Name John Stephens | ||
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Movies Sorcerer, Blacula, Billy Jack, Boxcar Bertha, Ski Patrol Similar People William Friedkin, Tom Laughlin, Burgess Meredith, Bill Persky, Rich Correll | ||
John Morley Stephens (November 17, 1932 – June 18, 2015) was an American cinematographer. He was noted for his innovative work on the 1966 film Grand Prix, for which he pioneered the use of a number of camera mounts and developed the first remotely operated pan-and-tilt-head camera. For this latter invention, he received a Technical Achievement Award from the Society of Operating Cameramen in 1994.
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As a cinematographer, Stephens was known for his work on such films as Billy Jack, Blacula, Martin Scorsese's Boxcar Bertha, and William Friedkin's Sorcerer. He also shot the memorable bicycle chase for Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, though he did not receive on-screen credit for his work. He was also the second unit director and cameraman for John Landis' comedy ¡Three Amigos! and the aerial photographer for Phil Alden Robinson's acclaimed Field of Dreams. From the late 1980s onward, he more prominently worked as a second unit director of photography, most notably on Martin Brest's Midnight Run and James Cameron's Titanic.
Stephens died in Orange County, California on June 18, 2015. He was 82.