey
1980	Rich and Famous [George Cukor (replaced Robert Mulligan)] c.op; ph: Don Peterman
1981	Sharky's Machine [Burt Reynolds] c.op; ph: William Fraker
1981	The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas [Colin Higgins] co-c.op; ph: William Fraker
1981	Time Is On Our Side/Let's Spend the Night Together [Hal Ashby] co-c.op L.A.; ph: Caleb Deschanel & Gerald Feil
1982	Kiss Me Goodbye [Robert Mulligan] c.op; ph: Don Peterman

TELEVISION AS DIRECTOR

1989

B.L. Stryker [ep #10 'High Rise'] ph: Bobby Byrne; see Television (1988)

MISCELLANEOUS

1991

Burt Reynolds' Conversations with... [Alan J. Levi, a.o.] series of talk-shows, 1991-92; lightning cons