Home / Authors / Janusz Kaminski Biography

Janusz Kaminski

Janusz Kaminski Biography

Film cinematographer

Janusz Kaminski is a renowned Polish-born cinematographer, best known for his work on films such as 'Schindler's List' and 'A Beautiful Mind'. His work is characterized by a unique visual style and a masterful use of light and shadow.

Janusz Kaminski is a renowned Polish-born cinematographer, best known for his work on films such as 'Schindler's List' and 'A Beautiful Mind'. His work is characterized by a unique visual style and a masterful use of light and shadow.

Related Quotes

“Very few people make exterior movies anymore. It's always action films driven by action and quick editing.”

People Action Film Driven Editing Exterior Action Films

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“There are films that are difficult. There are films that would actually affect your personal life because of the length of the production, how long [you're away] from the family.”

Long Film Difficult Productions Length Personal Life

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“It would be horrible to be micro-managed! I don't think directors can really micro-manage people. It's just impossible.”

People Thinking Would Be Impossible Directors Horrible Manage

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“You can't really micro-manage. You'll never make the movie in 52 days, if you micro-manage. If you do that, you take the creativity away from people because people just really quickly become disinterested when they're always being told how to do it.”

People Ifs Creativity Manage Disinterested

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“[Spielberg] surrounds himself with great crew members who are at the top of their game and know their stuff. He motivates us by liking what we do, and he doesn't get paralyzed by the process or by new ideas. He embraces them and uses them.”

Knows Ideas Use Games Stuff Process Members Embrace Surround New Ideas Crew Paralyzed

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“The greatest directors are the greatest users. They use people's talents to tell the story that they want to tell.”

People Want Stories Use Talent Directors Users

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“It's great to be recognized for work, and the work is great, but once you have the awards, it becomes less important. It just gives you the ability to do better work, in my opinion.”

Giving Important Ability Opinion Awards

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“It's very hard to go to Monument Valley and not think of John Ford's films.”

Thinking Hard Film Valleys Monument

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“We have not looked at any particular movies [in creating War Horse], but again, it's hard not to see the similarities between those movies [because of those filmmakers' influence on the industry].”

War Hard Influence Particular Industry Creating Horse Filmmaker Similarity War Horse

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“["War Horse"] does have action as well, but we allow the audience to appreciate the environment where these characters are from because the lens shapes the people, as we know.”

People Knows Wells Doe War Character Action Audience Environment Shapes Appreciate Horse Lenses War Horse

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“I like the ending of the movie [War Horse], simply because it's such a demanding scene emotionally, and yet [the look] is all done on camera. I like the work not to be manipulated digitally. And it's all done on camera [in that scene].”

Looks War Done Scene Horse Cameras War Horse

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“These days, you'd probably shoot it in the daylight and manipulate it in the post. That's [how] most people would do it. [I did the same thing with] with 'Diving Bell and the Butterfly'. No CGI. It's all live photography. And I like that, it's very challenging and exciting to be able to do that.”

People Able Challenges Photography Exciting Posts These Days Bells Butterfly Manipulate Daylight Diving Cgi

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“[There, in War Horse] very little CGI. What happened there - because the horse was running very close to the trench, we had a rider. So in few instances, we had a rider dressed in a green suit. The rider would guide the horse through the frame, and through CGI [we removed] the rider. But that's about it.”

Littles War Running Happened Horse Green Guides Instance Suits Riders Trenches Cgi War Horse

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“I had very little involvement with 'TinTin'. Very little involvement. So I can't really elaborate on that either.”

Littles I Can Involvement

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“We exchanged a couple of ideas and stuff like that, but that's about it. I just think ... consulting on 'Tintin' was very interesting because you try to ... not educate, but inform the animators [about] what the lighting looks like, but [in the end] they do it themselves. I don't actually go and sit there with them. [We] just had a couple of conversations.”

Thinking Trying Looks Ideas Ends Stuff Interesting Couple Conversation Educate Very Interesting Lighting Consulting Animator

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“If you take away 'Schindler's List' and 'Saving Private Ryan', I like 'Minority Report' a lot.”

Ifs Lists Saving Reports Minorities Schindler Schindler's List Saving Private Ryan Minority Report

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“[I] love 'Munich', man. That's a very underappreciated film.”

Men Film Munich

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“Really fantastic film, 'Munich'. So yeah, if I would say, what's the most underappreciated film, I think 'Munich' would be the one.”

Ifs Thinking Would Be Film Yeah Fantastic Munich

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“I just directed another picture called 'American Dream' with Nick Stahl. Just finished shooting principal photography right before I started ['Lincoln'].”

Dream Photography Finished Shooting American Dream Principal

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“'American Dream' is a small little movie made for under a million dollars. Totally independent feature.”

Littles Made Dream Millions Independent Dollars Features American Dream Million Dollars

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“['American Dream' will be released] probably never.Never in the United States because there's no room for independent cinema.”

States Dream United Rooms United States Independent Cinema American Dream

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“[ 'American Dream' ] probably will [go] somewhere in Europe. You get 3000 entries [to] Sundance, and how many movies get [screened]? So, I'm a realist. I'm very much realistic in terms of if this movie will be released in the States. Probably not.”

Ifs States Dream Term Europe Realistic American Dream Entry Realist Sundance

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“Occasionally I do movies with other directors. I did 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' for Julian Schnabel. I did a movie with Jim Brooks ('How Do You Know'). I did a movie with Judd Apatow ('Funny People'). So I do get a chance to work with other people, which is always enjoyable, always pleasant. But still, Steven [Spielberg] makes the types of movies that I'm interested in as well.”

People Knows Wells Stills Chance Type Directors Pleasant Do You Know Bells Butterfly Enjoyable Brooks Diving Funny People

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“[Steven Spielberg makes] human movies. Movies [...] that reflect the life we wish it would be, not necessarily as it is. And the happy ending, you know. Life is a tough thing to begin with, and I like the happy ending.”

Knows Humans Would Be Life Is Wish Tough Happy Endings Tough Things

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“I do like 'Munich'.It's a really wonderful film. I mean, there's 'Schindler's List', there's 'Saving Private Ryan'. But 'Munich' - of all the other films, Munich would be the one that's really, really amazing storytelling.”

Mean Would Be Film Wonderful Lists Storytelling Saving Really Amazing Munich Schindler Schindler's List Saving Private Ryan

Author:Janusz Kaminski

“'Sugarland Express' was pretty amazing.”

Author:Janusz Kaminski

About the Author

Born: June 27, 1959
Known for: Film cinematographer
Quotes: 26

Related Topics

People Film American Dream Dream Horse Ifs Knows Thinking War War Horse

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Similar Authors

Steven SpielbergBrowse related quotes
Steven SebringBrowse related quotes
Veryl GoodnightBrowse related quotes
Buck BrannamanBrowse related quotes
Francois TruffautBrowse related quotes
Alan ParkerBrowse related quotes
Emilie SchindlerBrowse related quotes
Alexander PayneBrowse related quotes
Michael HanekeBrowse related quotes
Roger EbertBrowse related quotes