Stephen Goldblatt

Born in South Africa and raised in Britain from age seven, Goldblatt began his career as a news photographer, including work for the LONDON SUNDAY TIMES, and later specializing in shooting rock stars, including The Beatles at the peak of their popularity. He ran Anthony Armstrong-Jones' studio in Pimlico for three years before attending the Royal College of Art Film School. Upon graduation, he went to work shooting documentaries and animation, much of it in 16mm. Among his assignments were two "Disappearing World" episodes for Granada TV. From 1972-75, Goldblatt worked shooting TV commercials for such directors as Hugh Hudson, Alan Parker, Ridley Scott, and Brian Gibson. It was with Gibson that Goldblatt first got his chance to serve as d.p. on a feature, "Breaking Glass" (1980). His second effort, "Outland" (1981), made life on Jupiter seem sumptuous. Other work quickly followed, including Tony Scott's "The Hunger" (1983), and by 1987, Goldblatt had moved to Hollywood where he shot "Lethal Weapon" and its first sequel. Subsequent films included "The Pelican Brief" (1993), in which the lighting bespeaks of the inner sadness and inevitability of Julia Roberts' life. His work on "Striptease" (1996) continued the bold style, now adding a dimension of contrasting whiteness. Goldblatt returned to the "Batman" fold with "Batman and Robin" (1997).