On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, New York Film Academy (NYFA) had the pleasure of welcoming Cinematography titan, BAFTA-Winner, and NYFA Los Angeles’ Cinematography Chair ANTHONY B RICHMOND as part of The 20/20 Series, created by NYFA’s Creative Director of Filmmaking and Cinematography, Liz Hinlein. The conversation was moderated by Hinlein and was held virtually, allowing individuals to join NYFA and the special guests from all over the world.
The 20/20 Series, created by Hinlein, is a virtual pop-up event that takes us into the homes, hubs, and workspaces of an array of dynamic creative visionaries to allow for relaxed, engaging conversations on craft, creation, and artistic vision.
Anthony B. Richmond (A.S.C. and B.S.C) is an accomplished Cinematographer, whose career spans well over six decades. Some of his work includes Good Luck Chuck, The Comebacks; Shade, Legally Blonde, Men Of Honor; Someone Like You, John Tucker Must Die, and more. Born and raised in London, Richmond worked his way up to become a Director of Photography.
He has worked as an Assistant Cameraman on projects such as Call Me Bwana, From Russia with Love, Truffaut’s Fahrenheit 451, and David Leans’s Dr. Zhivago. Richmond served as focus-puller on Casino Royale and on Far From the Madding Crowd for Director John Schlesinger. An award-winning Cinematographer, Richmond won a BAFTA Award for his work on Don’t Look Now and serves as the Chair of the Cinematography Department at New York Film Academy’s Los Angeles campus. Richmond is a member of the Academy Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (A.M.P.A.S), British Academy of Film & Television Arts (B.A.F.T.A), American Society of Cinematographers (A.S.C), and British Society of Cinematographers (B.S.C).
Hinlein began the discussion by asking Richmond the million-dollar question; what makes a great cinematographer? “It’s a really wonderful job. It’s to put the director’s vision on the screen. To make a great DP (director of photography) is to make a great movie,” explained Richmond.
The NYFA instructor provided multiple instances of working behind the camera throughout his career and told those on the webinar that being a cinematographer also means working closely with the director and, at times, putting the director’s vision above your own. “A director is going to choose someone who will have their back and who they can collaborate with. You have to be understanding, there can only be one captain of the ship (the director), so you need to be okay with that.”
Audience members were quick to ask Richmond how to rise through the ranks and “make it” in the industry, to which the BAFTA-winning cinematographer reminded them that “people have got to see your work,” noting that these days it can be harder to move up the ladder because of the different responsibilities that come with each job. He also remarked that NYFA has an incredible cinematography program for anyone looking to learn the ropes on becoming a DP.
New York Film Academy would like to thank Anthony Richmond for sharing his wealth of knowledge on the world of cinematography The 20/20 Series, created by and moderated by Liz Hinlein.
To watch the full conversation, view the video below or watch here.
These guests are not faculty and do not teach at NYFA, but they have appeared to share their stories and experience with our students. As guest speakers are scheduled based on their availability, NYFA cannot guarantee whether a guest speaker will visit during a student’s attendance or who that guest speaker may be. This guest speaker forum is not part of any NYFA curriculum and attendance at guest speaker events is purely voluntary. Students should be aware that guest speaker events do not represent a job opportunity nor are they intended to provide industry connections.