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Harris Savides
Harris Savides
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Harris Savides ASC (/səˈvdɪs/; Greek: Χάρης Σαββίδης; September 28, 1957 – October 9, 2012)[1] was an American cinematographer.

Key Information

He was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography for the Ridley Scott crime thriller American Gangster (2007).

Early life

[edit]

Savides was born in New York City, to parents of Greek Cypriot origin, Eleni, a clerical worker, and Savas Savides, a short-order cook.[1][2]

He graduated with a degree in photography and film from the School of Visual Arts.[3][4]

Career

[edit]

Savides started as a key grip in the documentary Fist of Fear, Touch of Death from the 1980.

On TV, Savides served as a cinematographer on a TV short film entitled The Investigator (1994) directed by Matthew Tabak and a TV movie Lake Consequence (1993) directed by Rafael Eisenman.[5]

His first solo job as a cinematographer was on the thriller Heaven's Prisoners (1996).[3]

Savides was a frequent collaborator of Gus Van Sant, working in six of his films.

After working in the opening title sequence of Seven,[6] Savides worked two more times with David Fincher, in The Game and Zodiac, which the latter was shot mostly with digital cameras.

Savides worked on a short film directed by Wong Kar Wai for BMW's "The Hire" film series, entitled The Follow.[7] Savides also worked on Martin Scorsese's commercial The Key to Reserva, an homage to Alfred Hitchcock.[8]

With director John Hillcoat, Savides worked in a series of Levi's commercials for their "To Work" advertising campaign.[9]

In 2010, Savides was attached to Stephen Daldry's Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, but dropped out after the discovery of his brain cancer. He was then replaced by Chris Menges[10]

Savides also worked on two films directed by Sofia Coppola, with The Bling Ring being his final project before his death.

Music videos

[edit]

Savides was the cinematographer on a number of well-known music videos directed by Mark Romanek including Michael Jackson's Scream, Madonna's Rain and Bedtime Story, Fiona Apple's Criminal, and Nine Inch Nails' Closer.

He has also served as cinematographer on the music videos for The Rolling Stones' "Like A Rolling Stone", Chris Isaak's Blue Spanish Sky, and R.E.M.'s Everybody Hurts.

Savides is the only person to date that has won three MTV Video Music Awards for Best Cinematography in a Music Video (for Madonna's "Rain", Fiona Apple's "Criminal" and R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts") and the only person to win two in a row (for "Rain" by Madonna and "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M.)[4]

Style

[edit]

Savides was known for the very delicate images that he created for The Yards and Birth. In both instances he underexposed the filmstock by several stops in order to break up the colors and give the blacks a purplish and brownish tint. This non-conventional approach leads to a look that resembles the paintings of Georges de La Tour and Caravaggio.[11]

For the visual style of Somewhere, Sofia Coppola discussed Bruce Weber's Hollywood portraits and Helmut Newton's of models at the Chateau Marmont, and Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975), the film by Chantal Akerman about the routine of a Belgian housewife, with Savides. Savides said, "The main thing was to tell the story really simply and let it play out in long beats and have the audience discover the moment."[12] Coppola used the lenses that her father had filmed Rumble Fish (1983) with in an effort to give the film a more period look, although it is set in the present.[13]

Personal life and death

[edit]

Savides lived in Manhattan with his wife Medine, and daughter Sophie.

He died from brain cancer at age 55.[1]

Filmography

[edit]

TV movies

Year Title Director
1993 Lake Consequence Rafael Eisenman
1994 The Investigator Matthew Tabak

Feature film

Year Title Director
1996 Heaven's Prisoners Phil Joanou
1997 The Game David Fincher
1998 Illuminata John Turturro
2000 The Yards James Gray
Finding Forrester Gus Van Sant
2002 Gerry
2003 Elephant
2004 Birth Jonathan Glazer
2005 Last Days Gus Van Sant
2007 Zodiac David Fincher
Margot at the Wedding Noah Baumbach
American Gangster Ridley Scott
2008 Milk Gus Van Sant
2009 Whatever Works Woody Allen
2010 Greenberg Noah Baumbach
Somewhere Sofia Coppola
2011 Restless Gus Van Sant
2013 The Bling Ring[a] Sofia Coppola
  1. ^ Posthumous release (Shared credit with Christopher Blauvelt)

Short film

Year Title Director Notes
2001 The Follow Wong Kar-wai Segment of The Hire
2007 The Key to Reserva Martin Scorsese

Music video

Year Title Artist Director
1990 Something New Grand Daddy I.U. Barry Michael Cooper
1991 Blue Spanish Sky Chris Isaak Bruce Weber
1993 Everybody Hurts R.E.M. Jake Scott
Rain Madonna Mark Romanek
1994 Closer Nine Inch Nails
Take a Bow Madonna Michael Haussman
1995 Violet Hole Mark Seliger
Fred Woodward
Bedtime Story Madonna Mark Romanek
Human Nature Jean-Baptiste Mondino
Scream Michael Jackson
Janet Jackson
Mark Romanek
Like a Rolling Stone The Rolling Stones Michel Gondry
1996 Little Trouble Girl Sonic Youth Mark Romanek
Twenty Foreplay Janet Jackson Keir McFarlane
Let It Flow Toni Braxton Herb Ritts
1997 Criminal Fiona Apple Mark Romanek
1998 Weird Hanson Gus Van Sant
If You Can't Say No Lenny Kravitz Mark Romanek
1999 I Try Macy Gray
2001 From a Lover to a Friend Paul McCartney Kate Miller
I Might Be Wrong Radiohead Sophie Muller
2002 Die Another Day Madonna Mats Lindberg
Pontus Löwenhielm
Ole Sanders
2005 Speed of Sound Coldplay Mark Romanek
Someday (I Will Understand) Britney Spears Michael Haussman
2007 Desecration Smile Red Hot Chili Peppers Gus Van Sant
2011 Otis Jay-Z
Kanye West
Spike Jonze

Awards and nominations

[edit]

BAFTA Awards

Year Category Title Result Ref.
2007 Best Cinematography American Gangster Nominated [14]

Independent Spirit Awards

Year Category Title Result Ref.
2002 Best Cinematography Gerry Nominated [15]
2004 Elephant Nominated [16]
2005 Last Days Nominated [17]
2008 Milk Nominated [18]
2010 Greenberg Nominated [19]
2012 Special Distinction Award Won [20]

New York Film Critics Circle

Year Category Title Result Ref.
2002 Best Cinematography Gerry Won [21]
2003 Elephant Won

International Cinephile Society

Year Category Title Result Ref.
2004 Best Cinematography Elephant Won [22]
Birth Nominated

National Society of Film Critics

Year Category Title Result
2004 Best Cinematography Elephant Nominated
2010 Somewhere Nominated

Other awards

Year Association Category Title Result Ref.
2003 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Elephant Nominated
2007 Satellite Award Best Cinematography Zodiac Nominated
Clio Award Beverages / Alcohol The Key to Reserva Won [23]
2008 Houston Film Critics Society Best Cinematography Milk Nominated
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Nominated
2011 Camerimage Camerimage Cinematographer-Director Duo Award Won

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Harris Savides (September 28, 1957 – October 9, 2012) was an American renowned for his understated, naturalistic visual style and innovative use of lighting and digital techniques in independent and mainstream films. Born in as the only child of Cypriot immigrants, Savides grew up in and later attended military school before pursuing studies in photography in and film and still photography at the in . He initially worked as a fashion photographer before transitioning to commercials and music videos in the 1990s, earning acclaim for his contributions to projects directed by and , including winning an MTV Video Music Award for cinematography on R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" in 1994. Savides' feature film career began with his first solo cinematography credit on the 1996 thriller , but he gained prominence through long-term collaborations with directors such as , with whom he worked on six films including Gerry (2002), (2003), and (2008). His partnerships extended to on Zodiac (2007), on Somewhere (2010), on Greenberg (2010), and on American Gangster (2007), where his work emphasized subliminal visuals that prioritized lit environments over actors, drawing influences from and art cinema, European filmmakers like and , and cinematographer . Savides was a pioneer in digital experimentation, notably using the HD Viper camera and underexposing to achieve moody, atmospheric effects in projects like Birth (2004) and Zodiac. Throughout his career, Savides received critical recognition, including a BAFTA nomination for Best Cinematography for American Gangster in 2008 and a Satellite nomination for Zodiac in 2007. He earned multiple Independent Spirit nominations for Best Cinematography on films such as Gerry, Elephant, Last Days, Milk, and Greenberg, and was posthumously awarded a Special Distinction by Film Independent at the 2013 Spirit Awards. Savides died of brain cancer at age 55, leaving a legacy that influenced a generation of cinematographers with his precise, intuitive approach to storytelling through light and composition.

Early life

Family background

Harris Savides was born on September 28, 1957, in to Greek Cypriot immigrant parents, Eleni Savides, a clerical worker, and Savas Savides, a short-order cook. As the only child of these immigrants from , he was raised in a working-class household in the Bronx neighborhood of . Savides' first-generation American identity stemmed directly from his family's Cypriot roots, which informed his early life in an immigrant community navigating urban challenges.

Education

Harris Savides, born to Cypriot immigrant parents in , pursued formal artistic training that nurtured his early interest in visual arts. Savides enrolled at the (SVA) in . His education included attendance at a military academy in Virginia during high school. He also studied in . At SVA, Savides earned a degree in and still photography in 1982, immersing himself in a curriculum that emphasized photographic techniques and visual . This education equipped him with essential skills in composition and lighting, bridging his personal artistic inclinations toward professional cinematographic aspirations. The program's focus on practical, hands-on training in photography and laid the groundwork for his later innovative approaches to capturing narrative through imagery.

Professional career

Music videos

Harris Savides contributed cinematography to several influential music videos throughout the and early , collaborating with prominent directors on projects for major artists.

Feature films

Savides served as cinematographer on the following feature films, listed chronologically by release year:
  • Heaven's Prisoners (1996), directed by Phil Joanou
  • The Game (1997), directed by David Fincher
  • Illuminata (1998), directed by John Turturro
  • The Yards (2000), directed by James Gray
  • Finding Forrester (2000), directed by Gus Van Sant
  • Gerry (2002), directed by Gus Van Sant
  • Elephant (2003), directed by Gus Van Sant
  • Birth (2004), directed by Jonathan Glazer
  • Last Days (2005), directed by Gus Van Sant
  • Zodiac (2007), directed by David Fincher
  • American Gangster (2007), directed by Ridley Scott
  • Margot at the Wedding (2007), directed by Noah Baumbach
  • Milk (2008), directed by Gus Van Sant
  • The Key to Reserva (2008 short feature), directed by Martin Scorsese
  • Greenberg (2010), directed by Noah Baumbach
  • Somewhere (2010), directed by Sofia Coppola
  • Restless (2011), directed by Gus Van Sant
  • The Bling Ring (2013, posthumous release), directed by Sofia Coppola

Key collaborations

Harris Savides developed a profound and enduring partnership with director , collaborating on six feature films that spanned over a decade and explored recurring themes of youth, identity, and minimalism. Their work began with (2000), a about mentorship and self-discovery, followed by the experimental road film Gerry (2002), which emphasized sparse landscapes and existential wandering. This evolved into (2003), a Palme d'Or-winning on adolescent alienation and , and Last Days (2005), a loose portrait of Kurt Cobain-inspired isolation and fading youth. Later projects included the biographical drama (2008), focusing on and , and Restless (2011), a tender exploration of young love amid mortality. Savides' in these films often featured muted palettes and naturalistic lighting to underscore Van Sant's introspective style, creating an intimate, unadorned that amplified the directors' thematic concerns with emotional restraint. Savides collaborated with on The Game (1997) and Zodiac (2007), the latter marking a shift toward high-stakes , where his contributed to the film's meticulous recreation of and 1970s San Francisco through period-accurate details and a desaturated . He employed tension-building shadows and to heighten the thriller's atmosphere of obsession and unresolved mystery, drawing from historical photographs to authenticate night scenes and interiors while using processes for precise tonal control. This partnership showcased Savides' ability to blend subtlety with technical rigor, contrasting his usual indie sensibilities. Savides also forged key relationships with other directors, adapting his approach to their distinct visions. With James Gray, he lensed (2000), a gritty crime drama set in industrial , using deep shadows and wide frames to evoke moral ambiguity. His work on Ridley Scott's American Gangster (2007) brought a glossy yet textured realism to the 1970s underworld, employing handheld cameras and warm earth tones for dynamic action sequences. For Noah Baumbach's (2007), Savides crafted a melancholic, underlit aesthetic with grainy textures that captured familial discord in a hazy suburban summer. Finally, his partnerships with on Somewhere (2010) and (2013)—the latter completed posthumously by —featured cool, detached visuals with long takes and ambient lighting to convey celebrity ennui and superficial excess, respectively. These diverse collaborations highlighted Savides' versatility, allowing him to tailor his minimalist, light-sensitive style from Van Sant's experimentalism to Fincher's precision and beyond.

Cinematic style

Influences

Harris Savides drew profound inspiration from the Old Masters painters, particularly the artists and , whose pioneering use of profoundly influenced his visual philosophy. , characterized by stark contrasts between light and shadow, allowed these painters to create emotional intensity and three-dimensional depth in their works, a technique Savides adapted to evoke mystery and naturalism in film. In discussing his lighting choices, Savides specifically cited de La Tour's frequent use of candlelight and "muddy black" fall-off as a key reference, noting how it contributed to an organic, intimate atmosphere in his shots. Savides' approach was also shaped by the moody aesthetics of and the introspective style of European cinema, which emphasized emotional depth through subtle lighting and composition. Directors such as , whose films like Au Hasard Balthazar explore human vulnerability with restrained visuals, resonated with Savides, informing his commitment to story-driven imagery over overt stylization. Similarly, the works of and , along with Béla Tarr's long-take epics like , highlighted his appreciation for patient, evocative that prioritizes feeling and simplicity. Central to Savides' philosophy was the idea of cinematography as an art of subtlety, akin to "painting with light" to serve the without drawing attention to itself. In rare interviews, he articulated this by explaining his preference for entire rooms organically, allowing actors to move freely within them rather than spotlighting individuals, which fostered authenticity and emotional resonance. This emphasis on restraint over reflected his broader influences, creating visuals that invited viewers into the story's intimate world.

Technical approaches

Harris Savides frequently underexposed film stock to create a painterly, desaturated aesthetic characterized by low contrast and subtle tonal ranges, allowing shadows to retain detail while evoking an ethereal mood. In The Yards (2000), he lit scenes so dimly with ambient sources that light meters often registered no measurable exposure, resulting in deep, immersive blacks that enhanced the film's gritty urban atmosphere. This technique reached its pinnacle in Birth (2004), where Savides underexposed Kodak Vision 500T stock by two stops during shooting and then pulled the negative by an additional two stops in processing—a total of four stops—to produce milky shadows and a desaturated palette that blurred the line between realism and dreamlike abstraction. Savides emphasized available natural light and long, unbroken takes to promote viewer immersion, often minimizing artificial setups in favor of organic environmental illumination. His centered on lighting entire rooms to let actors move freely within them, as articulated in discussions of Birth, where overhead diffusion through simulated subtle, diffused daylight for an unobtrusive, story-serving glow. In Elephant (2003), this approach manifested in extended sequences that followed characters through school hallways, capturing unfiltered filtering through windows to heighten documentary-like tension without contrived interventions. Similarly, Somewhere (2010) employed prolonged takes under soft, ambient hotel lighting to convey isolation and transience, prioritizing spatial continuity over stylized flourishes. For character-driven intimacy, Savides innovated with handheld cameras, pairing them with wide-angle lenses to embed viewers in personal narratives while revealing broader environmental contexts. In intimate scenes, the handheld rig allowed fluid, responsive movements that mirrored emotional immediacy, as seen in his character-focused tracking shots. Wide-angle optics, such as 27mm primes, distorted perspectives slightly to encompass surroundings, underscoring how settings influenced without overt exposition. Savides adeptly adapted to digital formats in later projects like Zodiac (2007), where he shot with Thomson Viper FilmStream HD cameras in uncompressed 10-bit mode, marking one of the earliest major Hollywood features to embrace digital for its precision in capturing fine details and . Despite a preference for 's organic grain—often advocating 16mm for texture—he balanced digital's technical exactitude with intuitive choices, such as permitting subtle lens flares and underexposures to retain artistic warmth amid the format's clarity.

Personal life and death

Family

Harris Savides married Medine Chenet in 1983, after meeting her in 1979 at a dance club. The couple established their home in , where they built a private family life amid the city's cultural landscape. They had one daughter, Sophie Savides, who pursued a career in . Savides and his family resided in throughout his adult life, fostering connections within the local arts community while maintaining a low public profile.

Illness and passing

In 2012, Harris Savides battled brain cancer privately for several months. Savides died on October 9, 2012, at the age of 55 in , with brain cancer cited as the cause by his wife, Medine. His passing was confirmed by family members and industry representatives, including those at The Skouras Agency. Upon news of his death, tributes poured in from longtime collaborators, emphasizing Savides' quiet professionalism and innovative spirit. Director , with whom he had worked on six films including (2008) and (2003), described him as someone who "was always innovating."

Recognition and legacy

Awards and nominations

Harris Savides received numerous accolades throughout his career, particularly for his innovative in music videos and independent films, highlighting his transition from high-profile video work to critically acclaimed feature projects. His early recognition in the music video industry included three for Best Cinematography, making him the only cinematographer to achieve this distinction. These wins were for Madonna's "" in 1993, R.E.M.'s "" in 1994, and Fiona Apple's "Criminal" in 1998, underscoring his mastery of visual in short-form media. In feature films, Savides earned a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Cinematography for his work on Ridley Scott's American Gangster in 2008, praised for its evocative period recreation of New York. He also received five Independent Spirit Award nominations for Best Cinematography, reflecting his frequent collaborations with on introspective, low-budget narratives: for Gerry in 2003, in 2004, Last Days in 2006, in 2009, and Greenberg in 2011. Savides was honored with Awards for Best Cinematography for Gerry in 2002 and in 2003, recognizing his ability to capture subtle emotional landscapes in Van Sant's "death trilogy." He also garnered a Satellite Award nomination for Best Cinematography for David Fincher's Zodiac in 2007, noted for its meticulous evocation of and . Additional honors included wins in Film Poll for Best Cinematography for in 2003 and Last Days in 2005, affirming his influence among critics for naturalistic, underexposed aesthetics in independent cinema. These awards collectively illustrate how Savides' precise technical approaches bridged commercial video innovation with arthouse subtlety. He was posthumously awarded a Special Distinction by Film Independent at the 2013 Spirit Awards.

Industry impact

Harris Savides earned a reputation as a "visual poet" among his peers for his ability to infuse independent films with sophisticated, emotive visuals that transcended budgetary constraints. Directors like , with whom he collaborated on six films including Gerry (2002) and (2003), praised Savides for his experimental approach that elevated indie cinema through subtle, naturalistic imagery drawn from 1960s and 1970s art influences. Van Sant highlighted their calm, ego-free partnership, noting how Savides' sensitivity to light and design created a lived-in authenticity that made low-budget projects feel profoundly cinematic. In a 2024 , Savides was hailed as one of the greatest cinematographers in , with contemporaries and modern directors reflecting on the enduring void left by his 2012 death at age 55. credited him with reigniting her passion for filmmaking on Somewhere (2010), while lauded his use of in (2007) for evoking raw emotional depth. and emphasized his bold risks, such as underexposing Birth (2004) by a total of three stops (two during shooting and one in processing) to achieve a luminous, ethereal quality that influenced digital aesthetics in streaming-era productions like Zodiac (2007). Savides informally mentored emerging cinematographers through on-set collaborations, fostering a "Harris school" of intuitive craftsmanship that bridged his music video origins—where he won three for Best Cinematography in the —with prestige narrative films. Sam Levy, who operated camera on (2000) and later succeeded Savides on Baumbach's projects, described him as a pivotal friend and teacher who demystified in the pre-digital era, funding Levy's Photoshop training and using on-set digital references to refine photochemical prints. Bradford Young idolized Savides early in his career, shadowing him on sets to study techniques like flashlight lighting, while Christopher Blauvelt credited Savides' week-long testing processes for inspiring a generation of DPs to prioritize simplicity over technical excess. His advocacy for naturalistic —prioritizing ambient room illumination over star-centric setups—left a lasting mark in an industry increasingly dominated by , promoting underexposed, hazy aesthetics that softened digital sharpness and evoked 1970s realism. Modern cinematographers like have cited Savides' elegant color palettes in films such as as a blueprint for blending saturation with naturalism, influencing contemporary works that favor emotional subtlety over hyper-polished visuals.

Filmography

Feature films

Savides served as cinematographer on the following feature films, listed chronologically by release year:
  • Heaven's Prisoners (1996), directed by Phil Joanou
  • The Game (1997), directed by David Fincher
  • Illuminata (1998), directed by John Turturro
  • The Yards (2000), directed by James Gray
  • Finding Forrester (2000), directed by Gus Van Sant
  • Gerry (2002), directed by Gus Van Sant
  • Elephant (2003), directed by Gus Van Sant
  • Birth (2004), directed by Jonathan Glazer
  • Last Days (2005), directed by Gus Van Sant
  • Zodiac (2007), directed by David Fincher
  • American Gangster (2007), directed by Ridley Scott
  • Margot at the Wedding (2007), directed by Noah Baumbach
  • Milk (2008), directed by Gus Van Sant
  • Whatever Works (2009), directed by Woody Allen
  • Greenberg (2010), directed by Noah Baumbach
  • Somewhere (2010), directed by Sofia Coppola
  • Restless (2011), directed by Gus Van Sant
  • The Bling Ring (2013, posthumous, shared credit with Christopher Blauvelt), directed by Sofia Coppola

Music videos

Harris Savides contributed cinematography to several influential music videos throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, collaborating with prominent directors on projects for major artists.
YearArtistSong TitleDirector
1993R.E.M.Everybody HurtsJake Scott
1993MadonnaRainMark Romanek
1994Nine Inch NailsCloserMark Romanek
1995The Rolling StonesLike a Rolling StoneMichel Gondry
1995Michael JacksonScreamMark Romanek
1995MadonnaBedtime StoryMark Romanek
1995MadonnaHuman NatureJean-Baptiste Mondino
1997Fiona AppleCriminalMark Romanek
2002MadonnaDie Another DayTraktor
2005ColdplaySpeed of SoundMark Romanek

Other works

In addition to his prominent feature films and music videos, Harris Savides contributed to several short films and television projects early in his career. One notable example is the 2001 short film The Follow, part of BMW's "The Hire" anthology series, directed by , where Savides served as director of photography, employing his signature moody to capture a tense pursuit centered on and automotive action. Another short film is The Key to Reserva (2008), directed by . Savides also worked on television productions, including the 1994 TV short film The Investigator, directed by Matthew Tabak, which follows a encountering bizarre events, with Savides handling the to enhance its surreal tone. Earlier, in 1993, he shot the TV movie , directed by Rafael Eisenman and produced by , depicting a housewife's erotic awakening, marking one of Savides' initial professional breaks in narrative television. Beyond scripted shorts and TV, Savides built much of his early portfolio through commercials, transitioning from in the . He collaborated with director on Levi's "To Work" campaign, a series of advertisements emphasizing blue-collar authenticity through gritty, naturalistic visuals. His commercial work often featured innovative techniques that later influenced his feature projects, though specific early gigs remain sparsely documented outside industry recollections.

References

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