Presents: In Conversation with Cinematographer Roy H. Wagner
In this episode of the Film Ireland podcast, filmmaker and contributor Paul Farren sits down for a conversation with legendary cinematographer Roy H. Wagner ASC. With a career spanning decades, Wagner has brought his keen eye to storytelling, capturing an array of worlds on camera, from Beauty and the Beast to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Paul and Roy explore the craft of cinematography and the act of interpreting a narrative through light, shadow and lens. They discuss Wagner’s approach to visual language, the evolution of the craft, and what it means to sustain a career in the industry.
About Roy H. Wagner
Roy is a two-time Emmy Award-winning cinematographer with over 50 years of experience shooting TV series and feature films. Major DP credits include House, CSI, Quantum Leap, Burn Notice, and Ray Donovan. In addition to two Primetime Emmy wins, he also won the ASC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for the mini-series Drug Wars. Born in a very small community in the Midwest, Roy had no other contact with his dream of becoming a cinematographer than through the local theatre and the Los Angeles phone directory. He would recall the names of cinematographers as they appeared on their films and call them blindly to talk with them about their work. Many of them were so surprised by this young man’s ambition and interest that they took him under their wing, mentoring him.
When he arrived in Los Angeles, he spent every moment with them on their sets and in their homes, learning as much about them and their work as he could. Because of this, he was able to meet and befriend many of the greatest cinematographers in Hollywood. His key mentor was Harry Stradling Sr. Through him, he developed friendships with Joseph Ruttenberg, George Folsey, James Wong Howe, Leon Shamroy, Frank Phillips, Leonard South, and many, many others. In the late 1970s, he began a life-long process of interviewing cinematographers on videotape or film. A deep reverence for all that is old Hollywood remains a great part of his life, and the memory of the behind-the-scenes stories told to him as a young man is an important basis for his life and work.
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