21st Annual ASC Awards!

A Real Hollywood Awards Show!

In case you were wondering what the ASC awards show is, let me tell you it stands for the American Society of Cinematographers. Now before you say "another awards show?", hold up for a minute! Simply put, cinematographers are responsible for the look of films.

And I, Janaki Cedanna am flying out to Hollywood on Sunday, February 18th as the invited guest of Bogen Imaging to sit front row and center to one of the most prestigious awards shows leading up to Oscars. This is very exciting as I get to hobnob with the people that bring film to life. But the point is not to brag, oh wait . . . maybe it is.

Actual awards will be given to cinematographers by their peers but the main reason to get together at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel is to mingle, drink, have dinner and do more mingling. I will be giving a full report on my blog upon my return, including a list of the winners (there are only 3 award categories)! Check out the nominees here.

The Motion Picture nominees are:

Emmanuel Lubezki - (Children of Men)
Hands down one of the most amazing films I've seen in awhile. See my full review here.

Dick Pope - (The Illusionist)
Very good film but somehow I thought the "Prestige" was shot better.

Robert Richardson - (The Good Shepherd)
Didn't see this film but come on, Richardson is responsible for many Oliver Stone films like "The Doors", "JFK", and "Platoon" as well as "Casino" and many, many other works of art.

Dean Semler - (Apocalypto)
Didn't see it, heard great things though.

Vilmos Zsigmond - (The Black Dahlia)
What can I say, De Palma is one of my favorite directors and Zsigmond has turned out beautiful films time and again. See my full review here.

The other two categories are for TV, and of course I only have seen one of the shows, but here they are anyway!

The finalists in the Television Movie/Miniseries/Pilot category are:
Thomas Del Ruth, for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (pilot)
Adam Kane for Heroes (pilot)
Walt Lloyd, for The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines (telefilm)
Bill Roe, for Day Break (pilot)
John Stokes for the “Umney’s Last Case” episode of Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (miniseries)

The nominees in the Episodic Television competition were chosen by their peers based on one episode of a series.

Eagle Egilsson for “Darkroom”/CSI: Miami
Nathan Hope for “Killer”/CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
David Moxness for “Arrow”/Smallville
Bill Roe, ASC for “What If They Find Him”/Day Break
Gale Tattersall for “Meaning”/House M.D.

There will also be special awards given out and the list is real who’s who of unbelievable filmmakers. Allen Daviau, Gerald Hirschfeld, Michael Ballhaus (award presented by Martin Scorsese!) and director Ron Howard will all be receiving outstanding achievement awards.

This is going to be a very memorable weekend and of course I’m angling for an Oscars invite!