DANIEL PEARL

From interview [Camerimage, 2013]

DANIEL PEARL ASC

Born: 1951, The Bronx, New York City, N.Y., USA, as Daniel C. Pearl.

Education: University of Texas, Austin [MA in Communication (Film), 1973].

Career: His first film was an 8mm movie about skateboarding, which he shot and edited at the age of 13. His father was an alumnus of the University of Texas. He took his father's advice and enrolled at that school with undefined plans for the future. Became a film noir fan and got involved in the local filmmaking community. He intuitively focused on cinematography and ph many student films. Became official cameraman for the State of Texas. Moved to Los Angeles in 1976.

Ph [and sometimes directed] 500+ music videos. Ph numerous commercials dir by Marcus Nispel ['Wings' for Motorola], Kieran Walsh [for US Postal Service, Kellogg's, etc.], Meiert Avis, Simon West, Bob Giraldi, a.o.

Was lighting consultant on many music tours, concerts and other events.

Member of the ASC since 2004.

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

Awards [selection]: MTV Video Music Award [1984] for 'Every Breath You Take'; MTV Video Music Award nom [1987] for 'With or Without You'; MTV Video Music Award [1992; shared] for 'November Rain'; MTV Video Music Award nom [1992] for 'I Can't Dance'; MVPA Lifetime Achievement Award [1996]; Kodak Vision Hall of Fame Award [1997]; MTV Video Music Award nom [1999] for 'Miami'; MTV Video Music Award nom [2000] for 'Take a Picture'; Kaleidoscope Award [2000]; Camerimage Special Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Music Clips and Videos and Advertising Spots [2006].

Website: Daniel Pearl

Daniel Pearl: 'You can get everything else in a music video right but if the beauty shot of the singer isn't perfect, chances are it is not going to work. The beauty shot is a close-up where the diva connects and reaffirms her relationship with the audience. I've been fortunate to photograph many beautiful divas including Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Shania Twain, Janet Jackson and others. They are all beautiful to start with, but it's still a precise science. I model and sculpt everything else with light, but that doesn't apply to beauty shots. Film is a two-dimensional medium and a shadow implies depth. There are only a few shadows tolerated in beauty shots and they've got to be in the right places. [...] The first thing I do while we are saying hello is really look at their face. I'll orientate them toward the light. I may ask them to step by a window or to spin around in a chair. I size up their facial structure. Are there weaknesses or strengths? What about the shape of the nose, cheekbones, and jaw line? Is their face symmetrical? Most people part their hair to open up the good side of their face. Basically, I use light to de-emphasize things they don't like and to accentuate their best features. Wrinkles show up as dark lines, but if we drive light into them they disappear on film. It's the same with bags under someone's eyes. You begin with the key light that is usually pretty close to the line of the lens. I shift the light a bit to one side or the other based upon the structure of the face. Some divas look best in dead-on hard light - depending on where it's placed - and others need softer light, maybe through a diffusion frame or a Kino Flo. Someone with a chin problem shouldn't wear high, white collars because the light will bounce back and accentuate the chin. If someone is tired with bags under their eyes, you want the light a little lower. If there is a strong muscle under the eyes, it should be higher. You always have to put a sparkle in their eyes because that's how they connect with the audience. Often, I'll use a white or silver bounce card from below or maybe an eye light. [...] There are new, bigger lights and faster films with finer grain structures, but it also comes down to the individual. I designed a special light box to shoot Mariah Carey for 'MTV Unplugged' and often came up with a different lighting rig. I am always trying something new, trying to keep ahead of the game. I tend to shoot the slowest, finest grain film available but it's also situational.' [From the KODAK InCamera website, July 2001.]

FILMS

1973	The Texas Chain Saw Massacre [Tobe Hooper] 16mm-35bu/c; addph: Tobe Hooper; see 2002
1977	Stunts/Who Is Killing the Stuntmen? [Mark L. Lester] c; addph; ph: Bruce Logan
1977	Day of the Animals/Something Is Out There [William Girdler] tao35/c; 2uc; ph: Robert Sorrentino
1977	I Never Promised You a Rose Garden [Anthony Page] c; fantasy seq ph; ph: Bruce Logan
1977	She Came to the Valley/Texas in Flames [Albert Band] p/c; 2uc: Robert Primes
1978	The Secret Life of Plants [Walon Green] p/c; doc/98m; cph: Robert Primes, Mike Hoover, Ghislain Cloquet, David Myers, a.o.; natural history ph: Ken Middleham
1978	It Lives Again/It's Alive II [Larry Cohen] c; addph; ph: Fenton Hamilton
1978	Ravagers [Richard Compton] p/c; addph; ph: Vincent Saizis
1978	Fairy Tales/Adult Fairy Tales [Harry Tampa (= Harry Hurwitz)] c
1978	The Fifth Floor [Howard Avedis] c
1978	Rust Never Sleeps [Bernard Shakey (= Neil Young)] c; concert film/103m; cph: Robbie Greenberg, Hiro Narita, Jon Else, David Myers, Larry A. Johnson, Richard Pearce & Paul Goldsmith; filmed 22 October (San Francisco)
1979	Skatetown, U.S.A. [William A. Levey] c; roller skating cam; ph: Donald M. Morgan
1979	The Day Time Ended/Time Warp/Vortex/Earth's Final Fury [John 'Bud' Cardos] p/c; cph prologue; ph: John Morrill
1979	Roller Boogie [Mark L. Lester] c; uncred addph (+ roller skating cam); ph: Dean Cundey
1979	Hometown U.S.A. [Max Baer Jr.] c
1979	Full Moon High [Larry Cohen] c
1979	Shadows and Light - by Joni Mitchell [Joni Mitchell] b&w-c; feature film seq + mus perf/73m; co-addph; ph: David Myers; filmed September
1980	Getting Wasted [Paul Frizler] c; addph: Bob Carras (= Robert Primes)
1980	The Return/The Alien's Return/Earthright [Greydon Clark] c; cph: Tomislav Pinter
1980	The Funhouse/Carnival of Terror [Tobe Hooper] p/c; uncred addph; ph: Andrew Laszlo
1981	The Seduction [David Schmoeller] c; addph; ph: Mac Ahlberg
1981	Q/The Winged Serpent [Larry Cohen] c; co-addph; ph: Fred Murphy
1981	Class of 1984 [Mark L. Lester] c; addph; ph: Albert J. Dunk
1982	Zapped! [Robert J. Rosenthal] c; 2uc: Tom Grubbs & Chris Tufty
1982	The Junkman/Gone in 60 Seconds 2: The Junkman [H.B. Halicki] b&w-c; cph: Tony Syslo
1983	Styx - Caught in the Act [Jerry Kramer (concert) & Brian Gibson (mini-movie 'Kilroy Was Here'; 9m)] c/V; mini-movie + mus perf/88m; concert ph; concert cameramen: Billy Dickson, Wayne Isham, Oley Sassone, a.o.; mini-movie ph: Stephen Goldblatt; concert filmed 9-10 April (New Orleans)
1984	The Winning Edge [- John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl: Private Lessons with the Pros] [John Yandell] c/V; tennis training short/45m
1984	Thompson Twins - Into the Gap Live [Dee Trattmann] c/V; concert film/84m; filmed 30 September
1984	Body Double [Brian De Palma] c; addph (sex club seq); ph: Stephen H. Burum
1985	Iron Maiden - Live After Death [Jim Yukich] c/V; concert film/90m; + co-c.op; filmed March ('World Slavery Tour')
1985	Invaders from Mars [Tobe Hooper] J-D-C Scope/c; 2uc: J. Michael McClary; sfx ph: Richard Rownak; optical ph: Jerry Pooler
1985	Amazon Women on the Moon/Cheeseburger Film Sandwich [Joe Dante ('Reckless Youth'), John Landis, Carl Gottlieb, Peter Horton & Robert K. Weiss] b&w-c
1986	Population: 1 - An American Memoir/Population: One [René Daalder] b&w-c; ph 'The Big Shelter' seq; ph: Jürg Victor Walther & Frans Bromet (seq '10c a Dance' & 'Jazz Vampire')
1986	It's Alive III: Island of the Alive [Larry Cohen] c
1986	A Return to Salem's Lot [Larry Cohen] c; 2uc: J. Michael McClary
1986	Deadly Illusion/Love You to Death [William Tannen & Larry Cohen] c
1987	Cyndi Lauper in Paris [Andy Morahan] c/V; concert film/85m; filmed 12 March (Le Zénith. Paris, France)
1987	Hiding Out/Adult Education [Bob Giraldi] c
1987	Collision Course [Lewis Teague] c; substitute doph; ph: Donald E. Thorin
1990	Truth or Dare/In Bed with Madonna [Alek Keshishian] b&w-c; doc/119m; doc ph Houston; ph: Robert Leacock; concert ph: Toby Phillips
1990	Michael Jordan's Playground [Zack Snyder] b&w-c/V; sports video/43m
1992	van Halen Live: Right here, right now. [Mitchell Sinoway] b&w-c/V; concert film/112m; filmed 14-15 May (Fresno, California)
1994	Rolling Stones - Live - Voodoo Lounge [Jim Gable] c/V; concert film/88m; + c.op Louma crane; filmed 14 August
1995	Bonnie Raitt - Road Tested [Jim Yukich] c/V; concert film/110m; filmed 18-19 July (Paramount Theatre, Oakland, Calif.); also a PBS-tv music special (47m)
1997	Cunning Stunts [Wayne Isham & (fly on the wall dir/prod) Adam Dubin] c/V; concert film (with heavy metal band Metallica)/130m; cph (+ prod): David Hausen; filmed 9-10 May at the Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas
1998	Usher Live [Antoine Fuqua] c/V; concert film/57m; filmed 15-16 October (Chattanooga, Tennessee)
*2000*	Mariah Carey - Rainbow Tour [Sanaa Hamri] unreleased concert film; songs released individually as music videos
2000	The Up in Smoke Tour/Up in Smoke Tour 2000 [Philip G. Atwell] c/V; doc + concert film/120m & 155m; concert ph; doc cam: Jason Cooley, Bryan Barber, a.o.; interv ph: Billy Park; concert short film ph: Paul Cameron; filmed 20 July; on DVD + behind-the-scenes footage shot on 16mm
2002	The Texas Chainsaw Massacre [Marcus Nispel] b&w-c; addph: Peter Simonite; remake of film (see 1973)
2003	National Treasure [Jon Turteltaub] s35/c; legend seq ph; ph: Caleb Deschanel
2005	Just My Luck [Donald Petrie] c; concert footage ph; ph: Dean Semler
2005	Captivity [Roland Joffé] s35/c; 2uc: Bruce L. Finn; addph: Antonio Zavala
2005	Pathfinder [Marcus Nispel] s35/c; aph 2u: A.J. Vesak; uwph: Ian Seabrook; remake of 'Ofelas/Veiviseren' (1986, Nils Gaup; ph: Erling Thurmann-Andersen)

[Left, looking over shoulder] with Colin & Greg Strause - "AVPR"

2006	AVPR - Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem/AvP2 [Colin & Greg Strause] s35/c; 2uc: Joel Ransom; addph: James Hawkinson; uwph: Ian Seabrook
2007	Adventures in Appletown/The Kings of Appletown [Robert Moresco] s35-to-35mm/c/V; 2uc: Peter Simonite; uncred addph: Alex Nepomniaschy
2008	Friday the 13th [Marcus Nispel] p (+ D-Cinema)/c; splinter unit ph (+ c.op 'b' cam): Don Reddy; uwph: Vance Holmes
2008	George Michael - Live in London [Andy Morahan] c; concert film/134m; concert ph; ph 'Dita Von Teese shoot': George Tiffin; filmed 24-25 August (London, UK)
2009	The Obama Effect/The Effect [Charles S. Dutton] c; released in 2012
2010	The Apparition [Todd Lincoln] p+J-D-C Scope-to-35mm scope (+ D-Cinema)/c; 2uc: Peter Simonite; aph: Michael Kelem
*2010*	The Briar Lake Murders [David R. Ellis] announced as ph, but replaced during pre-production by Gary Capo
2011	No One Lives [Ryûhei Kitamura] s16/c
2015	The Boy/In a Dark Place/The Inhabitant [William Brent Bell] HD (ARRI ALEXA XT Plus)-to-D-Cinema (scope)/c
2016	Mom and Dad/Mum and Dad [Brian Taylor] HD/c; vfx ph: Phil Miller
2017	Motivated Seller [Deon Taylor] HD (ARRI ALEXA Mini/Hawk Scope)/c

TELEVISION
1985	Phil Collins: No Jacket Required - Sold Out [Jim Yukich] mus special/60m; filmed in May (Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas); for HBO-tv
1987	Disney's Totally Minnie [Scot Garen] mus + anim special/44m; ph Elton John seq; ph: Richard Kooris; 2uc: J. Michael McClary
1991	Paul Reiser: 3½ Blocks from Home/Paul Reiser: Right on 14th Street [Jim Yukich] comedy perf special/58m; for Showtime-tv
1993	A Day in the Life of Country Music [exec prod: Ken Kragen] mus special/120m; Dallas ph; other ph: Ed Lachman (Fairfax), David Connell (Fort Worth), Anghel Decca (Nashville), a.o.; shot on one day (7 May); for CBS-tv
1993	Here Is Mariah Carey [Lawrence Jordan] mus special/60m; filmed 18 July; for NBC-tv; expanded version on DVD as 'Mariah Carey - Here Is Mariah Carey'
1993	Trisha Yearwood: The Song Remembers When [Steve Purcell] mus special/60m; for the Disney Channel
1993	Rolling Stone '93: The Year in Review [Joel Gallen & Pam Thomas] variety special/60m; ph Cindy Crawford seq; other ph: Crescenzo Notarile; for FOX-tv
1994	Reba!/Reba Live [Jon Small] mus special/60m; filmed at the Omaha Civic Center, Omaha, Nebraska; for NBC-tv
1995	Mariah Carey [Larry Jordan] mus special/60m; for FOX-tv
1998	When You Believe: Prince of Egypt [Mary Lambert] mus special/60m; cph: Tony Molina; for NBC-tv
1999	Shania Twain: Come On Over [Lawrence Jordan] mus special/45m; filmed 14 November (Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas); for CBS-tv
2004	Frankenstein [Marcus Nispel] tvm/s16-to-HD; originally prod as a pilot; for USA Cable Network
2012	Rod Stewart: Merry Christmas, Baby [Jim Gable] Christmas special/57m; ep PBS-tv series 'Great Performances'; taped in September at the Villa de Leon, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
2015	Mariah Carey's Merriest Christmas [James Yukich] Christmas special/60m; for Hallmark Channel (+ Netflix [38m])

MISCELLANEOUS
1980	The Hearse [George Bowers] Steadicam op; ph: Mori Kawa
1981	The BeastMaster [Don Coscarelli] 2nd c.op; ph: John Alcott
1988	Pink Floyd - Delicate Sound of Thunder [Wayne Isham; concert film] co-c.op; ph: Marc Reshovsky
1989	The Who Live, Featuring the Rock Opera Tommy [Larry Jordan; live tv broadcast/135m] Louma crane op
1992	The Cure - show [Aubrey Powell & Leroy Bennett; concert film/119m] co-c.op (as Daniel Perarl); ph: Jeff Zimmerman; filmed June (Auburn Hills, Michigan)
1992	Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge [Wayne Isham; concert film] Louma crane op; ph: Dave Rudd; filmed 13-14 January (San Diego)
2010	Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You [Joel Gallen] Christmas special/60m; lighting cons; for ABC-tv
2013	Lumberjack Man [Josh Bear] scope/c; spec ph adv; ph: Joseph Winchester

MUSIC VIDEOS [Selection]
1969	Rock 'n' Roll Nose [a: The Byrds; d: Daniel Pearl] + ed/prod
1982	Ice Cream for Crow [a: Captain Beefheart; d: Don Van Vliet & Ken Schreiber]
1982	It's Raining Again [a: Supertramp; d: Russell Mulcahy]
1983	Billie Jean [a: Michael Jackson; d: Steve Barron]
1983	Dancing with Myself [a: Billy Idol; d: Tobe Hooper]
1983	Every Breath You Take [a: The Police; d: Lol Creme] b&w
1983	Radio Free Europe [a: R.E.M.; d: Arthur Pierson]
1983	All Night Long [a: Lionel Richie; d: Bob Rafelson]
1984	This Woman [a: Kenny Rogers; d: Jay Dubin]
1984	Against All Odds [a: Phil Collins; d: Taylor Hackford]
1984	The Reflex [a: Duran Duran; d: Russell Mulcahy]
1984	Pride (Version 1) [a: U2; d: Donald Cammell] b&w
1984	Hot for Teacher [a: Van Halen; d: David Lee Roth & Pete Angelus]
1984	Relax (Version 4) [a: Frankie Goes to Hollywood; d: Brian De Palma]
1984	In the Midnight Hour [a: B.B. King; d: John Landis]
1985	We Don't Need Another Hero [a: Tina Turner; d: George Miller]
1986	Where Did Your Heart Go? [a: Wham!; d: Andy Morahan & George Michael]
1986	Dancing on the Ceiling [a: Lionel Richie; d: Stanley Donen]
1987	With or Without You [a: U2; d: Meiert Avis]
1988	Lost in You [a: Rod Stewart; d: Jonathan Kaplan]
1989	The Best [a: Tina Turner; d: Lol Creme]
1989	I Want That Man [a: Deborah Harry; d: Mary Lambert]
1990	Almost Hear You Sigh [a: The Rolling Stones; d: Wayne Isham]
1990	Blaze of Glory [a: Jon Bon Jovi; d: Wayne Isham]
1991	I Don't Wanna Cry [a: Mariah Carey; d: Larry Jordan]
1991	Runaround [a: Van Halen; d: Meiert Avis]
1991	Don't Cry [a: Guns N' Roses; d: Andy Morahan]
1991	Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me [a: George Michael & Elton John; d: Andy Morahan]
1992	I Can't Dance [a: Genesis; d: Jim Yukich]
1992	For Your Babies [a: Simply Red; d: Andy Morahan]
1992	Human Touch [a: Bruce Springsteen; d: Meiert Avis]
1992	Better Days [a: Bruce Springsteen; d: Meiert Avis]
1992	November Rain [a: Guns N' Roses; d: Andy Morahan] cph: Mike Southon
1992	Leap of Faith [a: Bruce Springsteen; d: Meiert Avis]
1993	I'd Do Anything for Love [a: Meat Loaf; d: Michael Bay]
1993	Hero [a: Mariah Carey; d: Larry Jordan]
1993	Estranged [a: Guns N' Roses; d: Andy Morahan]
1994	If I Only Knew [a: Tom Jones; d: Lol Creme]
1995	You Are Not Alone [a: Michael Jackson; d: Wayne Isham]
1995	One Sweet Day [a: Mariah Carey; d: Larry Jordan]
1997	Step by Step [a: Whitney Houston; d: Paul Hunter]
1997	Older [a: George Michael; d: Andy Morahan]
1997	Honey (Bad Boy remix) [a: Mariah Carey; d: Paul Hunter (seq Version 1) & Daniel Pearl (add seq)]
1997	Butterfly [a: Mariah Carey; d: Daniel Pearl]
1998	Heartbreak Hotel [a: Whitney Houston; d: Kevin Bray]
1998	You [a: Janet Jackson; d: David Mallet]
1998	Baila [a: Jennifer Lopez; d: Jim Gable]
1998	Miami [a: Will Smith; d: Wayne Isham]
2000	She Bangs [a: Ricky Martin; d: Wayne Isham] 2uc: Pete Zuccari
2002	Boys [a: Britney Spears; d: David Meyers]
2002	Alive [a: Jennifer Lopez; d: Jim Gable]
2003	One Heart [a: Céline Dion; d: Antti Jokinen]
2004	I Want You [a: Janet Jackson; d: Dave Meyers]
2005	I Ain't No Quitter [a: Shania Twain; d: Wayne Isham]
2005	Mississippi Girl [a: Faith Hill; d: Wayne Isham]
2006	Enough Cryin' [a: Mary J. Blige; d: Hype Williams]
2009	I Wanna Know What Love Is [a: Mariah Carey; d: Hype Williams]
2011	Hollywood Nights [a: Michael Jackson; d: Wayne Isham]
2012	Dive [a: Usher; d: Chris Applebaum]
2012	Deadmau5 Ft. Gerard Way: Professional Griefers [a: deadmau5 & Gerard Way; d: Paul Boyd & Jeff Ranasinghe]
2014	Thinking Out Loud [a: Ed Sheeran; d: Emil Nava]