Shane Hurlbut
Encyclopedia
Shane Hurlbut, also credited as L. Shane Hurlbut, is an American
cinematographer
. Originally from Ithaca, New York
, he grew up near Cayuga Lake
, and graduated from Southern Cayuga High School
in 1982. Hurlbut studied film at Emerson College
, graduating with a degree in film and television in 1986. His early career included work on music video
s for Gloria Estefan
and Smashing Pumpkins. He met director Rob Cohen
while working on a music video for the 1996 disaster film
Daylight
, and again worked with Cohen as cinematographer for the television pilot
of The Guardian.
Hurlbut received a nomination for an award from the American Society of Cinematographers
for his work as director of cinematography on the 1998 television movie The Rat Pack
– he was the youngest cinematographer ever to have been nominated for an American Society of Cinematographers award for a debut film.
He has received positive comments from film critics for his cinematography work on films including Drumline
and Mr. 3000
, and in a review of the film Into the Blue Roger Ebert
highlighted Hurlbut's work. In a review of the 2005 film The Greatest Game Ever Played
Joan E. Vadeboncoeur of The Post-Standard described Hurlbut as a "splendid cinematographer" who contributed "beauty and atmosphere" to the film's shots. His work on the 2006 romantic comedy
Something New
where he collaborated with director Sanaa Hamri
was positively received in The Times-Picayune and The Journal News
, and his cinematography work on the 2006 film Waist Deep
with director Vondie Curtis-Hall
was well-received in The Seattle Times
.
. His mother taught sixth grade, and his father worked as a professor's assistant at Cornell University
. He grew up on a 250 acres (1 km²) farm in Aurora, New York
near Cayuga Lake
, and graduated from Southern Cayuga High School
in 1982. He married Lydia Kunkler, a fellow graduate of Southern Cayuga.
Hurlbut attended Herkimer County Community College
, graduating with a degree in radio and television broadcasting in 1984, and he was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Honor by the Herkimer County Community College Alumni Association on April 4, 2008. Hurlbut received a bachelor's degree from Emerson College
, where he majored
in film and television. He graduated from Emerson College in 1986.
in 1987, where he began work in film as a driver, key grip
, and gaffer
, before becoming a cinematographer. He was a grip truck driver for the 1988 film Phantasm II
. His early career included work on music video
s for Gloria Estefan
and Smashing Pumpkins, photo shoot work with photographer Herb Ritts
for an April 1997 Absolut Vodka spread in Vogue
magazine, and work on a Nissan "Enjoy the Ride" commercial. He met director Rob Cohen
while working on the Donna Summer
/Bruce Roberts
music video for the 1996 disaster film
Daylight
. Hurlbut again worked with Cohen as cinematographer for the 1997 NBC
television pilot
The Guardian. In 1997 Hurlbut's career focused on light as applied to photography and film, and he owned a lighting business in Pasadena, California
. Hurlbut assisted friends from Southern Cayuga in their film careers, including Dan Wade and Tim Carr.
Cohen selected Hurlbut as his cinematographer for the 1998 television movie The Rat Pack
, which was Hurlbut's feature film debut. His lighting style for the movie was heavily influenced by the glamour photography
of George Hurrell
. Hurlbut received a nomination for an award from the American Society of Cinematographers
for his cinematography work on the movie, becoming the youngest cinematographer ever to have been nominated for an American Society of Cinematographers award for a debut film. Hurlbut worked again with Cohen on the 2000 film The Skulls, which was his first theatrical feature film.
He received positive comments for his work on the 2002 film Drumline
, directed by Charles Stone III
. Lou Lumenick of the New York Post
wrote that the film was "Handsomely photographed by Shane Hurlbut". "With 300 students dancing, running, jumping, singing and playing, Stone and cinematographer Shane Hurlbut bring you right inside the brassy band, nudged between the tubas, saxophones and clarinets," wrote Clint O'Connor of The Plain Dealer. Charles Taylor of Salon
commented "The movie was shot by Shane Hurlbut and none of the shots call attention to themselves. Instead you're struck by the beauty of watching a row of drummers' hands as they blur with the rhythm their sticks are beating out." Hurlbut worked with director Barry Levinson
, as cinematographer for The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman advertisements for American Express
.
In 2004, Hurlbut teamed up with director Charles Stone III again to work on the film Mr. 3000
. In a positive review of the film, Harper Barnes of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
highlighted Hurlbut, noting he had previously worked with the film's editor
, Bill Pankow, on Drumline. In a review of Mr. 3000 for The Manhattan Mercury, arts critic G.W. Clift specifically highlighted Hurlbut's work on the film, commenting: "Mr. 3000 has several attractions, even unexpected ones like Shane Hurlbut's heart-stopping photography. ... one doesn't mind that it lingers over scenes, in part because the scenes look so very good." In his review Mr. 3000 for the Intelligencer Journal
, Jack Roberts also highlighted Hurlbut's work on the film.
. In a review of Into the Blue for the San Francisco Chronicle
, Peter Hartlaub noted "director of photography Shane Hurlbut does some nice work in tight places". Lou Lumenick wrote in the New York Post that the "watery interludes" in Into the Blue were "gorgeously photographed by Shane Hurlbut". Though Associated Press
writer David Germain gave a negative review overall of Into the Blue, he wrote positively of Hurlbut's cinematography work, commenting: "Shane Hurlbut's cinematography buoys the movie, but his lovely pictures of the actors swimming among jellyfish and shimmery aquatic vegetation cannot compensate for everything else."
Bob Strauss of the Los Angeles Daily News
also wrote positively of Hurlbut's work in his review of Into the Blue, writing: "The undersea photography, much of it shot amid schools of wild sharks, is exquisite..." Strauss also commented positively on Hurlbut's work on the 2005 film The Greatest Game Ever Played
, writing he "does a great job of making golf look cinematic". Soren Andersen of The News Tribune wrote of Hurlbut's work on The Greatest Game Ever Played: "Shot by cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, the picture is extraordinarily handsome, with its velvety green fairways and its burnished, candlelit interiors." Joan E. Vadeboncoeur of The Post-Standard was critical of the film's script, but praised Hurlbut's work: "Director Bill Paxton does have a splendid cinematographer, Shane Hurlbut, contributing beauty and atmosphere."
In 2005, Hurlbut became the first cinematographer to utilize the InDI process developed by LaserPacific
, while working on the film Something New
. In 2006, Hurlbut became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers. Hurlbut's cinematography work on the 2006 romantic comedy
was positively received by film critic Michael H. Kleinschrodt of The Times-Picayune, who wrote: "Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut finds interesting angles from which to shoot and photographs a formal cotillion with panache." Kevin Canfield of The Journal News
noted that Hurlbut assisted director Sanaa Hamri
with "one lovely scene of the lovers bathed in the orangy light of morning and another, shot from overhead, of couples twirling on a dance floor".
Hurlbut worked on the 2006 film Waist Deep
with director Vondie Curtis-Hall
, and Tom Keogh of The Seattle Times
described their work on shots prior to a kidnapping scene in the film as "close to breathtaking". Hurlbut worked as cinematographer on the 2008 film Semi-Pro
starring Will Ferrell
, and Steven Boone of The Star-Ledger
noted: "...Shane Hurlbut's widescreen sports cinematography does conspire with two notorious disco covers of classical music to give us a thrill along with the cheap laughs." Hurlbut collaborated with director McG
as director of photography on the 2006 film We Are Marshall
. Hurlbut and McG decided to use vintage lenses and film stock from the time period to evoke a feeling of the 1970s.
In 2008 Hurlbut again worked with director McG, as director of photography on the film Terminator Salvation
. During shooting for the film in July 2008, Hurlbut faced an expletive-ridden tirade from actor Christian Bale
, who berated Hurlbut for walking into a scene involving Bale and actress Bryce Dallas Howard
. Hurlbut responded calmly and apologized several times to Bale, and continued shooting for seven hours after the incident. On February 6, 2009, Bale told KROQ-FM
radio that he and Hurlbut talked after the incident and "resolved this completely". Bale acknowledged the two worked together for several hours after the incident, and "at least a month after that", and noted "I've seen a rough cut of the movie and he has done a wonderful job. It looks fantastic".
Charles Stone III, director of the original "Whassup?
" commercial for commercial
campaign for Anheuser-Busch Budweiser
beer
, remembered Hurlbut from their work together on Drumline, and contacted him in 2008 to make a video in support of Barack Obama
's 2008 campaign for President
. The video, "Wassup 2008" was posted to YouTube
in October 2008 and received over 1.8 million views.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
. Originally from Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, he grew up near Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and second largest in volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles , and it is at its widest point near Aurora...
, and graduated from Southern Cayuga High School
Southern Cayuga High School
Southern Cayuga High School is a rural secondary school in Poplar Ridge, Cayuga County, New York.SCHS is operated by Southern Cayuga Central School District....
in 1982. Hurlbut studied film at Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
, graduating with a degree in film and television in 1986. His early career included work on music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s for Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
and Smashing Pumpkins. He met director Rob Cohen
Rob Cohen
Robert "Rob" Cohen is an American film director, producer and writer.-Early life:Cohen was born in Cornwall, New York. He was raised and spent his childhood in the Town of Newburgh and graduated from Newburgh Free Academy in 1967...
while working on a music video for the 1996 disaster film
Disaster film
A disaster film is a film genre that has an impending or ongoing disaster as its subject...
Daylight
Daylight (film)
Daylight is a 1996 disaster film, starring Sylvester Stallone, Amy Brenneman, Viggo Mortensen, Dan Hedaya, and Danielle Harris. It was directed by Rob Cohen and released in theaters on December 6, 1996.-Plot:...
, and again worked with Cohen as cinematographer for the television pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
of The Guardian.
Hurlbut received a nomination for an award from the American Society of Cinematographers
American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers is an educational, cultural, and professional organization. It is not a labor union, and it is not a guild. Membership is by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography and special effects experts with distinguished credits in the film...
for his work as director of cinematography on the 1998 television movie The Rat Pack
The Rat Pack (film)
The Rat Pack is a 1998 HBO TV movie about the Rat Pack. The movie stars Ray Liotta as Frank Sinatra, Joe Mantegna as Dean Martin, Don Cheadle as Sammy Davis, Jr., and Angus Macfadyen as Peter Lawford....
– he was the youngest cinematographer ever to have been nominated for an American Society of Cinematographers award for a debut film.
He has received positive comments from film critics for his cinematography work on films including Drumline
Drumline (film)
Drumline is a 2002 American film directed by Charles Stone III. The screenplay, which was inspired by The Southwest Dekalb High School Drumline , was written by Tina Gordon Chism and Shawn Schepps...
and Mr. 3000
Mr. 3000
Mr. 3000 is a 2004 American sports comedy film starring Bernie Mac and Angela Bassett. The film's plot surrounds a retired Major League Baseball player who makes a comeback at age 47 in order to attain 3,000 hits.-Plot:...
, and in a review of the film Into the Blue Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
highlighted Hurlbut's work. In a review of the 2005 film The Greatest Game Ever Played
The Greatest Game Ever Played
The Greatest Game Ever Played is a 2005 biographical sports film based on the early life of golf champion Francis Ouimet. The film was directed by Bill Paxton; Shia LaBeouf plays the role of Ouimet. It is distributed by Walt Disney Pictures...
Joan E. Vadeboncoeur of The Post-Standard described Hurlbut as a "splendid cinematographer" who contributed "beauty and atmosphere" to the film's shots. His work on the 2006 romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
Something New
Something New (film)
Something New is a 2006 American romantic drama film directed by Sanaa Hamri. The screenplay by Kriss Turner focuses on interracial relationships and traditional African American family values and social customs.-Plot:...
where he collaborated with director Sanaa Hamri
Sanaa Hamri
Sanaa Hamri is a Moroccan American music video and film director. She is one of the few prominent female film and music video directors of color.-Early life and breakthrough:...
was positively received in The Times-Picayune and The Journal News
The Journal News
The Journal News is a newspaper in New York serving the suburban New York City counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam, a region known as the Lower Hudson Valley. It is owned by the Gannett Company, Inc. The Journal News was created through a merger of several daily community newspapers...
, and his cinematography work on the 2006 film Waist Deep
Waist Deep
Waist Deep is a 2006 drama-action film directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall, starring Tyrese Gibson and Meagan Good. It is loosely based on the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, including some similar subplots including the two main characters on the road, trying to avoid police, and committing bank...
with director Vondie Curtis-Hall
Vondie Curtis-Hall
Vondie Curtis-Hall is an American actor and film director.As an actor, he is best known for his role as Dr. Dennis Hancock on the CBS medical drama Chicago Hope created by David E. Kelley.-Early life:...
was well-received in The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
.
Early life
Hurlbut was raised in Ithaca, New YorkIthaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
. His mother taught sixth grade, and his father worked as a professor's assistant at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. He grew up on a 250 acres (1 km²) farm in Aurora, New York
Aurora, Cayuga County, New York
Aurora is a village and college town in Cayuga County, in the Town of Ledyard, north of Ithaca, New York, United States. The village had a population of 720 at the 2000 census, of which more than 400 were college students....
near Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and second largest in volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles , and it is at its widest point near Aurora...
, and graduated from Southern Cayuga High School
Southern Cayuga High School
Southern Cayuga High School is a rural secondary school in Poplar Ridge, Cayuga County, New York.SCHS is operated by Southern Cayuga Central School District....
in 1982. He married Lydia Kunkler, a fellow graduate of Southern Cayuga.
Hurlbut attended Herkimer County Community College
Herkimer County Community College
Herkimer County Community College is a two-year community college in the Village of Herkimer in Herkimer County, New York, USA. The college is in the northwest part of the village, bounded on the north by Reservoir Road.- History :...
, graduating with a degree in radio and television broadcasting in 1984, and he was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Honor by the Herkimer County Community College Alumni Association on April 4, 2008. Hurlbut received a bachelor's degree from Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
, where he majored
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
in film and television. He graduated from Emerson College in 1986.
1987–2004
Hurlbut moved to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1987, where he began work in film as a driver, key grip
Key grip
In the United States and many parts of the world in film-making, the key grip is the head of the grip department and chief rigging technician on the set. Using light, he or she is in charge of the shadows of light, the movement of the camera, the placing of cameras on any stationary, moving,...
, and gaffer
Gaffer (filmmaking)
A gaffer in the motion picture industry and on a television crew is an electrician that can be head of the electrical department, responsible for the execution of the lighting plan for a production. Gaffer, outside of the motion picture industry, is a traditional British English word for an older...
, before becoming a cinematographer. He was a grip truck driver for the 1988 film Phantasm II
Phantasm II
Phantasm II, also known as Phantasm II: The Ball is Back! is the 1988 sequel to Phantasm. It was written and directed by Don Coscarelli, starring Angus Scrimm, James LeGros and Reggie Bannister...
. His early career included work on music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s for Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
and Smashing Pumpkins, photo shoot work with photographer Herb Ritts
Herb Ritts
Herbert "Herb" Ritts was an American fashion photographer who concentrated on black-and-white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture.-Early life and career:...
for an April 1997 Absolut Vodka spread in Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
magazine, and work on a Nissan "Enjoy the Ride" commercial. He met director Rob Cohen
Rob Cohen
Robert "Rob" Cohen is an American film director, producer and writer.-Early life:Cohen was born in Cornwall, New York. He was raised and spent his childhood in the Town of Newburgh and graduated from Newburgh Free Academy in 1967...
while working on the Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
/Bruce Roberts
Bruce Roberts (singer)
Bruce Roberts is a singer and songwriter. In 1995 he released the album Intimacy which featured musical and vocal contributions by many notable artists...
music video for the 1996 disaster film
Disaster film
A disaster film is a film genre that has an impending or ongoing disaster as its subject...
Daylight
Daylight (film)
Daylight is a 1996 disaster film, starring Sylvester Stallone, Amy Brenneman, Viggo Mortensen, Dan Hedaya, and Danielle Harris. It was directed by Rob Cohen and released in theaters on December 6, 1996.-Plot:...
. Hurlbut again worked with Cohen as cinematographer for the 1997 NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
The Guardian. In 1997 Hurlbut's career focused on light as applied to photography and film, and he owned a lighting business in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. Hurlbut assisted friends from Southern Cayuga in their film careers, including Dan Wade and Tim Carr.
Cohen selected Hurlbut as his cinematographer for the 1998 television movie The Rat Pack
The Rat Pack (film)
The Rat Pack is a 1998 HBO TV movie about the Rat Pack. The movie stars Ray Liotta as Frank Sinatra, Joe Mantegna as Dean Martin, Don Cheadle as Sammy Davis, Jr., and Angus Macfadyen as Peter Lawford....
, which was Hurlbut's feature film debut. His lighting style for the movie was heavily influenced by the glamour photography
Glamour photography
Glamour photography is a genre of photography whereby the subjects, usually female, are portrayed in a romantic or sexually alluring way. The subjects may be fully clothed or seminude, but glamour photography stops short of deliberately arousing the viewer and being pornographic photography.Glamour...
of George Hurrell
George Hurrell
George Hurrell was a photographer who made a significant contribution to the image of glamour presented by Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
. Hurlbut received a nomination for an award from the American Society of Cinematographers
American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers is an educational, cultural, and professional organization. It is not a labor union, and it is not a guild. Membership is by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography and special effects experts with distinguished credits in the film...
for his cinematography work on the movie, becoming the youngest cinematographer ever to have been nominated for an American Society of Cinematographers award for a debut film. Hurlbut worked again with Cohen on the 2000 film The Skulls, which was his first theatrical feature film.
He received positive comments for his work on the 2002 film Drumline
Drumline (film)
Drumline is a 2002 American film directed by Charles Stone III. The screenplay, which was inspired by The Southwest Dekalb High School Drumline , was written by Tina Gordon Chism and Shawn Schepps...
, directed by Charles Stone III
Charles Stone III
Charles Stone III is a film director, known for films such as Drumline starring Nick Cannon, Mr. 3000 starring Bernie Mac, and Paid in Full....
. Lou Lumenick of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
wrote that the film was "Handsomely photographed by Shane Hurlbut". "With 300 students dancing, running, jumping, singing and playing, Stone and cinematographer Shane Hurlbut bring you right inside the brassy band, nudged between the tubas, saxophones and clarinets," wrote Clint O'Connor of The Plain Dealer. Charles Taylor of Salon
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
commented "The movie was shot by Shane Hurlbut and none of the shots call attention to themselves. Instead you're struck by the beauty of watching a row of drummers' hands as they blur with the rhythm their sticks are beating out." Hurlbut worked with director Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, and producer of film and television. His films include Good Morning, Vietnam, Sleepers and Rain Man.-Early life:...
, as cinematographer for The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman advertisements for American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
.
In 2004, Hurlbut teamed up with director Charles Stone III again to work on the film Mr. 3000
Mr. 3000
Mr. 3000 is a 2004 American sports comedy film starring Bernie Mac and Angela Bassett. The film's plot surrounds a retired Major League Baseball player who makes a comeback at age 47 in order to attain 3,000 hits.-Plot:...
. In a positive review of the film, Harper Barnes of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
highlighted Hurlbut, noting he had previously worked with the film's editor
Film editing
Film editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
, Bill Pankow, on Drumline. In a review of Mr. 3000 for The Manhattan Mercury, arts critic G.W. Clift specifically highlighted Hurlbut's work on the film, commenting: "Mr. 3000 has several attractions, even unexpected ones like Shane Hurlbut's heart-stopping photography. ... one doesn't mind that it lingers over scenes, in part because the scenes look so very good." In his review Mr. 3000 for the Intelligencer Journal
Intelligencer Journal
The Intelligencer Journal, known locally as the Intell, is the daily, morning newspaper published by Lancaster Newspapers, Inc in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It is the 7th oldest newspaper in the United States and one of the oldest newspapers to be continually published under the same name...
, Jack Roberts also highlighted Hurlbut's work on the film.
2005–present
Hurlbut's cinematography work on the 2005 film Into the Blue received positive reception from film critic Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
. In a review of Into the Blue for the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, Peter Hartlaub noted "director of photography Shane Hurlbut does some nice work in tight places". Lou Lumenick wrote in the New York Post that the "watery interludes" in Into the Blue were "gorgeously photographed by Shane Hurlbut". Though Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
writer David Germain gave a negative review overall of Into the Blue, he wrote positively of Hurlbut's cinematography work, commenting: "Shane Hurlbut's cinematography buoys the movie, but his lovely pictures of the actors swimming among jellyfish and shimmery aquatic vegetation cannot compensate for everything else."
Bob Strauss of the Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
also wrote positively of Hurlbut's work in his review of Into the Blue, writing: "The undersea photography, much of it shot amid schools of wild sharks, is exquisite..." Strauss also commented positively on Hurlbut's work on the 2005 film The Greatest Game Ever Played
The Greatest Game Ever Played
The Greatest Game Ever Played is a 2005 biographical sports film based on the early life of golf champion Francis Ouimet. The film was directed by Bill Paxton; Shia LaBeouf plays the role of Ouimet. It is distributed by Walt Disney Pictures...
, writing he "does a great job of making golf look cinematic". Soren Andersen of The News Tribune wrote of Hurlbut's work on The Greatest Game Ever Played: "Shot by cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, the picture is extraordinarily handsome, with its velvety green fairways and its burnished, candlelit interiors." Joan E. Vadeboncoeur of The Post-Standard was critical of the film's script, but praised Hurlbut's work: "Director Bill Paxton does have a splendid cinematographer, Shane Hurlbut, contributing beauty and atmosphere."
In 2005, Hurlbut became the first cinematographer to utilize the InDI process developed by LaserPacific
LaserPacific
LaserPacific Media Corporation, formerly owned by Eastman Kodak, is a post-production facility in Hollywood offering a variety of end-to-end services for the entertainment industry....
, while working on the film Something New
Something New (film)
Something New is a 2006 American romantic drama film directed by Sanaa Hamri. The screenplay by Kriss Turner focuses on interracial relationships and traditional African American family values and social customs.-Plot:...
. In 2006, Hurlbut became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers. Hurlbut's cinematography work on the 2006 romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
was positively received by film critic Michael H. Kleinschrodt of The Times-Picayune, who wrote: "Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut finds interesting angles from which to shoot and photographs a formal cotillion with panache." Kevin Canfield of The Journal News
The Journal News
The Journal News is a newspaper in New York serving the suburban New York City counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam, a region known as the Lower Hudson Valley. It is owned by the Gannett Company, Inc. The Journal News was created through a merger of several daily community newspapers...
noted that Hurlbut assisted director Sanaa Hamri
Sanaa Hamri
Sanaa Hamri is a Moroccan American music video and film director. She is one of the few prominent female film and music video directors of color.-Early life and breakthrough:...
with "one lovely scene of the lovers bathed in the orangy light of morning and another, shot from overhead, of couples twirling on a dance floor".
Hurlbut worked on the 2006 film Waist Deep
Waist Deep
Waist Deep is a 2006 drama-action film directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall, starring Tyrese Gibson and Meagan Good. It is loosely based on the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, including some similar subplots including the two main characters on the road, trying to avoid police, and committing bank...
with director Vondie Curtis-Hall
Vondie Curtis-Hall
Vondie Curtis-Hall is an American actor and film director.As an actor, he is best known for his role as Dr. Dennis Hancock on the CBS medical drama Chicago Hope created by David E. Kelley.-Early life:...
, and Tom Keogh of The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
described their work on shots prior to a kidnapping scene in the film as "close to breathtaking". Hurlbut worked as cinematographer on the 2008 film Semi-Pro
Semi-Pro
Semi-Pro is a 2008 American sports screwball comedy film from New Line Cinema. The film was directed by Kent Alterman and stars Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin and Maura Tierney. The film was shot in Los Angeles near Dodger Stadium , in Detroit and in Flint, Michigan...
starring Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
, and Steven Boone of The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
noted: "...Shane Hurlbut's widescreen sports cinematography does conspire with two notorious disco covers of classical music to give us a thrill along with the cheap laughs." Hurlbut collaborated with director McG
McG
Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer....
as director of photography on the 2006 film We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall is a 2006 American drama film directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and...
. Hurlbut and McG decided to use vintage lenses and film stock from the time period to evoke a feeling of the 1970s.
In 2008 Hurlbut again worked with director McG, as director of photography on the film Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...
. During shooting for the film in July 2008, Hurlbut faced an expletive-ridden tirade from actor Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
, who berated Hurlbut for walking into a scene involving Bale and actress Bryce Dallas Howard
Bryce Dallas Howard
Bryce Dallas Howard is an American film actress and daughter of director Ron Howard. She made her acting debut in her father's 1989 movie Parenthood and went on to have small roles in films and make stage appearances for the next several years...
. Hurlbut responded calmly and apologized several times to Bale, and continued shooting for seven hours after the incident. On February 6, 2009, Bale told KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
radio that he and Hurlbut talked after the incident and "resolved this completely". Bale acknowledged the two worked together for several hours after the incident, and "at least a month after that", and noted "I've seen a rough cut of the movie and he has done a wonderful job. It looks fantastic".
Charles Stone III, director of the original "Whassup?
Whassup?
Whassup? was a commercial campaign for Anheuser-Busch Budweiser beer from 1999 to 2002. The first spot aired during Monday Night Football, December 20, 1999. The ad campaign was run worldwide and became a pop culture catchphrase...
" commercial for commercial
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
campaign for Anheuser-Busch Budweiser
Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)
Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world...
beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
, remembered Hurlbut from their work together on Drumline, and contacted him in 2008 to make a video in support of Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's 2008 campaign for President
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
. The video, "Wassup 2008" was posted to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
in October 2008 and received over 1.8 million views.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The Guardian | Cinematographer | Rob Cohen Rob Cohen Robert "Rob" Cohen is an American film director, producer and writer.-Early life:Cohen was born in Cornwall, New York. He was raised and spent his childhood in the Town of Newburgh and graduated from Newburgh Free Academy in 1967... |
NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... production |
| 1998 | The Robber | Cinematographer | Michael Mayer Michael Mayer (director) Michael Mayer is an American stage and film director. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 2007 for directing Spring Awakening.-Biography:... |
|
| The Rat Pack The Rat Pack (film) The Rat Pack is a 1998 HBO TV movie about the Rat Pack. The movie stars Ray Liotta as Frank Sinatra, Joe Mantegna as Dean Martin, Don Cheadle as Sammy Davis, Jr., and Angus Macfadyen as Peter Lawford.... |
Cinematographer | Rob Cohen | Nominated for ASC American Society of Cinematographers The American Society of Cinematographers is an educational, cultural, and professional organization. It is not a labor union, and it is not a guild. Membership is by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography and special effects experts with distinguished credits in the film... award |
|
| 2000 | The Skulls | Cinematographer | Rob Cohen | |
| 2001 | Crazy/Beautiful Crazy/Beautiful Crazy/Beautiful is a 2001 American drama/romance film starring Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez. It is largely set at Palisades Charter High School and the surrounding area, including Downtown Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades, Malibu , and East Los Angeles .-Plot:Nicole — the spoiled, rich,... |
Cinematographer | John Stockwell John Stockwell (actor) John Stockwell is an American actor, director, producer, writer and former model.Stockwell was born John Stockwell Samuels IV in Galveston, Texas, the son of an attorney. His first feature film as an actor came in 1981's So Fine... |
|
| 2002 | Drumline Drumline (film) Drumline is a 2002 American film directed by Charles Stone III. The screenplay, which was inspired by The Southwest Dekalb High School Drumline , was written by Tina Gordon Chism and Shawn Schepps... |
Cinematographer | Charles Stone III Charles Stone III Charles Stone III is a film director, known for films such as Drumline starring Nick Cannon, Mr. 3000 starring Bernie Mac, and Paid in Full.... |
|
| 2003 | 11:14 11:14 11:14 is a 2003 film about a series of interconnected events which lead up to the same time, 11:14 p.m.-Plot:The film involves several interconnected stories that converge at 11:14 p.m... |
Cinematographer | Greg Marcks Greg Marcks Greg Marcks is a writer/director of motion pictures who lives in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California.-Early life:Marcks grew up in the town of Chelmsford, Massachusetts and attended Chelmsford High School.... |
|
| 2004 | Mr. 3000 Mr. 3000 Mr. 3000 is a 2004 American sports comedy film starring Bernie Mac and Angela Bassett. The film's plot surrounds a retired Major League Baseball player who makes a comeback at age 47 in order to attain 3,000 hits.-Plot:... |
Cinematographer | Charles Stone III | |
| 2005 | Into the Blue | Cinematographer | John Stockwell | |
| The Greatest Game Ever Played The Greatest Game Ever Played The Greatest Game Ever Played is a 2005 biographical sports film based on the early life of golf champion Francis Ouimet. The film was directed by Bill Paxton; Shia LaBeouf plays the role of Ouimet. It is distributed by Walt Disney Pictures... |
Cinematographer | Bill Paxton Bill Paxton William "Bill" Paxton is an American actor and film director. He gained popularity after starring roles in the films Apollo 13, Twister, Aliens, True Lies, and Titanic... |
||
| 2006 | Something New Something New (film) Something New is a 2006 American romantic drama film directed by Sanaa Hamri. The screenplay by Kriss Turner focuses on interracial relationships and traditional African American family values and social customs.-Plot:... |
Cinematographer | Sanaa Hamri Sanaa Hamri Sanaa Hamri is a Moroccan American music video and film director. She is one of the few prominent female film and music video directors of color.-Early life and breakthrough:... |
|
| Waist Deep Waist Deep Waist Deep is a 2006 drama-action film directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall, starring Tyrese Gibson and Meagan Good. It is loosely based on the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, including some similar subplots including the two main characters on the road, trying to avoid police, and committing bank... |
Cinematographer | Vondie Curtis-Hall Vondie Curtis-Hall Vondie Curtis-Hall is an American actor and film director.As an actor, he is best known for his role as Dr. Dennis Hancock on the CBS medical drama Chicago Hope created by David E. Kelley.-Early life:... |
||
| We Are Marshall We Are Marshall We Are Marshall is a 2006 American drama film directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and... |
Cinematographer | McG McG Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer.... |
||
| 2007 | The Reckoning | Cinematographer | Rob Lawe | |
| 2008 | Semi-Pro Semi-Pro Semi-Pro is a 2008 American sports screwball comedy film from New Line Cinema. The film was directed by Kent Alterman and stars Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin and Maura Tierney. The film was shot in Los Angeles near Dodger Stadium , in Detroit and in Flint, Michigan... |
Cinematographer | Kent Alterman Kent Alterman Kent Alterman is an American film director and producer. He made his directorial debut in 2008 with Semi-Pro starring Will Ferrell.-External links:... |
|
| Swing Vote Swing Vote (2008 film) Swing Vote is a 2008 comedy-drama film about an entire U.S. presidential election determined by the vote of one man. It was directed by Joshua Michael Stern and starred Kevin Costner, Paula Patton, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez and Madeline Carroll... |
Cinematographer | Joshua Michael Stern | ||
| 2009 | Terminator Salvation Terminator Salvation Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting... |
Cinematographer | McG | |
| Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This | Cinematographer | Christian Charles | ||
| 2010 | The Last 3 Minutes | Cinematographer, producer | Po Chan | |
| 2012 | Act of Valor Act of Valor Act of Valor is an upcoming 2012 American war film directed by Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh, and written by Kurt Johnstad. It stars Alex Veadov, Rosalyn Sanchez, Nestor Serrano, Emilio Rivera and actual active duty U.S... |
Cinematographer | Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh |
External links
- Official website
- Shane Hurlbut, ASC, at VimeoVimeoVimeo is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos. It was founded by Zach Klein and Jake Lodwick in November 2004...