Caleb Deschanel
 |
Caleb Deschanel | |
|---|---|
 Caleb Deschanel, 2009 in San Diego | |
| Born | Joseph Caleb Deschanel September 21, 1944[1] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Occupation(s) | Cinematographer, film director |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | |
Joseph Caleb Deschanel (born September 21, 1944)[1] is an American cinematographer and director of film and television.[1] He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography six times.[2] He is a member of the National Film Preservation Board of the Library of Congress, representing the American Society of Cinematographers.[3] He has been married to actress Mary Jo Deschanel since 1972, with whom he has two daughters, actresses Emily and Zooey Deschanel.
Early life and professional education
[edit]Deschanel was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Ann Ward (née Orr) and Paul Jules Deschanel. His father was French, from Oullins, Rhône, and his mother was American.[4] Deschanel was raised in his mother's Quaker religion.[5]
He enrolled[when?] in Severn School for his high school.[6] He attended Johns Hopkins University from 1962 to 1966,[7][8] where he met Walter Murch,[9] with whom he staged "happenings," including one in which Murch sat down and ate an apple for an audience.[citation needed] Murch graduated a year ahead of him and encouraged Deschanel to follow him to the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, where he graduated in 1968. During this time, Deschanel was a member of a band of film students called "The Dirty Dozen;" this group attracted attention from the Hollywood system. Following his graduation, he attended the American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory and graduated in 1969 as a member of its first class.[10][8]
Personal life
[edit]Deschanel joined the American Society of Cinematographers (A.S.C.) in 1969, the year of his graduation from the AFI Conservatory. In 1972, three years later, he married actress Mary Jo Weir.[11] They have two daughters, actresses Emily and Zooey.
Filmography
[edit]As director
[edit]Film
- The Escape Artist (1982)
- Crusoe (1988)
Music video
- Rhythm of My Heart (1991) for Rod Stewart
Television
| Year | Title | Episode(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1990-91 | Twin Peaks | "Realization Time" |
| "Drive with a Dead Girl" | ||
| "The Black Widow" | ||
| 2005 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | "41 Shots" |
| "Bang & Blame" | ||
| "Day" | ||
| 2006 | Conviction | "Savasana" |
| "Madness" | ||
| 2007 | Bones | "The Glowing Bones in the Old Stone House" |
As cinematographer
[edit]| Year | Title | Director | Cinematographer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Angels Hard as They Come | Joe Viola | Stephen M. Katz | |
| THX 1138 | George Lucas | David Myers Albert Kihn |
Uncredited | |
| 1972 | The Godfather | Francis Ford Coppola | Gordon Willis | Newspaper sequence |
| 1974 | A Woman Under the Influence | John Cassavetes | Mitch Breit Al Ruban |
|
| 1979 | Apocalypse Now | Francis Ford Coppola | Vittorio Storaro | Insert photography |
| 1983 | The Black Stallion Returns | Robert Dalva | Carlo Di Palma | |
| 1997 | Titanic | James Cameron | Russell Carpenter | Halifax contemporary shoot |
| 2013 | Gangster Squad | Ruben Fleischer | Dion Beebe | |
| 2019 | Ad Astra | James Gray | Hoyte van Hoytema |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Academy Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
| 1983 | The Right Stuff | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1984 | The Natural | Nominated | |
| 1996 | Fly Away Home | Nominated | |
| 2000 | The Patriot | Nominated | |
| 2004 | The Passion of the Christ | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Never Look Away | Nominated | |
| BAFTA Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
| 1979 | The Black Stallion | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| American Society of Cinematographers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
| 1996 | Fly Away Home | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | Nominated |
| 2000 | The Patriot | Won | |
| 2004 | The Passion of the Christ | Nominated | |
| National Society of Film Critics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
| 1979 | Being There | Best Cinematography | Won |
| The Black Stallion | Won | ||
| Satellite Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
| 1999 | Anna and the King | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Caleb Deschanel". Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Caleb Deschanel". Oscars Awards Databases. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ "National Film Preservation Board Members". Library of Congress.
- ^ Powell, Kimberly (November 1, 2011). "Ancestry of Emily and Zooey Deschanel". ThoughtCo. Archived from the original on May 15, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
- ^ Olsen, Mark (February 27, 2005). "A passion to convey a director's vision". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
- ^ "David Astle Memorial Lecture". Severn School. April 4, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ^ "Notable Alumni". Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ^ a b "Deschanel to Receive AFI's Schaffner Medal June 4". The American Society of Cinematographers. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ^ "The late composer behind 'RoboCop,' 'Conan the Barbarian' gets his due at Disney Hall". Los Angeles Times. July 21, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ^ King, Susan (September 18, 2019). "At 50, the AFI Conservatory keeps its focus on developing great filmmakers". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "American Film". American Film. Vol. 9, no. 1–10. American Film Institute (AFI). 1983. p. 10. ISSN 0361-4751.
External links
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