Bradford Marcel Young, A.S.C (born July 6, 1977) is an American cinematographer.
For his work on Arrival (2016), he became the first African-American to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
Background Young spent his early years in Louisville, Kentucky, where he attended The Brown School and Central High School, and then moved to Chicago at age 15 to live with his father.
In his youth, he went to the theater to see Spike Lee films with his family.
Young received early artistic inspiration by the works of Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, and Aaron Douglas. Although he intended to study writing, he studied film at Howard University, where he was influenced by Haile Gerima.
His first film project at Howard was a group project, a black and white silent film shot on a Canon Super 8. Working on set with filmmaking colleagues at Howard was his introduction to film.
Prior to moving to Washington, D.C. for college, Young says "the only reason I cared about movies was how most people cared about movies. I liked watching them."
Career In 2014, Young was inducted into the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).
In 2017, Young was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Arrival (2016), along with a nomination for a BAFTA and the American Society of Cinematographers.
Young worked three times with director Ava DuVernay, on Middle of Nowhere (2012), Selma (2014), and the Netflix miniseries When They See Us (2019).
In addition to his feature film work, Young has collaborated with directors Kathryn Bigelow, Derek Cianfrance, Todd Haynes, Spike Jonze, and Steve McQueen on numerous short films and commercials.
He has filmed music videos for artists Beck, Common, Kamasi Washington, MGMT, and Norah Jones. Young has also collaborated with artists Elissa Blount Moorhead and Leslie Hewitt on video installations that have been displayed in fine art museums around the world.
Personal life Young is married to Stephanie Etienne, who received special thanks in A Most Violent Year.
They currently reside in Baltimore, Maryland with their two sons.
Visual style Young prefers shooting with available light. In Pariah, for a nighttime bedroom scene, he shot using only Christmas lights and an IKEA lamp with a red lampshade. Amanda Petrusich in her 2012 article on Young for The New York Times states that he "favors raw light and has a penchant for shooting into it, but said he ultimately focuses on getting out of the way."
In a 2013 article from The Washington Post about cinematographers who were trained at Howard University, Hans Charles, a frequent camera assistant for Young said that he has developed a versatile but also consistently poetic, oblique visual style.
In a 2017 article from the Courier Journal, Young is quoted as acknowledging older black cinematographers like Ernest Dickerson (Malcolm X), Arthur Jafa (Daughters of the Dust) and Malik Hassan Sayeed (Clockers) as artists who lay a foundation for black cinematographers like himself. He told the Courier Journal that he was "trying to find that balance between making sure I am present but also being that voice in the wilderness that says 'there has been great work by African-American cinematographers and it's a shame those people who came before me and who have been my teachers were not nominated for awards.'"
Young also cited his childhood memory as a key source of inspiration: "Early on, when I came upon a technical difficulty (making a film), I would think back to my memories of growing up in Louisville and what the lighting was like in those moments. I still do that to this day. I think about my grandmother's house on Greenwood Avenue and scenes during her wonderful parties. Or I envision the light in my Aunt Marie's kitchen. When I am stuck on a technical issue making a film, I access those memories and I know I am doing the right thing." Young has spoken about his affinity for nonlinear storytelling and switching between overhead and handheld camera shots.
Filmography
Feature film Year Title Director Notes2009 Mississippi Damned Tina Mabry Entre nos Gloria La MortePaola Mendoza2011 Pariah Dee Rees Restless City Andrew Dosunmu 2012 Middle of Nowhere Ava DuVernay2013 Mother of George Andrew Dosunmu Ain't Them Bodies Saints David Lowery Vara: A Blessing Khyentse Norbu2014 Pawn Sacrifice Edward Zwick A Most Violent Year J. C. Chandor Selma Ava DuVernay 2016 Arrival Denis Villeneuve 2017 Where Is Kyra? Andrew Dosunmu 2018 Solo: A Star Wars Story Ron Howard 2027 Michael B. Jordan Post-production
Television Year Title Director Notes 2012 The Boring Life of Jacqueline Sebastián Silva All 10 episodes 2019 When They See Us Ava DuVernay Miniseries 2024 Adam Sandler: Love You Josh Safdie Stand-up special
Documentary works Film Year Title Director Notes 2008 Eventual Salvation Dee Rees 2010 The Western Front Zachary Iscol With Radha Agrawal 2011 More Than Conquerors Andre Wilkins 2012 Free Angela and All Political Prisoners Shola Lynch With Sandi Sissel 2015 Everything Is Copy Jacob BernsteinNick Hooker With Christine Ng 2016 I Called Him Morgan Kasper Collin With Erik Vallsten 2024 2073 Asif Kapadia 2025 BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions Kahlil Joseph
TV movies Year Title Director Notes 2008 Alicia in Africa: Journey to the Motherland Earle Sebastian 2010 My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women and Hip Hop Ava DuVernay 2013 Six by Sondheim Autumn de Wilde Segment "Send in the Clowns"
TV series Year Title Director Note 2025 Number One on the Call Sheet Shola Lynch Episode "Black Leading Women in Hollywood"
Music video Year Title Artist Director Notes2013 "Hello, Again" Beck Colin K. GrayChris Milk "Fire We Make" Alicia Keys feat. Maxwell Chris Robinson "Cool Song No. 2" MGMT Isaiah Seret 2016 "Black America Again" Common feat. Stevie WonderHimself With Maceo Bishop, Jrr-Kwesi Fantiand Shawn Peters 2021 "For It Shall Perish and Never Leave Us Again" Leon Bridges Also writer
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Title Result 2011Sundance Film Festival Excellence in Cinematography Award: Dramatic Pariah 2013Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic Ain't Them Bodies Saints Mother of George 2014 Independent Spirit Awards Best Cinematography Selma 2016 Academy Awards Best CinematographyArrival BAFTA Awards Best Cinematography American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Cinematography Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Cinematography Florida Film Critics Circle Best Cinematography Houston Film Critics Society Best Cinematography Online Film Critics Society Best Cinematography San Diego Film Critics Society Best Cinematography San Francisco Film Critics Circle Best Cinematography St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Cinematography 2019 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography When They See Us
References
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