Allen Daviau Biography
Allen Daviau, ASC began his career shooting commercials and music promos in Los Angeles, after an interest in color television inspired a young Daviau to study photography. As soon as he was of age, he began working in camera stores and photo labs, including Technicolor. He also shot his own still photography and designed the stage lighting for several plays and operas. His early work encompassed music promotional films and student films, as well as serving as cinematographer for a pop music show for KHJ-TV and working as a still photographer for the band The Monkees.
He already had three independent feature credits when Steven Spielberg noticed one of his TV movies and hired him to shoot his first mainstream feature: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. The experience earned the first of five Oscar nominations for Daviau and launched his career as one of the industry's leading cinematographers. Other Academy Award nominations followed, for The Color Purple, Avalon, Empire Of Yhe Sun and Bugsy. He won ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards for the latter two films and the British Academy Award for Empire.
His body of narrative film work includes The Falcon And The Snowman, Defending Your Life, Fearless, The Astronaut's Wife and Van Helsing. Daviau has represented the American Society of Cinematographers and the International Cinematographers Guild on the Artists Rights Foundation and he has made several trips to Washington, D.C., to lobby for both artists' rights and film preservation issues.
Allen Daviau Filmography
* Van Helsing - 2004
* Sweet - 2000
* The Astronaut's Wife - 1999
* Congo 1995
* Fearless - 1993
* Bugsy - 1991
* Defending Your Life - 1991
* Avalon - 1990
* Empire Of The Sun - 1987
* Harry And The Hendersons - 1987
* The Color Purple - 1985
* Amazing Stories (TV series pilot) - 1985
* Falcon And The Snowman - 1984
* Twilight Zone: The Movie - 1983
* Legs - 1983
* Harry Tracy, Desperado - 1982
* E.T.: The Extraterrestrial - 1982
* Rage - 1980
* The Boy Who Drank Too Much - 1980
* The Streets Of L.A. - 1979
* Everything You Know Is Wrong - 1975
* Amblin' - 1968
Allen Daviau Interviews
Diana Saenger interviews Allen for Reel TalkBonnie Britton interviews Allen for the Indianapolis Star
Kirk Bowman interviews Allen for the Torrance Daily Breeze
Clint Morris interviews Allen at MovieHole
Read Allen's take on director Stephen Sommers at MSNBC.com
Allen is the special guest in the Action Adventure movie section of About.com
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