Steven Poster

Steven Poster
Born
Steven Barry Poster

(1944-03-01) 1 March 1944 (age 81)
Alma mater
OccupationCinematographer
Years active1967–present
TitlePresident of the International Cinematographers Guild
Term2006-2019
AwardsSee below

Steven Barry Poster ASC, CSC[1] (born 1 March 1944) is an American cinematographer.[1] He served as President of the International Cinematographers Guild from 2006 until 2019.[2][3][4]

Early life and education

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Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Poster studied at Southern Illinois University, the ArtCenter College of Design, and the Illinois Institute of Technology.[5][6] He began his filmmaking career as a creative assistant at 'The Film Group,' a Chicago-based commercial film production company.[1]

Career

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After being promoted to director of photography due to his skill at lighting, he met Herschell Gordon Lewis and worked with him in various crew positions on a total of three films.[1]

He founded a production company with director Michael Mann, and served as the cinematographer on numerous industrial and education films.[1][6] His 1973 short film Another Saturday Night, co-directed with Mik Derks, was nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. In 1977, he was the second unit cinematographer for Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind.[6]

In 1980, he relocated to Hollywood and shot his first feature film as cinematographer, Blood Beach. Throughout the '80s, he shot films like Dead & Buried, Strange Brew, Testament, The Boy Who Could Fly, Big Top Pee-wee, and Rocky V. He also worked second unit and/or additional photography for Blade Runner, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and several John Carpenter films.

Poster joined the American Society of Cinematographers in 1987. The same year, he shot Someone to Watch Over Me for director Ridley Scott, which earned him an ASC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases

He shot the iconic music video to Madonna's "Like a Prayer", as well as commercials directed by Ridley Scott and Kinka Usher.

In 2006, he was elected as the National President of the International Cinematographers Guild, a position he held until 2019.[2] He is also a former executive board member of the International Documentary Association, and currently sits on the Nicholl Fellowship committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[5] He is a adjunct professor at the ArtCenter College of Design.

Filmography

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Feature films

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Director of photography

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Year Title Director Notes Ref.
1980 Blood Beach Jeffrey Bloom [1]
1981 Dead & Buried Gary Sherman [1]
1983 Spring Break Sean S. Cunningham [1]
Strange Brew Rick Moranis
Dave Thomas
[1]
Testament Lynne Littman [1]
1985 The New Kids Sean S. Cunningham [1]
The Heavenly Kid Cary Medoway [1]
1986 Blue City Michelle Manning [1]
The Boy Who Could Fly Nick Castle with Adam Holender [1]
1987 Someone to Watch Over Me Ridley Scott [1]
1988 Aloha Summer Tommy Lee Wallace [1]
Big Top Pee-wee Randal Kleiser [1]
1989 Next of Kin John Irvin [1]
1990 Rocky V John G. Avildsen [1]
1991 Life Stinks Mel Brooks [1]
1993 The Cemetery Club Bill Duke [1]
1997 RocketMan Stuart Gillard [1]
1998 Une chance sur deux Patrice Leconte [1]
2001 Donnie Darko Richard Kelly [1]
2001 The Oscar Legacy David Haugland Documentary
2002 Stuart Little 2 Rob Minkoff [1]
2003 Daddy Day Care Steve Carr [1]
2006 Southland Tales Richard Kelly [1]
2009 Spread David Mackenzie [1]
The Box Richard Kelly [1][7]
2010 Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore Brad Peyton [1]
2011 Flypaper Rob Minkoff [1]
2017 Amityville: The Awakening Franck Khalfoun
2020 For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close Heather Ross Documentary
2024 Scared to Death Paul Boyd

Other credits

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Year Title Director DoP. Notes Ref.
1963 Blood Feast Herschell Gordon Lewis Herschell Gordon Lewis Grip [1]
1965 Monster a Go-Go Frank Pfeiffer Grip [1]
1967 The Girl, the Body, and the Pill Roy Collodi Camera operator [1]
1977 Close Encounters of the Third Kind Steven Spielberg Vilmos Zsigmond Second unit photography [1][6]
1982 Blade Runner Ridley Scott Jordan Cronenweth Additional photography/Second unit photography [1][6]
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Colin Higgins William A. Fraker Additional photography [1]
1984 Starman John Carpenter Donald M. Morgan Second unit photography [1]
The River Mark Rydell Vilmos Zsigmond [1]
1986 American Anthem Albert Magnoli Donald E. Thorin Additional photography [1]
Big Trouble in Little China John Carpenter Dean Cundey Second unit photography [1]
1996 The Crow: City of Angels Tim Pope Jean-Yves Escoffier Additional photography [1]
1998 BASEketball David Zucker Steven Mason [1]
1999 The Rage: Carrie 2 Katt Shea Donald M. Morgan Second unit photography [1]
2000 Mission to Mars Brian De Palma Stephen H. Burum Second unit photography: Jordan [1]
Unbreakable M. Night Shyamalan Eduardo Serra Second unit photography [1]
2006 Looney Tunes: Back in Action Joe Dante Dean Cundey Additional photography [1]

Short films

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Year Title Director Notes
1973 Another Saturday Night Himself
Mik Derks
1994 Nunzio's Second Cousin Tom DeCerchio Segment of Boys Life 2
1995 Celluloid Heroes Gary A. Beaird
Tony Dow
With Billy Beaird
2004 Tap Heat Dean Hargrove
2011 Xelerate Bill Duke
2013 Canon USA Commercial: Rhythm of Life Dean Hargrove
2018 The Boor Jeannie Berlin

Television

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Year Title Notes
1978 What Really Happened to the Class of '65? Episode "Mr. Potential"
The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank TV film
1979 The Night Rider
Beggarman, Thief
1981 Coward of the County
1982 Mysterious Two
1983 The Cradle Will Fall
1986 Courage
1992 The Bat, the Cat and the Penguin
1990 Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Special TV special
1987 I'll Take Manhattan 2 episodes
1994 Roswell TV film
1995 Present Tense, Past Perfect
1996 Once You Meet a Stranger
1997 Color of Justice
1998 American Experience Episode "A Midwife's Tale"
2005 Mrs. Harris TV film
2006 The Danny Comden Project
The Loop Episode "Pilot"
2007-12 Craft in America 8 episodes
2008 Raising the Bar Episode "Pilot"
2013 Hemlock Grove Episode "Jellyfish in the Sky"
Gutsy Frog TV film
2021 The Miles Davis Documentary Documentary special

Awards and nominations

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Institution Year Category Title Result
American Society of Cinematographers 1987 Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases Someone to Watch Over Me Nominated
CableACE Award 1994 Best Cinematography Roswell Nominated
Cannes Film Festival 1973 Short Film Palme d'Or Another Saturday Night
(with Mik Derks)
Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards 2005 Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or a Movie Mrs. Harris Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au "STEVEN POSTER". www.cinematographers.nl. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  2. ^ a b "Local 600 - Home". www.icg600.com. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  3. ^ "Steven Poster Re-Elected President of International Cinematographers Guild". The Hollywood Reporter. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  4. ^ "Lewis Rothenberg Ousts Steven Poster as Cinematographers Guild President". Variety. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
  5. ^ a b "Steven Poster". ArtCenter College of Design. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  6. ^ a b c d e Williams, Tom (2023-10-27). "Visionary / Steven Poster ASC". British Cinematographer. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
  7. ^ "Steve Poster, ASC on "The Box"". www.tiffen.com. Retrieved 2017-02-28.