The 2012 Kodak Educational award will be presented to UCLA’s William McDonald at the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineer’s awards ceremony during the SMPTE 2012 Technical Conference and Exhibition in Hollywood. McDonald, a cinematographer and filmmaker himself, is being recognized for his dedication to educate the next generation of filmmakers in the art and craft of cinematography throughout his professional career. The presentation takes place Oct. 25 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel.
“I take pride in the art and craft of what I do and teach,” said McDonald. “It is tremendously important to the field of cinematography that new filmmakers are fully aware of the artists who came before them and the attention they gave to the craft of cinematography when shooting with film. New filmmakers must be taught, and must adhere completely, to all the principles of cinematography, regardless of the tools being used. To do so ultimately strengthens the very foundation of what we do as filmmakers.”
As chair of the of film, television and digital media department at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, McDonald has advocated for the best production and postproduction resources for the college’s film students. He has negotiated services and alliances with companies and organizations in the industry to assist the next generation of storytellers as they learn how to create and succeed in the entertainment business. Additionally, McDonald has fostered the UCLA cinematographer in residence program, also sponsored by Kodak, where an award-winning professional cinematographer teaches a spring course and hosts movie screenings followed by discussions.
“McDonald’s accomplishments are truly admirable and his efforts deserve to be recognized,” said Kim Snyder, president of Kodak’s entertainment imaging division. “The next generation of filmmakers are benefitting greatly from his ongoing dedication to both the aesthetic and technical principles of cinematography.”
Past recipients of the Kodak Educational Award include Linda Brown, an associate professor at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, and Stephen Lighthill, ASC, senior filmmaker-in-residence: Cinematography at AFI.
