Vilmos Zsigmond

The native form of this personal name is Zsigmond Vilmos. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Vilmos Zsigmond
ASC
Vilmos Zsigmond at the 43rd KVIFF in 2008
Born(1930-06-16)June 16, 1930
Szeged, Hungary
DiedJanuary 1, 2016(2016-01-01) (aged 85)
Big Sur, California
Citizenship
  • Hungary
  • United States (from 1962)
OccupationCinematographer
Years active1955–2016
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Fuzes (divorced) (2 children)
Susan Roether (his death)[1]

Vilmos Zsigmond ASC (Hungarian: [ˈvilmoʃ ˈʒiɡmond]; June 16, 1930 – January 1, 2016) was a Hungarian-American cinematographer. His work in cinematography helped shape the look of American movies in the 1970s, making him one of the leading figures in the American New Wave movement.[2][3][4][5][6]

Over his career he became associated with many leading American directors, such as Robert Altman, Steven Spielberg, Brian De Palma, Michael Cimino and Woody Allen.[7][8][9] He is best known for his work on the films Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Deer Hunter.[6][9][10]

He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on Close Encounters of the Third Kind as well as the BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography for The Deer Hunter.[7][8] He also won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Special for the HBO miniseries Stalin.[6]

His work on the films McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Deer Hunter made the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) list of the top 50 best-shot films from 1950–97.[11][12] The ASC also awarded him with their Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998.[12][13]

In 2003, Zsigmond was voted as one of the ten most influential cinematographers in history by the members of the International Cinematographers Guild.[8][14]

  1. ^ Vilmos Zsigmond the lighting wizard behind close encounters died at 85 The Washington Post (subscription required)
  2. ^ Bergan, Ronald (January 4, 2016). "Vilmos Zsigmond obituary". The Guardian. London. Retrieved November 1, 2018. Zsigmond, who won an Oscar for his work on Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), was responsible for the distinctive look of many of the best Hollywood movies of the 1970s, starting with Altman's McCabe & Mrs Miller (1971).
  3. ^ "Vilmos Zsigmond, cinematographer – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. London. May 30, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2018. Vilmos Zsigmond, who has died aged 85, was a Hungarian cinematographer celebrated for his work during the 1970s and 1980s with directors such as Steven Spielberg, Robert Altman and Woody Allen...His camera skills were used to great effect in seminal 1970s works such as Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter (1978) and John Boorman's Deliverance (1972).
  4. ^ "Vilmos Zsigmond, Close Encounters cinematographer, dies at 85". BBC News. London. January 4, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2018. [Zsigmond] was also revered as an architect of the American New Wave in the 1970s.
  5. ^ Patterson, John (January 6, 2016). "Vilmos Zsigmond: the cinematographer who transformed how films look". The Guardian. London. Retrieved November 1, 2018. We think of Zsigmond, who died on New Year's Day aged 85, as one of the leading photographic lights of the Hollywood New Wave.
  6. ^ a b c Anderson, Tre'vell (January 3, 2016). "Vilmos Zsigmond, Oscar-winning cinematographer, dead at 85". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Retrieved November 1, 2018. Oscar-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, revered as one of the most influential cinematographers in film history for his work on several classic films, including "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "The Deer Hunter," died Friday.
  7. ^ a b Bergan, Ronald (January 4, 2016). "Vilmos Zsigmond obituary". The Guardian. London. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c "Vilmos Zsigmond, cinematographer – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. London. May 30, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Weber, Bruce (January 4, 2016). "Vilmos Zsigmond, Cinematographer, Dies at 85; Gave Hollywood Films a New Look". New York Times. New York City. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  10. ^ "Vilmos Zsigmond, Close Encounters cinematographer, dies at 85". BBC News. London. January 4, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  11. ^ "American Cinematographer's list of the top 50 best-shot films from 1950–97". theasc.com. American Society of Cinematographers. 1999. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Leopold, Todd (January 4, 2016). "'Close Encounters' cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond dies at 85". CNN. Atlanta, GA. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  13. ^ "ASC Awards: Past Nominees and Winners". theasc.com. American Society of Cinematographers. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  14. ^ Anderson, Tre'vell (October 17, 2003). "Cinematographers pick their Top 11". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Retrieved November 1, 2018.