Life Behind the Camera

06/24/2026

Shooting the Oscar-winning crime film The French Connection (1971) launched cinematographer Owen Roizman's career, but it was not his first feature. This is a look back at his edgy 1970 project that got an X rating and was never released.
A section of our upcoming book on Owen covers this unseen project in greater detail.
We gets test copies back from the printer in about a week!

Shooting the Oscar-winning crime film The French Connection (1971) launched Owen Roizman's career, but it was not his first feature. Looking back on his edgy 1970 project that got an X rating and was never released.

06/16/2026

With his latest feature Disclosure Day (2026) now open, we look back on the inspirational working relationship between Steven Spielberg and his longtime director of photography. This release marks their 21st film together.

With his latest feature Disclosure Day (2026) opening, we look back on the inspirational working relationship between Steven Spielberg and his longtime director of photography. This release marks their 21st film together.

06/12/2026

From the micro-budget indie hit Clerks (1994) to the Star Wars adventure The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026), cinematographer Dave Klein built his career brick by brick.

From the micro-budget indie hit Clerks (1994) to the Star Wars adventure The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026), the cinematographer has built his career brick by brick.

05/26/2026

All 324 pages of our first release, detailing the career and artistry of cinematographer Owen Roizman are now complete, including a comprehensive index. Review copies are going out soon, with the release date coming soon after. Stay tuned!

04/24/2026

Mocking up the cover for our next project. Thoughts?

04/17/2026

Based on the novel of the same name by Ira Levin (who also wrote Rosemary's Baby), the creepy sci-fi thriller The Stepford Wives (1975) remains a compelling classic, and Owen Roizman's cinematography perfectly compliments the paranoid mood.

01/21/2026

Just completed a first assembly of the 24-page chapter about how cinematographer Owen Roizman shot the 1994 Western epic Wyatt Earp, directed by Larry Kasdan.
Owen earned his fifth Oscar nomination with this sprawling period drama. Not bad for a kid from Brooklyn who only photographed 26 feature films during his all-too-short career.
This chapter will appear in the upcoming book OWEN ROIZMAN: LIFE BEHIND THE CAMERA, which is nearing completion! Just two chapters to go!

01/13/2026

Early in his career, cinematographer Owen Roizman was offered the opportunity to photograph the mob comedy The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971). He'd just wrapped The French Connection and it has not been released yet (or earned him his first Oscar nomination) so he was just happy to be offered another feature: "It was based on a very funny book by Jimmy Breslin and the director [James Goldstone] was experienced, but the script was not so great. I thought we could make it better. I was wrong." Starring Jerry Orbach, Lionel Stander and a young Robert De Niro, this farce was typical of Hollywood's take on the Mafia before The Godfather (1972) — released just three months later — changed everything.

We talk at length about how he chose his projects and what he looked for in a script in my upcoming book OWEN ROIZMAN: LIFE BEHIND THE CAMERA, now in the final phases of production.

01/04/2026

Assembling the chapter on Wyatt Earp (1994) for my upcoming book OWEN ROIZMAN: LIFE BEHIND THE CAMERA, I've gained a new admiration for this epic Western co-written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan.

Between shots while filming the infamous showdown at the OK Corral, producer-actor Kevin Costner wishes Owen Roizman a happy birthday on Sept. 22, 1993. The cinematographer was just 57.