Masanobu Takayanagi

Biography

Masanobu "Masa" Takayanagi is a highly-regarded Japanese cinematographer, celebrated for his visually powerful work across a variety of genres in American cinema.

👨‍💼 Biography and Education

Born in Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, Takayanagi initially attended Tohoku University, studying linguistics. However, his career path dramatically shifted after being inspired by a book on contemporary cinematographers. This inspiration led him to pursue filmmaking in the United States, despite not speaking English at the time.

He immigrated to the US around 1996 and attended film school at California State University, Long Beach, before graduating from the AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles in 2002. His talent was quickly recognized; his short film Shui Hen earned him the Palm Springs International Film Festival's award for Best Student Cinematography in 2003, and he received the American Society of Cinematographers' (ASC) John F. Seitz Student Heritage Award in 2004. In 2015, he was officially welcomed as a member of the ASC.

🎬 Notable Career and Cinematography Style

Takayanagi began his career working on low-budget projects and later served as a second unit cinematographer on high-profile films like Babel, State of Play, Eat Pray Love, and The Eagle. His transition to the main unit cinematographer marked a significant step in his career.

He is noted for his focus on storytelling and a naturalistic, non-showy approach to lighting and camera work, preferring to let the characters and narrative remain central. His distinct collaborations include:

David O. Russell: He notably served as the cinematographer for the acclaimed film Silver Linings Playbook (2012).

Scott Cooper: He has collaborated frequently with director Scott Cooper on films such as Out of the Furnace (2013), Black Mass (2015), Hostiles (2017), and The Pale Blue Eye (2022).

Tom McCarthy: Their work together includes the Oscar-winning film Spotlight (2015) and Stillwater (2021).

Other major credits include the sports drama Warrior (2011) and the survival thriller The Grey (2011). In 2012, his talent was highlighted when Variety magazine named him one of their "10 Cinematographers to Watch."