Harris Savides

Biography

Harris Savides was an American cinematographer renowned for his distinctive, understated visual style. He worked with directors including David Fincher, Gus Van Sant, Sofia Coppola, Noah Baumbach, and Ridley Scott, creating cinematography for films such as Zodiac, Elephant, Milk, Somewhere, and American Gangster.

Early Life and Education

Harris Savides was born on September 28, 1957, in New York City. He studied film and still photography at the School of Visual Arts in New York, developing a strong foundation in photography and visual composition.

Career

Savides began working in the film industry in the 1980s and initially worked in technical roles before establishing himself as a cinematographer. His first solo feature-film cinematography credit was Heaven's Prisoners (1996).

He became a frequent collaborator of director Gus Van Sant, photographing Finding Forrester, Gerry, Elephant, Last Days, Milk, and Restless. His work on Gerry and Elephant earned him New York Film Critics Circle recognition for cinematography.

Collaboration with David Fincher

Savides also had an important professional relationship with David Fincher. He worked on The Game (1997), contributed to the opening title sequence of Se7en, and served as cinematographer on Zodiac (2007).

Zodiac, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr., follows the investigation into the mysterious Zodiac Killer. Savides's cinematography helped create the film's restrained, atmospheric visual style.

Other Notable Work

Savides photographed American Gangster (2007) for Ridley Scott, earning a BAFTA nomination for Best Cinematography. He also worked with Sofia Coppola on Somewhere (2010) and The Bling Ring (2013), his final feature film, released after his death.

His other notable credits include:

• The Game (1997)
• Finding Forrester (2000)
• Gerry (2002)
• Elephant (2003)
• Birth (2004)
• Last Days (2005)
• Zodiac (2007)
• American Gangster (2007)
• Milk (2008)
• Whatever Works (2009)
• Greenberg (2010)
• Somewhere (2010)
• Restless (2011)
• The Bling Ring (2013)

Music Videos

Savides was also highly influential in music-video cinematography. He worked on videos including Madonna's "Rain", R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts", Fiona Apple's "Criminal", Michael Jackson's "Scream", and Nine Inch Nails' "Closer". He won three MTV Video Music Awards for Best Cinematography.

Visual Style

Savides favored naturalistic, subtle lighting and imagery that served the story rather than drawing attention to the cinematography itself. He described his approach as lighting the room and allowing the characters to inhabit it, rather than simply lighting the actors.

Death

Harris Savides died on October 9, 2012, in Manhattan, New York City, at the age of 55, following brain cancer.