IEC
#1: From the doc "Cinematographer Style"
#3: "The Rocketeer" [1990]
HIRO NARITA ASC
Born: 26 June 1941, Seoul, Korea, as Hiro Morikawa. Raised in Nara, Honshu, Japan [1945-57] and Oahu, Hawaii [since 1957]
Education: Kaimuki High School Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii; San Francisco Art Institute [BFA in 1964].
Career: Entered a national student competition in 1960 and won a 4-year scholarship to study at the San Francisco Art Institute. 'I went to the San Francisco Art Institute to study graphic design and story illustration. I also took some still-photography classes there. Though trained as an illustrator, I quickly felt confined and limited by static images, and that led me to explore images over time, choreographed images - motion pictures. It may not be simple coincidence that I so loved movies as a child; I certainly feel it played a role in my choice of profession. When I got out of the U.S. Army [he served as designer/photographer (1964-66)], John Korty, the Bay Area director of 'The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman', took me under his wing. I apprenticed with him for more than three years as an assistant cameraman, gaffer, projectionist, film-poster designer, etc. I even took on an animation project, doing all the artwork and filming it. After I did some additional photography on Antonioni's 'Zabriskie Point', John Korty gave me my first substantial film, a TV movie called 'Farewell to Manzanar'.' [From the ASC website.]
Ph many doc's for BBC-tv, WGBH-tv and David Wolper Productions.
Member of the ASC since 1993.
Was married [1971-2013] to script superv Barbara Parker.
Appeared in the doc 'Cinematographer Style' [2005, Jon Fauer; ph: J. Fauer, Jeff Laszlo, Brian Heller & David Morgan].
Awards: 'Emmy' Award nom [1975/6] for 'Farewell to Manzanar'; BSFC Award [1984] & NSFC Award [1984] for 'Never Cry Wolf'; 'Emmy' Award nom [2000] for 'Dirty Pictures'; 'Emmy' Award nom [2001; shared] for 'Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks'; Boston IFF 'Best Cinematography' Award [2006] for 'Valley of the Heart's Delight'.
'Shadrach' [1997]: 'My recent period film, 'Shadrach' - a boy's remembrance of the death of a hundred year old former slave - called for simplicity and naturalism in lighting. By that I mean the source of light, especially on interiors, needed to seem to come from natural, logical places or windows. This is, of course, purely conceptual as we all know. To create such a look, we cinematographers often use seemingly illogical means and methods. For instance, I feel that in reality the light in a room with a window is, in fact, rarely uniform in color temperature. So I mix tungsten with HMI sources [each requiring some gels to keep the lamps within 1000 degrees Kelvin of one another]. This creates a rather natural look and gives depth to an image - and it is not tinted or colored as one might expect. In 'Shadrach', I dispensed with any hint of sepia tone, which is often used when lighting such period films. Any other chromatic feeling came from collaboration with the art and costume departments.'
| FILMS | |
|---|---|
|
1969 |
Zabriskie Point [Michelangelo Antonioni] p/c; addph; ph: Alfio Contini |
|
1973 |
Silence/Cry Silence/Crazy Jack and the Boy [John Korty & H. Kaye Dyal (took over from J. Korty)] c; as Hiro Morikawa |
|
1974 |
Memory of Us [H. Kaye Dyal] c; as Hiro Morikawa |
|
1976 |
The Last Waltz [Martin Scorsese] c; interv + concert film/115m; co-addph; ph: Michael Chapman; concert filmed 25 November (San Francisco) |
|
1977 |
Who'll Stop the Rain/Dog Soldiers [Karel Reisz] c; uncred co-addph; ph: Richard H. Kline |
|
1978 |
Rust Never Sleeps [Bernard Shakey (= Neil Young)] c; concert film/103m; cph: Robbie Greenberg, Jon Else, David Myers, Daniel Pearl, Larry A. Johnson, Paul Goldsmith & Richard Pearce |
|
1980 |
Never·Cry·Wolf [Carroll Ballard] c; 2u c.op: Stephen St. John; uwph: Al Giddings; released in 1983 |
|
1981 |
Mr. Adler and the Opera [Eugene Finley] c; doc/59m; cph: Tim Metzger; for Encyclopædia Britannica |
|
1982 |
[Star Wars: Episode VI -] Return of the Jedi [Richard Marquand] J-D-C Scope (+ 70bu)/c; co-addph; ph: Alan Hume & (uncred) Alec Mills |
|
1983 |
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom [Steven Spielberg] c; ?; ph: Douglas Slocombe |
|
1983 |
Prince Jack [Bert Lovitt] c |
|
1984 |
Sylvester [Tim Hunter] c; 2uc: Rexford Metz |
|
1986 |
Nutcracker - The Motion Picture [Carroll Ballard] c; addph; ph: Stephen Burum |
|
1986 |
Fire with Fire/Captive Hearts [Duncan Gibbins] c |
|
1986 |
No Man's Land [Peter Werner] c; 2uc: Roy H. Wagner |
|
1987 |
The Unbearable Lightness of Being [Philip Kaufman] c; addph; ph: Sven Nykvist |
|
1988 |
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids [Joe Johnston] c; ph Mexico: Henner Hofmann; spec vfx ph: Rick Fichter; addph scorpion crew: Peter Kozachik |
|
1988 |
Shuttlecock [Jerry Barrish] 16mm/b&w-c |
|
1989 |
Always [Steven Spielberg] c; vfx ph; ph: Mikael Salomon |
|
1989 |
Tummy Trouble [Rob Minkoff & (live action seq) Frank Marshall] c; 'Roger Rabbit'-short/7m; ph live action seq |
|
1990 |
Roller Coaster Rabbit [Rob Minkoff & (live action seq) Frank Marshall] c; 'Roger Rabbit'-short/7m; ph live action seq |
|
1990 |
The Rocketeer [Joe Johnston] p/c; 2uc: Frank Holgate & Rexford Metz; vfx ph: Patrick Turner |
|
1991 |
The Inland Sea [Lucille Carra] b&w-c; doc/56m |
[Center] with Nicholas Meyer and c.op Kristin Glover
"Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country"
|
1991 |
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country [Nicholas Meyer] s35 (+ 70bu)/c; 2uc: John V. Fante; aph: Clinton O. Johnson; matte ph: Craig Barron |
|
1992 |
Gunmen [Deran Sarafian] p/c; 2uc Mexico: Guillermo Rosas |
|
1992 |
Hocus Pocus [Kenny Ortega] c; anim ph: Brandy Hill; optical ph: Kevin Koneval, Ron Peterson & Jim Mann |
|
1993 |
White Fang II: Myth of the White Wolf [Ken Olin] c; 2uc: James Devis & A.J. Vesak |
[Left/background] with Henry Selick & actor Paul Terry
"James and the Giant Peach"
|
1994 |
James and the Giant Peach [Henry Selick] c; live action ph; anim ph: Pete Kozachik |
|
1995 |
The Arrival/Shockwave [David Twohy] c; 2uc: Isidore Mankofsky; addph: Arthur Botham; aph: John M. Stephens |
|
1996 |
Sub Down [: Take the Dive]/Crush Depth [Alan Smithee (= Gregg Champion)] c; 2uc: Roger Simonsz |
|
1997 |
Visas and Virtue [Chris Tashima] b&w-c; short/26m |
|
1997 |
Conceiving Ada [Lynn Hershman-Leeson] p/c; ph virtual sets: Bill Zarchy |
|
1997 |
Shadrach [Susanna Styron] c; see above |
|
1997 |
Simon Birch/Angels and Armadillos [Mark Steven Johnson] c; co-2uc; ph: Aaron Schneider |
|
1998 |
I'll Be Home for Christmas [Arlene Sanford] c; 2uc: Don McCuaig |
|
1998 |
Fortress 2 [Geoff Murphy] c |
|
1999 |
Dvorak and America [Lucille Carra & Brian Cotnoir] c; mus doc/56m; cph: Antonín Chundela & Allen Moore |
|
2001 |
The Time Machine [Simon Wells] p/c; 2uc; ph: Donald McAlpine |
|
2001 |
The Scorpion King [Chuck Russell] s35/c; 2uc; ph: John R. Leonetti |
|
2001 |
Teknolust [Lynn Hershman-Leeson] HD (Sony F900)-to-35mm/c |
|
2001 |
Night of Henna [Hassan Zee] c; released in 2005 |
|
2002 |
Anger Management [Peter Segal] p/c; 2uc (+ 2ud New York); ph: Donald McAlpine |
|
2003 |
Day of Independence [Chris Tashima; short] announced as doph, but replaced by Stacy Toyama |
|
2004 |
Enfants Terribles [Terry Nemeroff] announced as ph, but film was ph by Stephen Sheridan |
|
2004 |
The Darwin Awards [Finn Taylor] c; 2uc: Georgia Packard |
|
2005 |
Valley of the Heart's Delight [Tim Boxell] HD (Sony F900)/c |
|
2006 |
Strange Culture [Lynn Hershman-Leeson] dv (Panasonic AG-DVX100)-to-35mm/c; dram doc/75m; 2uc: Charlie Kuttner, Lise Swenson & Unsu Lee |
|
2006 |
Generic Thriller [Scott Sublett] dv (Panasonic AG-DVX100)/c; uncred; 2uc: Todd Banhazl; + visual cons |
|
2007 |
A Perfect Place [Derrick Scocchera] p/b&w; short/25m |
|
2008 |
La mission/Mission Street Rhapsody [Peter Bratt] c; addph: Billy D. Marchese & Johnny Radzik |
|
2010 |
!Women Art Revolution/!W.A.R. [Lynn Hershman-Leeson] ?/c; doc/83m; cph: L. Hershman-Leeson, Charlie Kuttner, Lise Swenson, Steve Jensen, Fawn Yacker, a.o.; for over forty years, dir Lynn Hershman-Leeson has collected hundreds of hours of interviews + recent interviews (2006-08) |
|
2011 |
Love & Taxes [Jacob Kornbluth] c; released in 2015 |
| TELEVISION | |
|---|---|
|
1975 |
Farewell to Manzanar [John Korty] tvm |
|
197? |
Vegetable Soup [various] 78-part educational children's program, 1975-78; for PBS-tv |
|
1977 |
Nanette: An Aside [Rik van Glintenkamp] tvm/39m |
|
1983 |
The Haunting Passion [John Korty] tvm |
|
1983 |
Vietnam: A Television History [ep 'The End of the Tunnel (1973-1975)/The Fall of Saigon' written/prod by Elizabeth Deane] 13-part doc series for PBS-tv (1983) & 11-part series for PBS-tv series 'American Experience' (1997); cph: John Gordon, Judy Irola, Peter Hoving, Gerry Pinches & Jerry Hogrewe |
|
1984 |
Amerika [Donald Wrye] 7-part miniseries, 1987; vfx ph: Bryan Greenberg |
|
1984 |
Half-Slave, Half-Free/Solomon Northrup's Odyssey [Gordon Parks] tvm; ep PBS-tv series 'American Playhouse' |
|
1984 |
Go Tell It On the Mountain [Stan Lathan] tvm; ep PBS-tv series 'American Playhouse' |
|
1984 |
The Ewok Adventure/Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure [John Korty] tvm; title background ph; ph: John Korty; released theatrically outside USA |
|
1985 |
The Blue Yonder/Time Flyer [Mark Rosman] tvm |
|
1987 |
Pigeon Feathers/The Revolt of Mother [Sharron Miller] tvm/48m; ep PBS-tv series 'American Playhouse' |
|
1989 |
Mothers, Daughters and Lovers/American River [Matthew Robbins] tvm |
|
1990 |
Plymouth [Lee David Zlotoff] tvm |
|
1991 |
Two-Fisted Tales [seg 'Showdown' dir by Richard Donner] pilot/3 seg; for Fox-tv; pilot failed, shown as ep (#46) of '[HBO's] Tales from the Crypt', 4th season, 1992; other ph: Gary Kibbe & Don Burgess |
|
1993 |
They/They Watch/Children of the Mist/The Lost Souls [John Korty] tvm |
|
1993 |
Long Shadows [Sheldon Larry] tvm; ep PBS-tv series 'American Playhouse' |
|
1994 |
Siegfried & Roy: The Magic, the Mystery [Charles A. Bangert] variety special; for ABC-tv |
|
1997 |
Isamu Noguchi: Stones and Paper [Hiro Narita] doc/59m/16mm; ep PBS-tv series 'American Masters' |
|
1999 |
Dirty Pictures [Frank Pierson] tvm |
|
2000 |
Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks [Craig Rice] doc/91m; addph; ph: Henry Adebonojo |
|
2000 |
Gilmore Girls/Gilmore Girls: Beginnings [pilot dir by Lesli Linka Glatter] 153-part series/s16, 2000-07; 1st season, 2000-01; other ph: Teresa Medina (+ cph pilot), Ron Garcia & Michael Price |
|
2001 |
Other People [Michael W. Watkins] pilot |
|
2007 |
Shrink Rap [ep #5 'Robin Williams' dir by Michael Waldman or Ian Lilley] 14-part talk-show series, 2007-10; 1st season; cph: Wes Dorman & Tim Metzger |
| MISCELLANEOUS | |
|---|---|
|
1977 |
Apocalypse Now [Francis Coppola] c.op insert ph; insert ph: Caleb Deschanel; longer version, 'Apocalypse Now Redux', released in 2001 |
|
1978 |
More American Graffiti/Purple Haze [B.W.L. Norton] co-c.op; ph: Caleb Deschanel |
|
1978 |
Human Highway [Dean Stockwell & Bernard Shakey (= Neil Young)] co-c.op dream seq; ph: David Myers |
|
1979 |
Shadows and Light - by Joni Mitchell [Joni Mitchell; feature film seq + mus perf/73m] co-c.op; ph: David Myers; filmed September |
|
1982 |
The Right Stuff [Philip Kaufman] co-add c.op; ph: Caleb Deschanel |
|
2007 |
All About Dad [Mark Tran] visual cons; ph: Todd Banhazl |
| FILMS AS DIRECTOR | |
|---|---|
|
1974 |
Vision USA No. 32 [co-dir: Paul Ryan & Peter Schnitzler] 16mm/c; ep (27m) of doc series, 1972-79; ph: ?; prod United States Information Agency |
|
1997 |
Isamu Noguchi: Stones and Paper [tv-doc; + ph] see Television |
