Renowned cinematographer Victor J. Kemper has been named Kodak Cinematographer in Residence for the spring quarter at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television, where he will conduct workshops and seminars on the role of cinematography in collaborative filmmaking.

 

The annual residency program, sponsored by Kodak, was inaugurated in 2000 by professor William McDonald, who oversees UCLA's cinematography program.

 

"Victor Kemper is an innovative filmmaker with an extraordinary body of work," McDonald said. "This program provides a unique opportunity for our students to gain insights into the art and craft of lighting from a uniquely talented cinematographer."

 

Kemper's residency kicks off with a free screening on Monday, April 28, of one of his most memorable films, "The Jerk." The legendary comedy, starring Steve Martin and directed by Carl Reiner, will be shown at UCLA's James Bridges Theater at 8 p.m. Kemper will discuss the film's visual grammar and answer questions from McDonald and the audience. The public is invited.

 

Since 1970, Kemper's film credits have included such diverse and memorable features as "They Might Be Giants," "The Candidate," "Last of the Red Hot Lovers," "Dog Day Afternoon," "Slap Shot," "Oh God!," "The Last Tycoon," "Author! Author!" and "Beethoven." His body of work also includes numerous television films, including "The Atlanta Child Murders" miniseries, "Kojak: The Price of Justice" and "On Golden Pond."

 

Kemper's peers in the American Society of Cinematographers recognized his extraordinary contributions to the art of visual storytelling with the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998.

 

"Part of being a cinematographer is learning the craft, but there is also something which whispers in your ear and tells you to move the camera a foot in a particular direction, while putting a face in shadows and a sparkle in someone's eyes," Kemper said. "That talent is innate, but you also need to learn the craft and how to work with the director, production designer, cast, crew and everyone else who is part of the collaborative process."

 

Kemper blazed a non-conventional career path. Born and raised in Newark, N.J., he graduated from Seton Hall University and was hired by a local television station to operate a sound boom, repair cameras, mix sound and serve as technical director for live programs produced in the studio.

 

In 1954, he joined the EUE television commercial production company in New York as a video camera operator and subsequently went to work as an assistant cameraman and operator on narrative features with Arthur Ornitz and other top cinematographers. Kemper earned his first cinematography credit for John Cassavetes' "Husbands" in 1964.

 

"The New York Union assigned me to be a standby cinematographer for Aldo Tonti, who was the cinematographer (on "Husbands")," Kemper recalled. "When he decided to leave the picture after a week, John Cassavetes gave me a chance to step into the breach. What a tremendous break that was for me, getting to shoot my first film with an incredibly talented director."

 

Kemper joins a distinguished list of previous participants in UCLA's Kodak Cinematographers in Residence program, including Dean Cundey, Allen Daviau, Conrad Hall, Owen Roizman, Laszlo Kovacs, Roger Deakins, Joan Churchill and Stephen H. Burum.

 

"Victor Kemper is a uniquely talented cinematographer who has made an indelible impression on the art of filmmaking," said Michael Morelli, vice president and worldwide general manager for Kodak's Entertainment Imaging Division. "This is an extraordinary opportunity for the next generation of filmmakers to learn from a legendary master of the art and craft."

 

For more information on the April 28 screening of "The Jerk," visit www.tft.ucla.edu or call 310-206-8365. Parking is $8.