Stefan Czapsky, A.S.C. (born 15 December 1950) is an American cinematographer.
Early life and education
Born in Oldenburg, West Germany to Ukrainian parents, his family emigrated to the United States while he was still an infant and settled in Cleveland.
Career Graduating from Case Western Reserve University with a BFA in the humanities and an emphasis on film history and criticism, Czapsky moved to New York City, where he attended a film studies graduate program at Columbia University and began working in the film production business in positions such as assistant cameraman, gaffer, and key grip, for productions like After Hours, Matewan, and Q.
His first feature film, On the Edge, was praised by Roger Ebert, who noted, "The movie creates a real sense of place: These aren’t Hollywood locations but rooms where human voices sound at home."
The independent success secured Czapsky a cinematographer role alongside Robert Chappell for Erroll Morris’ The Thin Blue Line and Robert Bierman’s Vampire’s Kiss.
Czapsky's more notable work has been with expressionist director Tim Burton, starting with Edward Scissorhands, which was praised for its ethereal atmosphere; then Batman Returns, which was shot on a Panavision Panaflex Gold II in 35mm; and Ed Wood, which would prove to be their most critically successful.
Batman Returns star Danny DeVito teamed up with Czapsky to work on the 1996 film Matilda.
From 2016, Czapsky shifted his work towards television, shooting episodes of Shades of Blue, Quantico, and God Friended Me.
Filmography Film Year Title Director 1985 On the Edge Rob Nilsson 1988 Vampire's Kiss Robert Bierman1989 Last Exit to Brooklyn Uli Edel Fear, Anxiety & Depression Todd Solondz Sons Alexandre Rockwell1990 Flashback Franco Amurri Child's Play 2 John Lafia Edward Scissorhands Tim Burton 1991 The Dark Wind Errol Morris1992 Batman Returns Tim Burton Prelude to a Kiss Norman René 1994 Ed Wood Tim Burton 1996 Matilda Danny DeVito 2003 Bulletproof Monk Paul Hunter 2007 Blades of Glory Will SpeckJosh Gordon 2009 Fighting Dito Montiel 2012 SafeBoaz Yakin 2015 Max 2022 Christmas with You Gabriela Tagliavini
Documentary film Year Title Director Notes 1988 The Thin Blue LineErrol Morris With Robert Chappell 1991 A Brief History of Time With John Bailey
Television Year Title Director Notes 2016 Drew James Strong TV movie 2016-2017 Shades of Blue All 36 episodes 2018 Quantico 10 episodes 2018-2020 God Friended Me 20 episodes 2021 Stargirl Andi Armaganian 2 episodes 2022-2023 Law & Order: Organized Crime 11 episodes
References
External links
Stefan Czapsky profile at the Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers