Steven Barry Poster ASC, CSC (born 1 March 1944) is an American cinematographer. He served as the president of the International Cinematographers Guild from 2006 to 2019.
Early life and education Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Poster studied at Southern Illinois University, the ArtCenter College of Design, and the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Career Poster began his filmmaking career as a creative assistant at 'The Film Group,' a Chicago-based commercial film production company. After being promoted to director of photography for his skill at lighting, he met Herschell Gordon Lewis and worked with him in various crew positions on a total of three films.
He founded a production company with director Michael Mann, and served as the cinematographer on numerous industrial and education films. His 1973 short film Another Saturday Night, which he co-directed with Mik Derks, was nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. In 1977, he was the second unit cinematographer for Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
In 1980, he relocated to Hollywood and shot his first feature film as cinematographer, Blood Beach. He also worked second unit or additional photography for Blade Runner, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and several John Carpenter films.
Poster joined the American Society of Cinematographers in 1987. The same year, he shot Someone to Watch Over Me for director Ridley Scott, which earned him an ASC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases
He shot the iconic music video to Madonna's "Like a Prayer", as well as commercials directed by Ridley Scott and Kinka Usher.
In 2006, he was elected as the National President of the International Cinematographers Guild, a position he held until 2019. He is also a former executive board member of the International Documentary Association, and currently sits on the Nicholl Fellowship committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He is also an adjunct professor at the ArtCenter College of Design.
Filmography
Feature film Year Title Director Notes 1980 Blood Beach Jeffrey Bloom 1981 Dead & Buried Gary Sherman1983 Spring Break Sean S. Cunningham Strange Brew Rick MoranisDave Thomas Testament Lynne Littman1985 The New Kids Sean S. Cunningham The Heavenly Kid Cary Medoway1986 Blue City Michelle Manning The Boy Who Could Fly Nick Castle With Adam Holender 1987 Someone to Watch Over Me Ridley Scott1988 Aloha Summer Tommy Lee Wallace Big Top Pee-wee Randal Kleiser 1989 Next of Kin John Irvin1990 Rocky V John G. Avildsen Opportunity Knocks Donald Petrie 1991 Life Stinks Mel Brooks 1993 The Cemetery Club Bill Duke 1997 RocketMan Stuart Gillard 1998 Une chance sur deux Patrice Leconte 2001 Donnie Darko Richard Kelly 2002 Stuart Little 2 Rob Minkoff 2003 Daddy Day Care Steve Carr 2006 Southland Tales Richard Kelly2009 Spread David Mackenzie The Box Richard Kelly 2010 Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore Brad Peyton 2011 Flypaper Rob Minkoff 2017 Amityville: The Awakening Franck Khalfoun 2024 Scared to Death Paul Boyd Also executive producer
Ref.:
Television Year Title Director Notes 1978 What Really Happenedto the Class of '65? James Sheldon Episode "Mr. Potential" 1987 I'll Take Manhattan Richard MichaelsDouglas Hickox 2 episodes (With Larry Pizer) 1998 American Experience Richard P. Rogers Episode "A Midwife's Tale" 2006 The Loop Betty Thomas Episode "Pilot" 2007-12 Craft in America Carol SauvionDaniel SeegerNigel NobleHilary Birmingham 8 episodes 2008 Raising the Bar Jesse Bochco Episode "Pilot" 2013 Hemlock Grove Eli Roth Episode "Jellyfish in the Sky" 2020 Cine Chalom Yossi Benavraham Episode "EXTRAIT DU FILM "INCASSABLE" DE M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN... 2000"
TV movies Year Title Director 1978 The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank Robert Day1979 The Night Rider Hy Averback Beggarman, Thief Lawrence Doheny 1981 Coward of the County Dick Lowry 1982 Mysterious Two Gary Sherman 1983 The Cradle Will Fall John Llewellyn Moxey 1986 Courage Jeremy Kagan 1992 The Bat, the Cat and the Penguin Michael MeadowsJohn Pattyson 1994 Roswell Jeremy Kagan 1995 Present Tense, Past Perfect Richard Dreyfuss 1996 Once You Meet a Stranger Tommy Lee Wallace 1997 Color of Justice Jeremy Kagan 2005 Mrs. Harris Phyllis Nagy 2006 The Danny Comden Project Robert Duncan McNeill 2013 Gutsy Frog Mark A.Z. Dippé
Accolades Year Institution Category Title Result 1973 Cannes Film Festival Short Film Palme d'Or Another Saturday Night(Shared with Mik Derks) 1987 American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography Someone to Watch Over Me 1994 CableACE Award Direction of Photography and/or Lighting Direction Roswell 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography Mrs. Harris
References
External links
Official website
ArtCenter College of Design teacher profile