I had an unanticipated free day yesterday, so a casual visit to the ASC Clubhouse saw me drawn into the shooting of an in-depth, filmed interview with esteemed member Jack Cooperman. It was no shock that Jack characterized everything a good subject should; I’ve known him for years and he has always been engaging, passionate, funny and appealingly emotional. But his effortless recall of entertaining anecdotes – many of them involving the biggest names in the business – was really what blew me away. I was begging for more when the session ended. Hopefully, there will be a Chapter Two.
Jack’s interview, along with many others, will eventually be made available to the public through the ASC’s website. Keep an eye out for them. In most every case, these chats help fill the space between each cinematographer as a professional and as a person.
Here are some stills from yesterday’s set:
JAck Cooperman is aparticular legend when it comes to underwater Cinematography. I remember well visiting him and Don Peterman, ASC on the Paramount exterior water tank set for “Star Trek IV.” Jack was in full scuba gear with an underwater camera housing for filming the underwater scenes of when they were supposed to be in the middle of San Francisco bay.
Speaking from my “first to see the images” position at Technicolor, his work was always consistent, and seamlessly matched the style of the Primary Cinematographer when he was shooting additional photography that was not the primary Cinematographer’s area of expertise (e.g.: shooting underwater).