Greig Fraser

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Greig Fraser
Born
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Alma materRMIT University
OccupationCinematographer
Years active2000–present
OrganizationsAustralian Cinematographers Society
American Society of Cinematographers
SpouseJodie Fried
Children3
Websitegreigfraser.com

Greig Fraser, ACS, ASC is an Australian cinematographer. He won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on the 2021 sci-fi movie Dune.

His most well-known work includes the films Zero Dark Thirty (2012), Lion (2016),[1] Rogue One (2016), Vice (2018), Dune (2021) and its sequel Dune: Part Two (2024),[2] The Batman (2022) and The Creator (2023).

Early life and education[edit]

Greig Fraser studied at the RMIT University in Melbourne.[citation needed]

Career[edit]

For his short film Cracker Bag he was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 2003 AFI Awards.[3]

For his work on Lion, he won the American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases and AACTA Award for Best Cinematography and received Academy Award and BAFTA Award nominations.

Fraser shot Rogue One on the Arri Alexa 65 large format digital camera and Panavision lenses from the 1970s, making it the first feature film shot entirely with the Alexa 65. Fraser said of working with the Alexa 65, "The images are sharper and have more resolution, and those things are an advantage, but for me it is about the depth of the image -- there is a three-dimensionality to it. Often the beauty came from the texture; we found that the camera excelled when we were filming something with texture; it really enhanced the quality of picture."[4]

Fraser returned to the Star Wars franchise with the 2019 television series The Mandalorian. In 2020, for his work on the series, Fraser won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour).

For his work on Dune he won his first Academy Award for Best Cinematography in 2022. Fraser said a feature of his work in that film was intentionally using simple compositions, "We tried to simplify the frames as much as we could. By doing that, we've been able to give the viewers that absorption of story and experience" and colour palette: "We tried quite hard to make sure that it all sat within a certain tone."[5]

Personal life[edit]

Fraser met costume designer Jodie Fried in Sydney in 2004, while they were working on a short film. After moving to the United States in 2008, they were married in a helicopter above Las Vegas. They live in Los Angeles with their three children.[6]

Critical reception[edit]

Film critic Glenn Kenny has praised Fraser's work in The Batman and Dune, saying they were a "sort of stunning magic trick": "There's both a gauziness and a heft to his imagery. His use of shadow and silhouette is masterful, and does so much to convey a sense of foreboding and tension."[7] Fellow cinematographer and Academy Award winner Roger Deakins praised Fraser's work on The Batman as "extraordinary", and called Fraser's and the film's omission from being nominated in the category at the 95th Academy Awards due to the Academy's tendency to avoid superhero films based on "snobbery."[8]

Critic Susan Wloszczyna praised his work on Lion, saying it was "visually poetic".[9]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Title Director Notes
2005 Jewboy Tony Krawitz
2006 Out of the Blue Robert Sarkies
2009 Bright Star Jane Campion
Last Ride Glendyn Ivin
The Boys Are Back Scott Hicks
2010 Let Me In Matt Reeves
2012 Killing Them Softly Andrew Dominik
Snow White and the Huntsman Rupert Sanders
Zero Dark Thirty Kathryn Bigelow
2014 Foxcatcher Bennett Miller
The Gambler Rupert Wyatt
2016 Lion Garth Davis
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Gareth Edwards
2018 Mary Magdalene Garth Davis
Vice Adam McKay
2021 Dune Denis Villeneuve
2022 The Batman Matt Reeves
2023 The Creator Gareth Edwards with Oren Soffer; also co-producer
2024 Dune: Part Two Denis Villeneuve

Television[edit]

Year Title Director(s) Episodes Notes
2019 The Mandalorian Dave Filoni
Deborah Chow
Chapter 1: The Mandalorian
Chapter 3: The Sin
Chapter 7: The Reckoning (With Baz Idoine)
[10]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Academy Awards

Year Title Category Result
2017 Lion Best Cinematography Nominated
2022 Dune Won

BAFTA Awards

Year Title Category Result
2017 Lion Best Cinematography Nominated
2022 Dune Won
2023 The Batman Nominated

American Society of Cinematographers

Year Title Category Result
2016 Lion Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography Won
2021 Dune Won
2022 The Batman Nominated

Other awards

Year Award Category Title Result
2009 Chicago Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Bright Star Nominated
2012 New York Film Critics Circle Best Cinematographer Zero Dark Thirty Won
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Nominated
National Society of Film Critics Best Cinematography Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Nominated
2016 AACTA Awards Best Cinematography Lion Won
2021 Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Dune Won
Houston Film Critics Society Awards Best Cinematography Won
San Diego Film Critics Society Best Cinematography Won
Satellite Awards Best Cinematography Won
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Won
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle Best Cinematography Nominated
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Nominated
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Best Cinematography Nominated
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Nominated
Critics Choice Association Best Cinematography Nominated
2022 British Society of Cinematographers Best Cinematography The Batman Nominated
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Nominated
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Nominated

References[edit]

  1. ^ O'Falt, Chris (14 December 2016). "How 'Rogue One' and 'Lion' DP Greig Fraser Found Realism In the Earth and Stars". IndieWire. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  2. ^ March 27, Christian Holub; EDT, 2022 at 11:18 PM. "Oscar-winning 'Dune' cinematographer teases sequel: 'It's bigger and better'". EW.com. Retrieved 16 March 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Winners & Nominees".
  4. ^ "Greig Fraser on "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"". Arri. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  5. ^ "Cinematographer Greig Fraser Looks Back on His Love for 'Dune'". 26 March 2022.
  6. ^ Idato, Michael (27 October 2017). "Greig Fraser and Jodie Fried on life after marrying in a Las Vegas helicopter". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  7. ^ Lemire, Christy. "The Batman movie review & film summary (2023) | Roger Ebert". rogerebert.com/.
  8. ^ Bamigboye, Baz (11 March 2023). "Breaking Baz: Oscar Winner Sir Roger Deakins Says, "The Best Cinematography Hasn't Been Nominated" This Year, Thinks Oscars Are "Snobby" About Cinematographers Of Popular Movies". Deadline.com. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Lion movie review & film summary (2016) | Roger Ebert".
  10. ^ Sarkisian, Jacob. "'The Mandalorian' cinematographer said shooting baby Yoda was similar to shooting Christian Bale in 'Vice'". Insider. Retrieved 16 March 2023.

External links[edit]