3 amazingly talented Hungarian cinematographers
Dec 16, 2019
Let’s take a lesson now in Hungarian and American film history and a quick glance into fresh, contemporary cinematography!
1. Vilmos Zsigmond
Vilmos Zsigmond, the master of lenses and light – as they call him – studied the great painters of light: Rembrandt, Caravaggio és Latour. He was inspired by fine artists and their usage of lights and shadows and that was the standard of quality for his work.
He discovered a new technique (usage of film, lights, zoom) with each of his work, which greatly influenced the history of cinematography and made a huge impact on world cinematography. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (which earned him the Academy Award in 1978), McCabe & Mrs. Miller, The Deer Hunter – they are all milestones in film history, not just in terms of story & direction, but also in terms of cinematography.
2. Laszlo Kovacs
He and Vilmos Zsigmond both studied cinematography at the State Academy of Drama and Film in the early 1950s in the class of the legendary professor György Illés. A few years later they emigrated together from Hungary to the US during the time of the 1956 revolution. Easy Rider was the breakthrough of his career which forever changed the face of American New Wave. He collaborated with directors like Peter Bogdanovich, Martin Scorsese. He was honored by the The Lifetime Achievement Award from the ASC which is the organization’s highest honor.
3. Marcell Rév
Marcell Rév is a young Hungarian director of photography who was born in 1984. He cinematographed Assassination Nation, White God, Kodály Method among others. Recently the Hungarian DP won an award in TV Pilot category on the prestigious Camerimage festival for his work in “Euphoria” (HBO/Sky). Euphoria is praised for its unique visual language and aesthetic which was actually inspired by another Hungarian cinematographer, Lajos Koltai, and his work in the movie Time Stands Still. Colors, lights (neons) and generally the technique of how to create a mood heavily influenced Rév’s work on Euphoria.
These artists left their mark on cinematography and let the world know of the talented and skillful Hungarian filmmakers, and that Hungary not only has great studios and cities, but also crews! If you are interested in working with a Hungarian crew, Abroad Film is service production company and makes great movie projects happen in the Central European area (Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia).