Caleb
Deschanel

Caleb Deschanel, co-founder of Dark Light Pictures and five-time Oscar nominee is both an accomplished cinematographer and a prolific director. A man of unique vision and artistry, Deschanel has consistently set the standards for his generation of artists. His interview on cinematography is included in the famous documentary Visions of Light, and his work has been honored with nominations by the National Society of Film Critics, The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the American Society of Cinematographers.

Having shot such timelessly visual classics as The Black Stallion (1979) and The Natural (1984), in 2003 Deschanel took on the task of photographing Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ for which he delved deep into the painting techniques of such masters as Caravaggio and Raphael. In studying the way their emboldened brushstrokes depicted faces and conveyed emotions, as well as the way they depicted light and composition, he formed the breathtaking look of Gibson’s epic drama.

Deschanel started his education at Johns Hopkins University, with the intent to become a doctor. His interest soon shifted, however, and he followed his heart’s calling to the University of Southern California film school and then to the American Film Institute. ASC member Haskell Wexler became an early mentor, and Deschanel later honed his craft while apprenticing under acclaimed cinematographer Gordon Willis.

In 1993 he co-founded Dark Light Pictures in West Hollywood, California, and has since continued to bring his experience, artistic sensibility, and moment-to-moment discoveries to the commercial arena, shooting major commercials for Microsoft, UPS, Nestlé, Perrier, Carnation, Max Factor, McDonalds, Callaway, Vidal Sassoon, Sprint, and DHL.

Award Nominations:

Academy Award
Achievement in Cinematography
The Passion of the Christ

Academy Award
Achievement in Cinematography
The Patriot

Academy Award
Achievement in Cinematography
Fly Away Home